Indiana Passes Bill Banning Sweepstakes Casinos

Indiana lawmakers voted decisively to prohibit sweepstakes style online casino platforms that use dual currency systems. The bill now heads toward enactment, with enforcement authority granted to the Indiana Gaming Commission beginning July 1.

Votes in both chambers cleared comfortably, reducing chances of derailment.

Good to Know

• House approved the bill 69 to 21
• Senate passed the bill 46 to 4
• Violations can trigger fines of up to $100,000 per offense

Governor Mike Braun retains veto authority, yet Indiana law allows simple majority overrides in both chambers. Given the margin of support, the path to implementation appears clear.

The legislation targets online platforms that rely on dual currency systems such as gold coins and sweeps coins. Sweeps coins often convert into cash prizes or prize equivalents, which lawmakers argue mirrors real money gambling. Regulators concluded that these structures sidestep existing online gambling restrictions in the Hoosier State.

Once enacted, the Indiana Gaming Commission may impose civil penalties reaching $100,000 against operators or individuals conducting sweeps style casino games. Hundreds of unregulated sites currently accept Indiana players. The threat of financial penalties aims to push those platforms out of the market.

Scope extends beyond casino style slot games. The bill applies to sites that replicate lottery products, video poker, bingo, and sports wagering formats. Lawmakers refined language late in the process to ensure peer to peer skill based games such as poker remain outside enforcement boundaries.

Free to play mobile puzzle and strategy games also remain unaffected. Titles like Candy Crush and Clash of Clans do not fall within the gambling definition under the new framework, preserving casual gaming operations.

Separate proposals to license and regulate sweeps casinos or authorize full real money online casino gaming did not advance during the session. Indiana legislators have previously reviewed iGaming legalization but chose not to prioritize expansion this year.

Indiana maintains a long history of regulated gambling development. During the 1990s, the state authorized riverboat casinos early in the modern era of US gaming expansion. In 2019, Indiana joined early adopters of regulated mobile sports wagering.

The new sweeps casino prohibition aligns Indiana with a broader national pattern. Multiple states now examine or pass bills addressing dual currency gaming models amid concerns over consumer protection, regulatory consistency, and competitive fairness within licensed gambling markets.

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