Indiana: iGaming Bill Remains Unpassed by Both Chambers
As of 03/04, the iGaming bill has not passed either chamber, due to the opposition of the Senate pro tempore, which he has claimed stems from ongoing uncertainty surrounding other (casino-related) criminal matters that have been lingering in IN for the last several years.
Last week amendment language was added to two bills (HB 1002 and SB 376) that would specifically prohibit the Hoosier Lottery from offering iLottery (amongst other things) without legislative approval. This stems from ongoing tension between the General Assembly and the Executive branch (specifically the Governor’s office), and an effort by the legislature to exert control over by executive branch agencies.
While deadlines have passed in both chambers, we now move into conference committee time, where anything is on the table so long as it has been drafted and filed.
While this process progresses, it’s become clear this session that almost anything can happen and, therefore, we are not giving up on our pursuit to amend iGaming language into an existing bill.
While this is certainly a “hail Mary” effort at this point, Senator Ford and Representative Manning remain willing to try almost anything at this point. We have been in touch with them both (and other members) consistently, and we don’t intend to give up until the very end (which we expect to be mid next week). While it’s a major long shot, we are exploring all possible options for legalizing iGaming this session.