Indiana Making Big iGaming Push
The state of Indiana was one of the first to legalize sports betting in the United States, and it could soon legalize online casino gambling as well. It is expected that more states will soon offer this type of iGaming, and Indiana is the state with the best chance to get it done.
Lawmakers have already explored legalizing this industry in the past, and past bills could allow for a new bill to emerge. The state has a large casino gambling industry throughout, and those casinos could easily find a way to start offering betting online.
Indiana is actually a state that isn’t looking to add more gambling options as a way to increase revenue, as the Hoosier State is in a good spot financially. Since the sports betting industry is large and competitive, those same operators could easily add online casino gambling to their platforms.
There is some pressure on Indiana to keep pace as the state of Michigan already has online casino gambling up and running. The Hoosier State also wants to find a way to get to the finish line before Illinois to get ahead of another potential competitor.
Lawmakers that are in favor of legalizing online casino gambling are going to face the same opponents that always exist. Groups continue to worry about the threat of problem gambling, and that is a real concern with a new type of betting offered.
The horse racing industry could also be looking to get its share of the puzzle with a new form of gaming offered, but it’s unclear how that will work. Indiana lawmakers have plenty of questions to answer, but getting a bill on the table is an important first step.
Huge Projections Announced
Even though generating new tax revenue is not a huge concern to the state of Indiana, this new industry could bring in significant amounts of money. Two different companies announced projections for Indiana online casino gambling and the numbers were extremely impressive.
One projection has the state bringing in $564 million in revenue in the first year, and that would jump up to more than $850 million by year three. Another estimate has the state seeing over $150 million in tax revenue annually after the industry has fully matured.
Problem With Gambling Companies
Even though Indiana has been able to successfully expand the casino and sports betting industries over the last few years, things have not been easy. There have been a number of issues in recent years, and most were tied to shady executives at the top of some companies.
The Indiana Gaming Commission spent a lot of time over the last few years trying to remove these executives and things now appear to be in a good place. If online casino gambling were to be allowed, you would see the IGC working closely with potential operators to ensure there are no other issues.
