Indiana Sports Betting Bill Passes Through General Assembly, On To Governor’s Desk

• Indiana Sports Betting Bill IN HB 1015 passed through the State Senate by a 37-12 vote and through the State House by a 59-36 vote.
• Once the bill reaches Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, he will have seven days to either sign it into law, veto it, or let it pass without his signature.
• The final version of the bill includes provisions for state-wide mobile sports betting in Indiana.

INDIANAPOLIS – Sports fans in Indiana may soon have a lot more to cheer about when watching their favorite football teams this fall. After the General Assembly passed IN HB 1015, only the blessing of Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb is needed to officially legalize sports betting in the Hoosier State.

The bill wasn’t sent without a little bit of controversy. It originally passed through the Senate by a vote of 37-12, before it was tweaked in the House and passed by a voting margin of 59-36. One of those tweaks included the removal of mobile sports betting in Indiana.

However, after a special meeting was formed between bipartisan members of both the House and Senate earlier this week, provisions for state-wide mobile sports wagering platforms were put back on.

Other important details of the bill include the ability to bet on both professional and collegiate sports teams, including teams that are based in Indiana. Although, betting on high school football, esports, and virtual sports would be prohibited.

As far as the financial aspects go, casinos, racinos, and off-track betting parlors will have the ability to open sportsbooks if they are able to provide an initial licensing fee of $100,000, along with an annual fee of $50,000 and pay a 9.5 percent tax rate on all adjusted gross revenue that comes from sports betting.

Another major sticking point in the bill was the approval for two riverboat casinos in Gary to relocate, and for one to move inland to Terre Haute. Whether or not these locations will open sportsbooks have not yet been announced.

IN HB 1015 will take about a week to officially land on Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb’s desk, and once it is there, he will have seven days to either sign it into law, veto the measure completely, or let it officially pass without his signature.

“This type of opportunity won’t come again in our lifetime, I don’t think,” said Indiana Senator Mark Messmer, author of the original gambling bill IN SB 552.

With many expecting the measure to become law in the coming weeks, sportsbooks could become active by as early as September 1 of this year. This would come just in time for football season, the peak time of the year for the legal sports betting industry.

News tags: IN HB 1015 | Indiana | Indiana sports betting | sports betting