Indiana Slot Machines & Online Slots
Although nothing is a done deal just yet, online slots are almost certain to be a topic of discussion in the Indiana General Assembly in 2023.
Online slots would offer Indianans the opportunity to win hundreds of thousands of dollars in a matter of seconds. Games like Cleopatra, Monopoly, and the many versions of Slingo might be coming to a mobile device near you in Indiana sometime in the near future. Here is all the information you need about what to expect from Indiana online slots.
Best online slots to play in Indiana
Are online slots legal in Indiana?
No. Indiana law does not permit online slots at this time. In fact, Indiana is home to one of the most specific statutes in the country regarding online gambling of any kind, including online slots. The Indiana Gaming Commission even goes so far as to address the notion of online slots play explicitly in its FAQ on illegal gambling.
Read more about Indiana online slots laws below.
What real money online slots will be available in Indiana?
Obviously, we won’t know exactly what restrictions (if any) will be placed upon the selection of real money slots in Indiana when and if online slots become legal. There are still too many hurdles to say with any kind of certainty what exactly legal online slots will look like in IN.
If you want to get an idea, however, you can visit one of the following online casinos. The table below includes online casinos associated with companies that also operate land-based casinos in Indiana. While it is not definitive, they are some of the most likely candidates to pursue online slots in a legal environment in Indiana. Thus, these online casinos’ current catalogs of slot games are the most likely to appear in Indiana if legalization occurs.
| Online Casino | Number of Slots | Most Popular Slot | Potential Land-Based IN Casino Partner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bally’s Slots | 100+ | Secrets of the Phoenix | Bally’s Evansville Casino |
| Barstool Slots | 270+ | Dancing Drums | Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg |
| BetMGM Slots | 450+ | Starburst | Belterra Casino Resort & Spa |
| BetRivers Slots | 350+ | Fortune Coin | French Lick Resort Casino |
| Caesars Slots | 800+ | 88 Fortunes | Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino |
| DraftKings Slots | 400+ | MegaJackpots Cleopatra | Ameristar Casino Hotel East Chicago |
| FanDuel Slots | 100+ | Wheel of Fortune Triple Extreme Spin | Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa |
| Hard Rock Slots | 350+ | Divine Fortune | Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana |
| Unibet Slots | 375+ | Endless Treasure | Horseshoe Hammond |
Real money online slots sites tend to feature titles from all of the major developers, including IGT, Konami, NetEnt, Bally and Light & Wonder.
Online slots vs. live slot machines
By now, you might be wondering how the experience of playing online slots differs from playing live slot machines in your local Indiana casino. As it turns out, there are several advantages that online slot games offer over their physical counterparts. Even if you are surrendering some of the familiar pleasures of inserting cash, pressing buttons, and receiving actual dollars in return, you gain the following positives.
Convenience
The most obvious advantage that online slots offer is convenience. Even if you are sitting in your hotel room at an Indiana casino, it is still faster and easier to bet on your mobile device or computer than it is to walk downstairs to the machines. You don’t have to leave your house to bet with online slots, which is important because it negates the chance of having an accident on the way to or from the casino location.
You can also play any time for as little or as much as you like, and you can do it while you’re laying in bed or watching television. Playing two spins of a slot machine while shirtless and barefooted in a live casino would seem, at the very least, a bit odd to your fellow patrons, but there’s nothing wrong with doing the same thing when you bet online.
Availability
If you’re wondering what slots will have open seats in an online casino, the answer is all of them. Every single game that the casino offers is available whenever you want to play, and you don’t have to wait for the chain-smoking lady’s husband to get finished in the restroom so they can go get crab legs at the buffet. Instead, if you see a game, you can play that game. Greater availability of online casino games is a big plus when compared to live.
Online casinos are also not limited in terms of the slot selections they can offer because they have no floor space limitations. There is no need to juggle the existing machines around or store machines because there’s no room for them to sit. Some sites have hundreds of slot titles, and you can always play each and every one of them.
Affordability
One group of machines in most casinos always boasts that it is composed of penny slots. In other words, it only takes a penny to bet on them. Of course, what they don’t tell you is that the minimum bet is usually between 60 and 80 pennies.
Online slots aren’t so tricky, most of the time, offering much greater affordability. It is possible to find a standard slot game and spin for fifty cents per spin or less. Although your returns might not be as large, you can likely reduce some of the strain on your wallet or pocketbook. Be careful, however, because casino slots online tend to move faster than their real-life versions. The increased speed might leave you with deeper losses than you intended, particularly if you choose the auto-spin feature on some sites.
Return-to-player
In general, online slots in Indiana offer a better return-to-player percentage than their retail counterparts. The return-to-player, or RTP, is a measure of how much money you can expect to get back from a slot in the long run. Many online slots offer an RTP of 95% or greater, meaning that you will only lose $5 out of every $100 you wager (on average). Slot machines in Indiana casinos may offer similar RTPs, but many of them may only return 90% or lower.
Over time, those percentages can really add up. Losing an extra $5 or $10 from each $100 in wagers is no laughing matter. Bear in mind that RTP is a long-term statistic, however. Both your losses and, more importantly, your wins can be in defiance of the overall number, regardless of what it is.
Banking options
Finally, playing at an Indiana online casino means that you’ll have a wider selection of banking options than you do at most in-person casinos. It is common to see choices for credit cards, debit cards, electronic checks, electronic wallets (PayPal, Skrill, etc.), prepaid cards, online banking, and wire transfers available.
By contrast, most retail slot machines require cash. You may have some options for credit or debit cards, but most of the other choices are simply unavailable. All of which means if you like to keep your payment options open, you should check out the opportunities online.
How to play free slots in Indiana now
While you wait for online slots to become legal in Indiana, there are some options for you to experience great slots action. Sweepstakes and social casinos offer slot titles that are completely free to play. Best of all, they offer you the chance to win real cash prizes. Our top trusted sweepstakes casinos are:
One of the biggest advantages of true online slots is the presence of the demo mode on so many titles. Slot machines at in-person casinos have only one mode of operation – you pay to play. With online casino slots, you are often able to try out the full version of the slot before you play for real money. The slot gives you some play money to test out the different features.
When and if Indiana legalizes online slots, it is a good idea to take advantage of free online slots play to get a feel for a game before you play it. Even if there’s no strategic advantage to be gained, you should be comfortable with a slot before you play it for real money.
Playing online slots on mobile
When it comes to online slots, you can either play on your desktop or laptop via a web browser or you can access the games via mobile casino apps in Indiana, once legal. Most online casinos offer free-to-download apps either for Apple or Android devices. Such apps enable players to enjoy casino games from anywhere, including when on the go.
Online slot machines are usually optimized for mobile devices in such a way that the games play very similarly on your smart phone or tablet when compared to the web-browser versions of the games. You’ll also find that with most online casinos the app version will feature most but not all of the slots found on the site when you access it via your computer. That said, the sites are usually careful to include all of the most popular slots games on the app version.
How to start playing slots online
If you’ve never gambled in an online casino before, you may be a bit apprehensive about how playing an online slot works. Playing slots for free is fun enough, but it ultimately pales in comparison to the excitement, tension, danger, and exhilaration of playing for real prizes.
Play without depositing, if possible
In order to start spinning online, you’ll need to secure an account on your chosen online casino app. Before you move forward with your registration, however, make sure that you check with us to see if your app has any no deposit or welcome bonuses available. If we have a promotional code for one of these types of casino bonuses, make sure you copy it accurately. You will have to enter it precisely when you register for your account.
No deposit bonuses, which are sometimes broadly called welcome bonuses, put bonus dollars or free wagers into your new account when you use one of our codes or sign up through our links. Bonus dollars work just like regular cash, except that you won’t be able to cash them out without playing them first. Free wagers are like gift certificates for bets of a certain denomination.
Without question, the first thing to do is play through any of your bonus money before committing your own funds to the app. If you happen to see anything that gives you pause while you play, you won’t be out any of your own money.
Using your money to play online slots
Whenever the bonus money runs out, you’ll need to fund your account with your own money. Depositing into an online casino site is a (mostly) straightforward process, as it is as important to the apps themselves that you complete your transactions as it is to you.
Typically, the deposit options available to you are:
- Credit card
- Debit card
- Electronic check (ACH)
- Electronic wallet (PayPal, Skrill, etc.)
- Prepaid Card (Play+)
- Online banking
- Wire transfers
- PayNearMe
- Cash at the partnering casino cage
Not all options will be available on each app. It is critical that you inspect the list of deposit AND withdrawal choices before you sign up and fall in love with a particular app. It’s not worth playing if you cannot get your money into or out of the site, after all.
Please be aware that you may need to hold over bonus codes from this page to use on the register page in order to opt into a bonus offer. Every offer is different, so check to make sure that everything is set before you submit your deposit request – you usually only get a single chance.
Finally, it’s standard for the withdrawal options on apps to be fewer in number than deposit options. You can wring your hands about how underhanded the whole thing is if you like, but it is consistent across the board and is part of the deal.
What kinds of online slot games will Indiana have?
Regardless of whether Indiana becomes an online slots state or remains a retail slot machine state only, you’ll be able to find several different types of slots across the land.
Slot games have grown exponentially in the past few years in terms of the presentations that they can exhibit. The days of mechanical three-reelers clunking around have largely passed. Here are the different types of slots in Indiana:
- Three-reel – If actual mechanical reels matter to you, their last holdouts are on these simple machines. They offer no special features, but come with some of the best payouts worth tens of thousands of dollars on small wagers.
- Three-reel bonus – You may find these games as reels, but they are increasingly offering video screen representations. They still have three reels, but their bonus features trigger extra game(s) if you can line up the right symbols. Bonus games always pay out if you can hit them, but hitting them is not always easy.
- Five-reel – Five-reelers offer more payline options and increase the complexity of games, but they largely operate identically to the three-reel games. Some of them may even be mechanical, but these are fewer in number.
- Five-reel bonus – Like their three-reeled brethren, these games offer standard spins and bonus features that award more money. A five-reel bonus slot is almost certain to be computerized, but you may find an odd one that is mechanical from time to time.
- Multimedia – Multimedia slots offer a barrage of sensory input to the ears, eyes, and, from time to time, sense of touch. These slots are often the flashiest in the entire casino and usually occupy a prominent position. Some of them even offer 3-D experiences to players.
- Progressive jackpot – Progressive jackpot slots are extremely common and popular because they offer the chance at truly life-changing money. A small portion of every spin contributes to the ever-increasing advertised prize pool, and many machines may be linked together – even those outside of the casino. Progressives are available on almost any type of slot game.
Along with all of these formats, bear in mind that slot games come with any number of themes to differentiate themselves. Games paying homage to movies, television shows, and cultures abound, so you can play a game that interests you for more than just its chance to win.
Online slots bonuses and promotions
Online casino bonuses and promotions can be worth claiming if you enjoy slots. Looking at online casinos in other states such as Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, you can see what could be in the pipeline when regulated online casinos come to Indiana.
Here is a summary of the types of offers slot fans can enjoy:
- No deposit bonuses: This is as close to free money as you’ll find. Casinos offer small incentives for simply registering an account. These deals are often in the $20 range. You’ll need to wager the money before it can be withdrawn, with playthrough requirements varying by casino brand.
- Matched deposit bonuses: When you make your first real-money deposit, casinos will match that amount in bonus cash. Again, before you can withdraw it, you must meet the wagering requirement.
- Free spins: Some casinos let you spin without buying in. While there is sometimes a cap on what you can win, even a small number of free spins is enough to get lucky for some players.
- Comp schemes: Most online casinos reward players for the volume and value of their play. Some casinos have flat-rate schemes, while others have tiers, including VIP levels.
- Tournament entries: Slot tournaments give you a set time to accumulate as many wins as possible. Look out for free entries into these contests with real-money prizes for the winners.
Online slots rewards programs
One other type of bonus that is nearly universal across online and live slot games is the rewards program, sometimes called a loyalty program. Whether you are playing in an Indiana casino location or waiting to play through online casinos when they come to the state, you will have the opportunity to accrue valuable rewards points through your play.
These points allow you to earn goodies on both the app and in-person. Common rewards include freeplay wagers, restaurant discounts or comps, hotel discounts or comps, preferred treatment or lines at physical locations, and invitations to exclusive events. Rewards programs are often organized as tier systems, and the higher you go on the tiers, the more benefits you receive. Every dollar you wager is worth a certain amount of points. The specifics will vary from program to program, but, in general, these programs can be a good way to have a nice extra benefit from time to time.
Indiana online slots laws
Indiana’s laws governing gambling, including the possession and usage of slot machines or slot games, are found primarily in Title 35, Article 45, Chapter 5 of the Indiana Code.
Real money online slots are listed among the types of “professional gambling over the Internet” forbidden by Indiana gambling law. The section also outlines how it does not cover casino gambling otherwise authorized by Indiana. The 12 commercial retail casinos in Indiana are all allowed to offer legal slots, as is the one tribal casino as permitted by the tribal-state compact.
That said, none of the retail casinos can currently offer online slots. They can (and do) partner with online sportsbook operators to offer sports betting online. But online casinos are not presently allowed.
Play online slots in Indiana
While you cannot play online slots for real money in Indiana just yet, keep a close watch on this page as lawmakers may soon authorize online casinos. Meanwhile, remember that social and sweepstakes casinos are available right now to play from Indiana, if you want to play online slots in Indiana now. Those sites use virtual currencies and are legal to play and can serve as a nice introduction to the latest innovations in online slots.
If you have not seen the latest slot games, you’ll likely be amazed at the progression of these games. Slots have come a long way since the days of lining up three symbols on a single win payline. Today, you can expect spectacular special effects, big jackpots and multiple entertaining bonus games, too, when you play the best online slots for real money.
Indiana online slots FAQ
Are there slot machines in Indiana?
Yes, there are thousands of them at Indiana’s legal casinos. Some locations have 600-700 slot machines, while others have close to 2,000 slots. Therefore, while you cannot play while you cannot play real money online slots presently in Indiana, you have many choices for playing slots in person.
Are there online slots in Indiana?
Real money online slots remain illegal in Indiana at this time, although you can play online slots legally in Indiana on social and sweepstakes sites. That said, Indiana lawmakers have indicated that they are going to consider the issue again during the upcoming legislative session.
What age do I have to be to play slot games in Indiana?
21 years or older. All of the commercial casinos and the lone tribal location require patrons to be above the drinking age to play any their slots or table games or to bet in the sportsbooks.
Do I have to live in Indiana to play slots?
No. It is not necessary to be an Indiana resident to play slots at the Indiana casinos. Obviously, you need to be inside one of the locations and be of age, but you don’t have to reside in the state. Once Indiana legalizes online slots, you also likely won’t have to be an Indiana resident to play on the new online casinos, although you will need to be physically located within the state to play the games.
Who oversees slot gaming in Indiana?
The Indiana Gaming Commission. The IGC oversees almost all types of gambling in Indiana, including slot play, ensuring that licensed operators adhere to all Indiana gambling laws.