Indiana Is Close To Becoming The 9th State To Offer Sports Betting

It has been a slow start for sports betting advocates in the United States in 2019. Eight states have legalized sports betting within their borders, following a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning a federal ban against full-scale sports betting beyond Nevada. Yet, proponents have not had much to celebrate since the start of the new year.

That could quickly change as state legislatures kick into gear, take a look at the massive numbers coming out of New Jersey ($385.3 million in sports betting wagers in January alone) and become serious about passing legislation. At the top of the list of states may be Indiana, which just recently saw its Senate approve a bill to legalize sports betting within its borders.

By a vote of 38-11, the Indiana Senate passed the sports betting bill and shifted it to the state’s House for another vote. If the House is also in favor of the proposal, then it will be moved to the state’s governor for execution before becoming law.

The bill, in its current form, allows for mobile and online sports betting in addition to sports betting options at land-based casinos. My position on this is clear, as I previously authored an article on The Sports Biz titled, “Quit With The Land-Based Nonsense, True Sports Betting Success Requires Mobile Access.”

In January, the Eilers & Krejcik Gaming research group suggested that Indiana is part of a small group of states that have a “strong chance” of passing legislation to enable or expand sports betting in 2019. Thus, it should not come as a surprise that Indiana is active in moving a bill quickly to the state’s governor for review. Other states placed in that category by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming include Michigan, Oregon, New York, Kansas and Louisiana.