Indiana Online Gambling
Gamblers of all kinds will enjoy playing in Indiana, thanks to the range of gambling options available in the state. At the time of writing, the Indiana gambling market covers land-based casinos, retail sportsbooks, Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) competitions, and online sports betting. However, Indiana online casino platforms could come soon if the proposed legislation passes.
This shows that Indiana is one of the most diverse states in the US in terms of the availability of offline and online gambling. But what are the specifics of this industry, and what will the future hold? Read our guide to find out
Best Indiana Gambling Sites
With more than 10 Indiana sports betting sites available, avid bettors are spoilt for choice in this state. This number could easily expand in the future thanks to Indiana’s friendly approach toward new providers entering the market. Big names such as FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, and DraftKings already provide Indiana gambling services. But which of these are the best, and what other operators deserve a mention?
We’ve ranked and covered the best sites below:
Is Online Gambling Legal in Indiana?
Following the approval of House Bill 1015, which was signed into law in 2019, Indiana officially created its own online gambling industry. This bill made online sports betting legal, and the existing Indiana Gaming Commission took up the responsibility of overseeing the online market. However, sports betting remains the sole focus of Indiana gambling in the online space, and it has been very successful – processing approximately $13 billion in wagers since its inception. We should also note that online Daily Fantasy Sports competitions are permitted.
On a less positive note, no operational Indiana online casino platforms are currently accepting real-money wagers. But this could all change rather rapidly over the coming months. We say this since House Bill 1432 has now been put forward for review in Indiana. Should it pass, Indiana would legalize real-money online play for slots, blackjack, poker, and other traditional games.
Of course, this would also see the introduction of Indiana iGaming products through fresh or existing platforms.
Indiana Gambling History
Before 1988, there was no established Indiana gambling industry whatsoever. In fact, in 1851, the Indiana Constitution banned lotteries, broadly interpreted as a complete ban on all gambling activities in the state. Then, more than 130 years later, residents voted to amend this part of the Indiana Constitution. Ultimately, this created the embers for an established launch of an Indiana gambling industry, although lotteries were the first to emerge in 1989 alongside pari-mutuel betting.
At that point, the industry was very contained and relatively restricted in terms of what you could gamble on. But when the Riverboat Gaming Act passed in 1993, 11 riverboat casino licenses were granted, opening the doors to a far more diverse gambling environment. Fast-forward to 2015, and Indiana made further adjustments to its gambling laws, enabling those riverboat casinos to move to a land-based location on a permanent basis.
From here, other verticals, including Daily Fantasy Sports (legalized in 2016) and Indiana sports betting (legalized in 2019), have also flourished.
Here’s an overview of the key landmarks in the growth of the Indiana gaming market:
- 1988: Indiana voters approve a constitutional amendment to overturn the long-existing lottery ban.
- 1989: Indiana legalizes pari-mutuel betting and launches the Hoosier Lottery.
- 1992: Indiana formally creates a regulated charitable gambling framework.
- 1993: Indiana establishes legislature permitting riverboat casinos to operate in the state.
- 2015: Indiana adjusts casino laws, allowing riverboat casinos to move to fixed land locations.
- 2016: Indiana legalizes Daily Fantasy Sports competitions through Governor Mike Pence.
- 2019: Indiana legalizes sports betting in all forms (retail and online through desktop and mobile betting).
Legal Gambling Options in Indiana
Unlike other states that have legalized gambling across all corresponding verticals, Indiana has a different approach and status for different forms. That said, fixed legal requirements include the need to be 21+ and an Indiana resident to engage in gambling within the state. As for the legal status of the many Indiana gambling verticals, the following table provides complete clarity on how things stand:
| Type of Gambling | Legal? | When Legalized? |
| Online Casinos | No | N/A |
| Land-Based Casinos | Yes | 2015 |
| Online Poker | No | N/A |
| Land-Based Poker | Yes | 2015 |
| Online Sports Betting | Yes | 2019 |
| Retail Sports Betting | Yes | 2019 |
| Daily Fantasy Sports | Yes | 2016 |
| Horse Racing | Yes | 1989 |
| Lottery | Yes | 1988 |
| Charitable Gambling | Yes | 1992 |
Sports Betting
Once Governor Eric Holcomb signed House Bill 1015 – the Indiana sports betting market became officially open for business. He signed House Bill 1015 back in May 2019, and once it was approved, it didn’t take long for the first sports bets to come flying in. In September 2019, Indiana saw the first retail sportsbooks launch, and the first online sites quickly followed – launching in October 2019.
Today, you can engage in sports betting at 11 different casinos across the state, and there are 12 Indiana sports betting sites and counting. Like most states, you must be over 21 to place sports bets in person and online. However, there aren’t too many restrictions on what you can bet. Everything is fair game besides in-state college teams and all NCAA games.
Furthermore, the Indiana Gambling Commission can issue unlimited licenses. Thus, the potential growth of the Indiana sports betting industry is uncapped.
Online Casino
As things stand right now, all forms of online casino gambling in the state of Indiana are illegal. This pertains to real-money casino gaming, just to clarify, but other forms of ‘free’ casino gaming are available. That said, it’s not all doom and gloom concerning the potential emergence of an Indiana iGaming market.
In a recent turn of events, Representative Ethan Manning introduced a fresh bill that could totally transform the legal status of Indiana online casino platforms. He introduced House Bill 1432 at the back end of 2024, and the first reading for this bill is set for January 2025. Should this bill pass, a full-on ‘digital gaming revolution’ could unfold in the Indiana gambling industry.
We say that since House Bill 1432 would legalize online casino gaming across the state. Best of all, Governor Mike Braun isn’t opposed to the changes—a major positive for the potential passing of this bill.
Poker
Because poker falls under the category of casino gambling, as you’ve just seen above, you cannot play poker at any Indiana iGaming sites – not for real money, anyway. However, since Indiana has 13 operational casinos in various locations across the state, you can certainly play poker in person. This has been the case ever since Indiana legalized land-based casinos in 2015.
As it stands, Indiana has six poker rooms established at retail casinos inside the state. You can find these at the Horseshoe Casino, Hollywood Casino, Elks Charity Casino, Caesars Southern Indiana, Four Winds South Bend, and Horseshoe Casino Hammond. At these various locations, you can engage in popular forms of poker, including No-Limit Texas Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, Pot-Limit Omaha, and others.
Should House Bill 1432 receive support and ultimately pass, poker will likely be offered at several Indiana online casino sites in the future.
Daily Fantasy Sports
In 2016, Gov. Pence established the first legal framework for Daily Fantasy Sports competitions in Indiana. In doing so, Indiana became the second state in the US to establish legislation for DFS competitions. This was possible because, like other states, Indiana viewed DFS competitions as skill-based rather than purely random.
Furthermore, this legal framework puts the providers covering DFS under the regulation of the Indiana Gaming Commission. You can now engage in DFS competitions at various Indiana gambling sites, including FanDuel, DraftKings, and others, as long as you are over 18. Lastly, much like the Indiana sports betting licenses, there isn’t a fixed cap on the DFS licenses that the IGC (Indiana Gaming Commission) can issue.
Therefore, the Daily Fantasy Sports landscape could develop and grow further with extra providers and more competitions in the future.
Lottery
Before 1988, Indiana had a total ban on all lotteries, including the ability to play multi-state lotteries. However, through a vote proposed in 1988 that brought forward several constitutional changes, this ban was officially lifted as the proposal was approved by 62% of voters. Subsequently, Indiana developed legislation to create a legal lottery gaming market in 1989, and the first scratch-off tickets were sold in October 1989.
Indiana then joined the Multi-State Lottery Association in 1990, and they even co-founded the Powerball Lottery in 1992. Further developments continued to unfold over several decades. Indiana residents can now play games like the Hoosier Lotto, Cash Pop, and Daily 4, as well as multi-state draws like Cash4Life and Mega Millions.
Believe it or not, Hoosier Lottery participation has brought in over $7 billion for public causes since its inception. As a result, the state will continue to offer online lottery draws, and the range of games may also improve in the future.
Retail Sportsbooks
It wasn’t until House Bill 1015 was signed by Gov. Holcomb in 2019 that retail sports betting was legalized in Indiana. That said, since established retail casinos already operated at that point, it wasn’t tricky for retail sportsbooks to launch across the state. This is exactly why today, you can place sports bets at almost all casinos in the state – a total of 11 and counting. And the more physical casinos that open in the state, the more retail sportsbooks we expect there to be.
As for a few of the best Indiana gambling locations for sports betting, you should check out the sportsbooks at Bally’s Evansville, Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Caesars Southern Indiana, and Blue Chip Casino if you can.
Land-Based Casinos
2015 was a landmark year for Indiana gambling for casino-focused games. This was the year Indiana permitted riverboat casinos to move permanently to a land-based location. As a result, this made the casino gambling market far more flexible and accessible for Indiana residents. In 2017, Tropicana Evansville became the first riverboat operator to move to a permanent land-based facility.
Indiana then saw further impressive launches through Caesars Southern Indiana in 2019 and Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in 2021—both multi-million dollar facilities. Other facilities remain under construction as well. Most casinos offer slots, video poker, roulette, and blackjack, and some offer poker-specific rooms.
Sweepstakes Casinos
Since sweepstakes casinos are free to play and do not involve the direct exchange of real money wagering, they escape the legislation of Indiana gambling on a state-wide scale. However, it’s important to note that sweepstakes casinos aren’t officially regulated either. This puts them in somewhat of a legal ‘gray area’ – but they are certainly not deemed ‘illegal’ in the eyes of Indiana either. For that reason, anyone over the age of 18 can sign up for any of the growing number of sweepstakes casinos in the state.
Once registered, you can play popular casino gaming verticals like table games, slots, and Slingo. To play the various titles within these verticals, you can use Gold Coins to play for free and even purchase Sweepstakes Coins that could ultimately lead to some exciting prizes.
How are Gambling Sites Regulated in Indiana?
As is the case in all states with an established gambling industry, Indiana has an official regulatory body responsible for overseeing the operators and the state-specific industry as a whole. This regulatory body is the Indiana Gaming Commission, which, in accordance with the Indiana Riverboat Gaming Act, was established in 1993. However, the IGC didn’t officially begin operations until 1995, when the first riverboat casinos launched in Indiana.
This is the point at which the IGC started issuing Indiana gambling licenses, monitoring casino gaming operations, and overseeing the gambling industry in the state – including sports betting. The IGC even investigates illegal gambling activities to maintain the integrity of gambling operations in the state. They do this through a subsidiary, the Gaming Control Division, launched in 2007 and comprises 16 certified law enforcement officials.
Fast-forward to the present day. The Indiana Gaming Commission oversees all 13 commercial casinos in the state, all 11 retail sportsbooks, and all associated online Indiana sports betting operators.
Responsible Gambling in Indiana
Ensuring that all forms of gambling in Indiana remain safe for everyone is a team effort. Sure, the Indiana Gaming Commission issues licenses to operators who meet its strict gambling standards, but this is just the beginning. Beyond the issuing of licenses to reputable Indiana gambling providers, the individual sites themselves take matters further to help everyone stay in control and avoid problem gambling.
Operators do this by integrating on-site tools such as deposit limits, reality checks, and wagering limits. Furthermore, in extreme cases, both online and offline operators allow you to ‘self-exclude’ – putting a self-imposed ban on engaging in any form of gambling activity. As for external assistance, Indiana has a 24/7 confidential helpline to address problem gambling concerns, and you may enroll in established programs such as the Indiana Problem Gambling Awareness Program (IPGAP).
FAQs
Is online gambling legal in Indiana?
Yes. You can gamble online in Indiana at any licensed and regulated platform. However, sports betting is currently the only permitted form of real-money online gambling.
Can I bet on sports in Indiana?
Yes. Following the approval of House Bill 1015 back in 2019, Indiana residents can bet on sports at retail sportsbooks and online sites.
Does Indiana have any online casinos?
There are no real-money online casino sites in Indiana. However, you can use sweepstakes casinos to play slots, table games, and more with virtual currencies.
Is DFS legal in Indiana?
Yes. Daily Fantasy Sports competitions have been legal in Indiana since 2016 when Governor Mike Pence signed the respective bill approving these sites. Today, you can find the top DFS competitions at sites like FanDuel and DraftKings.
Are Indiana online gambling sites safe?
Yes. Each regulated betting provider in Indiana is safe from a legal standpoint. However, the top sites take things further through responsible gambling tools, SSL encryption software, and account protection tools like two-factor authentication.
Do I have to pay taxes on gambling winnings in Indiana?
Yes. Like many other states across the US, gambling winnings are subject to tax in Indiana. The personal tax rate of 3.32% applies to almost all winnings, and winnings above $600 are subject to federal tax withholdings at a flat rate of 24%.
