- Mobile sports wagering back in IN SB 552.
- The finer details of the bill seem to have been worked out.
- Sportsbooks expected to open before football season.
INDIANAPOLIS – Mobile sports betting was put back into a sports betting bill on Monday in Indiana.
The State House came together on Monday to propose one last round of amendments to IN SB 552. This allowed for mobile sports betting to have another chance in Indiana.
The Life Of Mobile Wagering
IN SB 552 originally started with mobile sports betting. The original bill went through the Senate without too many issues, and it passed with mobile sports betting intact. Once the bill moved toward the House, issues began to arise.
House Public Policy Committee Chairman Ben Smaltz almost killed the bill in its entirety. One of the main reasons is that he questioned the size of the black market for sports betting. Another is that he believed that someone who didn’t register for a sports betting account could end up using their friend's account, leading to underage gambling. The Committee ultimately amended the bill and removed mobile sports betting.
That has now changed thanks to new amendments. A conference was held between the chambers of Congress and mobile sports betting is back in the bill. If the bill were to pass as it is right now, mobile sports betting would be allowed to occur statewide in Indiana.
Other Sports Betting Details Hammered Out
Mobile sports betting isn’t the only detail that got finalized. The sports betting bill has also determined that there will be a 9.5 percent tax on sports betting revenue. Some of that money generated from sports betting will go into gambling addiction programs.
Not everything is going to be determined by the bill. Some rules and regulations will be decided by the Indiana Gaming Commission. In-play sports betting is also coming to Indiana as well. The details about how in-play betting will work will be determined by the Gaming Commission. But, IN SB 552 does seem like it will require for them to use official league data.
One Extra Hurdle To Clear
Indiana has a certain rule when it comes to changing state revenue. Since state revenue will be affected by sports betting, the House must approve of some provisions on their own. The House must pass IN HB 1015 which is a vehicle bill for these provisions.
Lawmakers are not expecting this to take very long though. The legislative session ends next week, but lawmakers are expecting to adjourn this Wednesday. These bills are expected to pass before lawmakers go to recess for this legislative session. Sportsbooks are expected to open before football season this year with sports betting in Indiana.