Another online casino bill is done for the 2025 session, as Indiana House leadership told media it would not move further this year.
House Speaker Todd Huston told media Thursday that House Bill 1432 will not receive a floor vote this year, per the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Rep. Ethan Manning’s online casino bill passed out of the House Public Policy Committee last month before not receiving a hearing in the Ways and Means Committee.
“I think, you know, just trying to find something there was some consensus on, felt like it was a pretty tough spot to be,” Huston said, per the Chronicle.
Earlier this month, Huston and Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray indicated they were open to moving online casinos forward.
Complex online casino issues
While open to the issue, legislative leadership also indicated that online gambling expansion is a massive issue that it needs to get right.
“There’s all sorts of moving parts about how it impacts certain communities, what it does to the overall gaming environment in Indiana. I think all those things just make it complex to work through,” Huston told media.
Manning’s bill was the first to receive action following a year-long hiatus on gambling issues due to a political corruption case tied to the industry.
Legislation details
Manning’s proposal would have allowed the state’s casinos to offer online casino platforms. The Hoosier Lottery would also have been able to operate digital lottery games.
The legislation also would have increased sports betting taxes. Manning estimated that the new tax revenue could rise to more than $300 million annually.
It also would have established a new responsible gambling and gambling addiction treatment program, with fines helping to fund it.
Online casino push slowed
Indiana legislators joined those in Virginia and Wyoming in putting online casino legalization on ice for 2025. A key New York lawmaker has indicated online casino legislation likely will not go far this year in the Empire State.
This week, an online gambling expansion opposition group emerged: the National Association Against iGaming.
The organization also released a study highlighting the negatives of the industry.
