Indiana bill proposes ban on online sweepstakes casinos
House Bill 1052 has been assigned to the House Committee on Public Policy.
US.- Indiana lawmakers have introduced a bill that would define online sweepstakes casinos as a form of illegal gambling. Co-sponsors Rep. Ethan Manning, Rep. Peggy Mayfield, and Rep. Justin Moed’s House Bill 1052 has been assigned to the House Committee on Public Policy.
The administrative bill also includes measures on horse racing, alcohol enforcement, tobacco licensing, and various criminal-code updates. It defines a sweepstakes game as any online promotion that “utilizes a dual-currency system of payment allowing a player to exchange currency for a cash prize, cash award, or cash equivalents, or a chance to win a cash prize, cash award, or cash equivalents; and simulates casino-style gaming, including slot machines, video poker, table games, lottery games, bingo, and sports wagering.”
The initiative proposes that operators who run these games or involve residents in transactions face civil penalties of up to $100,000.
Montana was the first state to explicitly ban online sweepstakes with a law that entered into effect in October. Meanwhile, California’s AB 831 introduces a ban from January 1.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed Senate Bill 5935, which passed the state Assembly and Senate in June. In Maine, Legislative Document 2007 (LD2007) has been referred to the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee.
