Indiana sports bill amended to remove mobile wagering

Indiana’s House Public Policy Committee has approved a bill that would legalise sports betting in the state, though only after amending the legislation to remove language permitting mobile wagering.

Senate Bill 552 passed the Committee by a unanimous vote of 12-0 and will now move forward to the House Ways and Means Committee for further discussions.

However, the Public Policy Committee only gave its approval to the bill having made a series of amendments, including the removal of language that would have permitted mobile sports betting in Indiana.

The Committee also agreed to remove a requirement for casinos in the state to use official league data for in-play wagering.

In addition, the Committee agreed on an amendment whereby the riverboat casino in Gary, Indiana would need to pay a fee of $100m (£76.0m/€88.9m) in order to progress with its planned move onto land.

Other measures in the bill remain unchanged, including casinos only being able to offer sports betting to punters who are at least 21-years-old. Wagering on e-sports and high school or youth sports events would also be prohibited under the bill.

Senator Jon Ford of Terre Haute, who is co-sponsoring the bill with Senator Mark Messmer, said that tax revenue estimates for sports betting would be between $3m (£2.3m/€2.6m) and $18m per year.

The Indianapolis Colts NFL American football team and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which hosts the annual Indy 500 motor-racing event, are among the parties also backing the bill.

Senate Bill 552 has already gained full approval in the Indiana Senate. In order for it to come into law in the current legislative session, it would need to pass the House, then be reapproved by the Senate, by April 29.

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