Indiana Online Casino Bill Would Also Legalize Internet Lottery Games

A new bill aimed at legalizing online casinos in Indiana would also approve the online versions of Hoosier Lottery games.

Recently, the Hoosier Lottery attempted to move its games online, but the state legislature shut down the initiative. However, Indiana’s online casino bill is now offering another opportunity for internet lottery games.

Indiana to introduce online lottery games

Legislators are once again trying to broaden internet gambling in Indiana. The most recent bill for online casinos could potentially create a billion-dollar industry within the state.

The bill primarily concentrates on introducing online versions of traditional casino games such as blackjack, roulette, and poker.

The proposed bill will be presented to Indiana’s House of Representatives in the near future. The legislative session in Indiana commences in early January.

The online casino bill may not prominently feature online lottery, but lawmakers are still incorporating it.

The concept is to legalize all types of internet gambling in one fell swoop. Advocating strongly for legalization enables legislators to concentrate their efforts on a single, comprehensive bill, instead of multiple smaller ones over a span of several years.

Taking everything into account, this is positive news for those who play the Hoosier Lottery in Indiana. It’s challenging enough to gather enough votes to pass a single gambling bill, let alone several simultaneously.

Online casinos, which came into focus in 2023, could have potentially left internet lottery games in the shadows until 2024 or beyond.

Instead, the expansion of casinos and lotteries could progress hand in hand through the statehouse. If successful, this could provide Hoosiers with an unprecedented range of gambling options.

Legislators close online lottery

Earlier this year, Hoosier Lottery officials attempted to transition their games online. A few other states in the US already provide online lotto games, thus this move would have positioned Indiana amongst the leading states.

However, before the plan could truly take off, state lawmakers put a stop to it. The lottery generates significant revenue for Indiana, thus, introducing online versions of games could potentially lead to enormous financial implications.

As a result, lawmakers decided to slow down the expansion of the Hoosier Lottery.

HB 1260, a bill assembled by a group of lawmakers to prevent progress, explicitly prohibits the Hoosier Lottery from transitioning its games online without authorization.

This states that the state lottery commission and Indiana Gaming Commission are not allowed to independently run or approve the use or operation of specific games and sales over the Internet, unless a statute explicitly authorizing them to do so is passed by the general assembly. This applies whether they operate alone or through a public-private partnership.

The online lottery party for 2022 was shut down, but now lawmakers are once again getting involved.

It’s impossible to predict the outcomes until the next legislative session begins, but progress will undoubtedly commence soon. If Indiana’s online casino bill is approved in the upcoming months, then by next year, online lottery games will be legalized in Indiana.