Indiana legislators reject online lottery bill
The proposal was pulled from the agenda due to a lack of support.
US.- Indiana lawmakers have pulled House Bill 1078 from the legislative agenda due to a lack of support. The proposal would have authorised the Hoosier Lottery to sell tickets online and offer digital instant games.
House Public Policy Committee chair Ethan Manning told the Indiana Capital Chronicle: “It didn’t have enough support, really, from either caucus on the concept. I don’t think I could have changed one word in the bill to gain any more votes. It’s just the idea itself. We’re clearly not ready, as a Legislature, to move any further on any forms of online gambling.”
The bill had initially passed the House Public Policy Committee on January 8 by a vote of 9-3. It was subsequently ordered engrossed on January 13 after amendments were considered. Last year, the committee endorsed a bill for both online lottery and casino games, but it didn’t reach the full House for a vote.
Another gaming-related measure, HB 1052, which seeks to define online sweepstakes casinos as a form of illegal gambling, remains active.
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.
