Indiana’s Proposed Ban On Sweepstakes Casinos Aligns With Status Under Existing Gambling Laws
The post Indiana’s Proposed Ban On Sweepstakes Casinos Aligns With Status Under Existing Gambling Laws appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
3d illustration of laptop over white background with meadow screen and slot machine getty Indiana’s proposed ban on sweepstakes casinos has exposed divisions over whether the online games are currently illegal under Indiana law. The Indiana Gaming Commission has urged state lawmakers to pass House Bill 1052, reasoning that online sweepstakes casinos “are essentially offering a form of gambling with no regulation, licensing, or taxation.” By contrast, sweepstakes casino proponents have urged state lawmakers to regulate, rather than ban, the online casino-style games because “they’ve been doing business [in Indiana] for well over a decade” and “are operating within the law.” Despite any suggestions that online sweepstakes casinos are not currently violating any laws in Indiana, it is readily apparent under existing Indiana law that such websites contravene the state’s prohibition against offering casino-style games over the Internet and the state’s ban against “gambling devices”, as reflected in Indiana case law and prior statements by the Indiana Attorney General and the Indiana Gaming Control Division. 1) Professional Gambling over the Internet (I.C. § 35-45-5-3(b)) Indiana has a specific statutory prohibition which makes it a crime for any person or entity to offer casino-style games (such as slot machines, roulette, and banking and percentage card or dice games) through an Internet website that is accessible to Indiana residents. Indiana Code § 35-45-5-3(b) – “Professional gambling over the Internet” – prohibits an “operator who knowingly or intentionally uses the Internet to: . . . (3) maintain, on an Internet site accessible to residents of Indiana, the equivalent of: (A) slot machines; . . . (D) roulette wheels; (E) dice tables; . . . [or] . . . (5) conduct any banking and percentage games played with the computer equivalent of cards [or] dice, or counters, or accept any fixed share of the…
Filed under: News - @ January 21, 2026 5:21 am