Indiana Sports Betting Bill Gets Amended Again: Mobile Betting Off The Table

• SB 552 was introduced by Senator Mark Messmer (R-Jasper).
• Sports betting would be permitted at only at casinos with the latest change.
• The use of official data was also stricken from the bill’s text.

INDIANAPOLIS – After a House Public Policy Committee meeting on Wednesday, the text for the main sports betting bill in Indiana has gone through major renovations.

The committee decided to remove the state’s ability to offer an online betting platform and mobile wagering. Also, the use of official data is no longer required for operators looking to offer live in-play betting.

Set to encounter more changes, mainly on the fiscal end, SB 552 has advanced to the Ways and Means Committee.

The removal of mobile sports betting is peculiar considering not one person spoke out against the method during a sports betting hearing last week. In fact, nearly every legislator, sportsbook operator, and Indiana Gaming Committee official spoke in favor of mobile wagering.

During the hearing, Matt Bell, President & CEO of the Casino Association of Indiana, even pointed out that mobile wagering would account for 57% of the market in the first year and would increase to 65% by the end of the fifth.

On the matter of official league data, it was an easy removal from Indiana legislators.

The professional sports leagues have been pushing for this requirement on nearly every state’s legislation; however, none has succumbed to the power of the commissioners. Their thought is that consistent results only come from official data.

Indiana would have been the first to implement a mandate on official data but the negation came from not only the casinos but from Bell’s voice yet again.

“If there were integrity problems that have ensued, we would read about them all over the place – it would be very evident.”

Changes in the bill also include a $100 million moving fee for the Gary casino relocation.

Though the bill is expected to incur more changes, “Nothing has been easy to this point” according to Representative Ben Smaltz (R- Auburn).

Smaltz also noted that Indiana still has “got a long way to go” with regards to agreeing on legal Indiana sports betting and gambling expansion.

News tags: IN SB 552 | Indiana | Indiana sports betting | mobile sports betting