In May 2019, Indiana became the 13th state, and only the second midwestern state, to legalize sports betting and it went live in September 2019. Legal sports betting in Indiana came to fruition when Governor Eric Holcomb signed HB1015 into law. Retail sports betting was live for a month before the online betting sector went live only a month later in October 2019. Sports betting has been lucrative for the Hoosier State since inception and in the first year over $1 billion in bets were taken.
In this article we will walk you through all of the important information about legal sports betting in Indiana. We will show you tax info on IA gamling, all of the sportsbooks available in the state, things you can and cannot bet on, and the future of Indiana online sports betting.
All legal sports betting options in Indiana
The legal situation on Indiana sports betting
Indiana was pretty quick to legalize sports betting, as the state did so in September 2019. That was not long after the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May of 2018. There are currently 13 online sportsbooks available in the Hoosier State and they have to be partnered with a land-based casino. When HB1015 was signed into law it made sports betting legal online as well as at retail locations such as casinos and racetracks in the state.
It is not surprising that Indiana has a plethora of online sportsbooks available, as the tax rate is very low (9.5%) and the license application fee is only $100,000. On top of that, in the Hoosier state when granted a license, which has an annual renewal fee of $50,000, it allows for three skins, which means three online sportsbooks.
The Indiana Gaming Commissions grants licenses and oversees the online and retail sports betting in the state. Governor Eric Holcomb made the first three legal bets in the states taking the Indiana Pacers and Indianapolis Colts to win their respective championships and the Indiana Fever (WNBA) to win that day’s game. While he lost all three bets the sports betting industry has taken off in the Hoosier State since inception and that can be seen by the taxes the state has received.
🛑 What you can’t bet on from online sportsbooks in Indiana
Often states that have legal sports betting will now allow players to make bets on in-state college games. That is not the case in Indiana and that is good for bettors that like to wager on the big college sports programs such as Indiana University, Purdue, Ball State, and Butler to just name a few. However, there are some restrictions on what you can wager on in the Hoosier State. You cannot wager on:
- Entertainment bets such as for the Emmys and Oscars
- Political bets such as the U.S. presidential election
- eSports events
- Events where a participant is less than 18 years of age
🟢 What you can bet on from online sportsbooks in Indiana
- NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, NCAA Baseball
- Major Domestic Leagues, including NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, MLB, MMA, UFC, etc.
- Major International Leagues, including England Premier League, Italy Serie A, Spain La Liga, etc.
- Major sports events, including NBA playoffs and finals, Stanley Cup, Super Bowl, World Series, World Cup, The Masters, Olympics, etc.
- Most betting types, including spreads, moneylines, totals (over/under), parlays, futures, proposition bets, and live bets.
What is the tax situation in Indiana
Indiana has one of the lower tax rates on online sports betting at 9.5%. This has encouraged online sportsbooks operators to jump in on the action in the Hoosier State. Not only is the tax rate low in the state but the fee to get a license is on the lower side, in terms of other states, at $100,000 with a $50,000 renewal fee. In the first year of legal sports betting in Indiana $9 million in taxes was taken in and that revenue is used for education, health car, state parks, and the prison system.
All the available sportsbooks in Indiana
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- BetRivers
- BetMGM
- PointsBet
- The Scores Bet
- Unibet
- Wynn Bet
- Barstool Sports
- Betway
- Bally Bet
- Caesars
- SBK
Forecasts about the future of online gambling in Indiana
There is a bright future for sports betting in the state of Indiana. There are more skins (licenses) to be available and while there are many of the big boys in the market in the state there are more that look to delve into it. That is not surprising since the major success of sports betting in the state since launching.
Not only has the online sports betting industry been a success in the Hoosier State but so have the retail sportsbooks. The retail casinos in the state have seen the positive results for having an online skin as well as a retail sportsbook available on the property. The land based sportsbooks available in Indiana and their locations are:
- Ameristar Casino, East Chicago
- Belterra Casino Resort, Florence
- Blue Chip Casino, Michigan City
- Caesars, Southern Indiana
- French Lick Resort Casino, French Lick
- Hard Rock Casino, Northern Indiana
- Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Anderson
- Hollywood Casino, Lawrenceburg
- Horseshoe Casino, Hammond
- Indiana Grand Casino, Shelbyville
- Rising Star Casino Resort, Rising Sun
- Bally’s Evansville, Evansville
- Winner’s Circle OTB, Clarksville
- Winner’s Circle Pub, Grille and OTB, Indianapolis
- Winner’s Circle Brew, Pub and OTB, New Haven
According to a report from Eilers & Krejcig Gaming it is estimated that within the first five years of online sports betting that the state will generate $87 million in taxes.
Timeline of main events in Indiana
- March 2022 – SBK Sportsbook latest sportsbook to launch
- October 2019 – Online sports betting launches
- October 2019 – DraftKings and Bet Rivers are first two online sportsbooks to launch
- September 2019 – Retail sports betting launches
- May 2019 – Retail and online sports betting legalized
- May 2018 – The Supreme Court overturns Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which made sports betting legal on a state-by-state basis.
- 2016 – Indiana becomes second state to offer state-regulated Daily Fantasy Sports
- June 1996 – Land based casinos Trump Princess and The Majestic open
- December 1995 – First riverboat casino opens
- 1994 – Hoosier Park became the first racetrack in Indiana
How do I start betting online in Indiana
Getting going with online sports betting in Indiana is a quick and easy process. You first have to choose one of the 13 licensed online sportsbooks and sign up for an account. As of May 2022 there are 13 sportsbooks in the Hoosier State. You must be 21 years of age and you can then register for an account. When you are done registering for an account you will then go through the verification process where the sportsbook will require you to give them info such as:
- Full name
- Birthday
- Social Security Number
- Personal verification information
You will receive a confirmation email when the verification process is complete. Then you can make a deposit and start to wager.
FAQ
The Indiana Gaming Commission regulates sports betting.
Yes. Ok, so the odds may not be exactly the same at different sportsbooks in different states they are very close. The odds will be the same if a sportsbook is offered in multiple states such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and FOXBet to name just a few.
The main difference is that in Indiana you can bet on colleges within the state as well as games held in Indiana, such as the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. This is not always the case in quite a few states where online sports betting is legal. Another difference is that in Indiana you cannot bet on eSports.
Yes. Sports betting was legalized in the Hoosier State in May 2019 when Governor Eric Holcomb signed HB1015 into law
You must be 21 years old to gamble on sports in Indiana.
You can legally bet online at any of the 13 licensed online sportsbooks.
No. While you do not have to be a resident of the Hoosier State to wager at Indiana online sportsbooks you must be physically located in the state to make bets.
Yes. While you can access your Indiana sportsbook account in other states and check odds and make deposits, you have to be within the state borders to make legal wagers.