As expected, April was a tough month for Indiana’s casino industry. With all of the major sports leagues shut down for the entire month, the Hoosier State recorded a record-low sports betting handle.
Indiana sportsbooks pulled in a meager $26 million in wagers throughout the month. That’s down from $75 million in March, and a record-high $187 million in February. COVID-19 didn’t start to shake things up until halfway through March. That gave the month an advantage that April just didn’t have.
The NFL Draft didn’t provide April the kind of boost that sportsbooks were hoping for. Overall, football barely accounted for $1 million of Indiana’s handle. Instead, Hoosiers spent April betting on non-major sports like table tennis and Belarusian soccer. Indiana bettors wagered over $21 million on those more obscure sports throughout the month.
Other states have been tossing out some lifelines that Indiana is missing out on. In particular, regulated online casinos and esports have helped boost the numbers in other states. Since Indiana doesn’t allow wagers on either of those, sports betting is the state’s only source of gambling income while land-based casinos are still shut down.
However, May could be the start of some things returning to normal. NASCAR and the UFC are working on getting back to business. Tiger versus Phil round two could also provide a boost. As more sports return to action, hopefully they’ll be able to generate some interest for Indiana’s bettors and sportsbooks.
| Sportsbook | Launch Date | Casino Partner |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | Oct. 3, 2019 | Ameristar Casino |
| FanDuel | Oct. 22, 2019 | Blue Chip Casino |
| BetMGM | Feb. 25, 2020 | Belterra Casino |
| BetRivers | Oct. 3, 2019 | French Lick Resort Casino |
| PointsBet | March 5, 2020 | Hollywood Lawrenceburg |
| BetAmerica | Dec. 30, 2019 | Rising Star Casino |
| BetIndiana | Spring 2020 | Hard Rock Casino |
| Caesars | May 19, 2020 | Horseshoe Casino |
| William Hill | TBA | Tropicana Evansville |
Right now, there are seven active online sportsbooks in Indiana. The Hoosier State is home to DraftKings, FanDuel, BetRivers, BetAmerica, BetMGM, PointsBet and Caesars, which is the latest addition.
These sites give Indiana players the ability to wager on single contests or parlays. Additionally, Indianans can experience some of the more innovative features in sports betting today, like betting carousels and cash-out options
Sports betting has barreled into Indiana’s casinos in rapid fashion. Almost every casino and off-track betting location is now offering action on sporting events.
While some of these facilities may be on the modest side, expect to find technology-heavy experiences no matter the casino. Walls of high-definition televisions and state-of-the-art video boards are the hallmark of the modern sportsbook, including those in Indiana.
The Hoosier Lottery distinguishes itself as the only state lottery to use the state’s nickname in its official name. As it enters its fourth decade of service, the lottery has generated more than $1 billion for Indiana’s state government fund.
While the Hoosier Lottery does maintain a mobile app for customers to use, there is no ability to play online. At this point, there is no indication that the Indiana General Assembly is moving towards legalizing online lottery play.
Indiana was one of the very first states to legalize daily fantasy sports (DFS) play inside its borders. Interestingly, Indiana is one of the few states to codify DFS as specifically legal. Gov. Mike Pence signed Senate Bill 339 in 2016.
For those unfamiliar, DFS is an online game that is part sports betting, part real-time peer-to-peer game. Players across Indiana choose lineups of different athletes and earn points (and victories) based upon those athletes’ performances in designated games or matches.
By and large, Indiana is a hostile environment for online casino games. The state is one of the few to enact an explicit ban and criminalize online gambling.
So, there aren’t very many options out there. The only opportunity to play comes through Chumba Casino .
Its sweepstakes model – which allows players to request free money through mail – allows Indianans to play.
Indiana does not allow citizens to play poker outside of its casinos. This prohibition is especially true in online settings, where playing is actually a criminal offense.
Indiana residents can only try to play on Global Poker. Like its sister site, Chumba Casino, Global operates with a unique sweepstakes model that allows it to remain in legal compliance.
Please note that it is possible to play for real money on Global Poker without spending any money of your own.
Yes. Indiana is home to more than a dozen land-based casinos, off-track betting locations, retail and online sports betting, and a state lottery.
Sports betting is legal in Indiana as of September 2019. Online sports betting is live as of Oct. 3, 2019.
No. At this point, there aren’t many indications that further expansion is in the offing. Legislators are likely to adopt a wait-and-see attitude regarding sports betting and find out how well it does before they move forward.
Real-money online poker is still explicitly outlawed in Indiana, and no laws to legalize have made any noise there recently.
Offshore sports betting sites may be acting legally based on the laws in their home countries, but it doesn’t mean they are legal under US law.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) made it illegal for the US financial system to process transactions to gambling sites that don’t comply with US law.
All online gambling sites that are not licensed by a US state are inevitably going to breach the UIGEA if they serve US customers.
As to safety, that is simple. No matter how apparently reputable an offshore operator appears, you have no legal recourse in the event that things go wrong.
There are good reasons to leave your offshore operator and join the state-regulated market:
Casino gambling, including sports betting, are only open to people over the age of 21. Horse betting and the Indiana Lottery are open to those 18 and up.
Casino gambling is available at several land-based facilities throughout the state. These locations offer every type of gambling commonly found in most casinos. There is even sports betting at some of them. Indianans can also play the lottery in their home state.
To start, you will need to select one of the online sportsbooks active in the state. All of them have mobile apps that are available for download.
Here are the online sportsbooks available in Indiana:
If you have an Apple device, then the desired app should be available through the App Store. Both DraftKings and FanDuel have apps that are easy to install from there.
BetRivers is going a different route. Rather than use its own betting app, BetRivers is accessible on your phone’s browser in tandem with the GeoGuard app. This app, from the highly respected GeoComply, helps to geolocate your phone to Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) standards so you can wager.
Android users can find dedicated apps for every active sportsbook right now. Simply set your device to accept installations from other sources, and visit the desired sportsbook’s site to begin the downloading process.
Once the app is downloaded and installed, you’ll need to register for an account on the site. Look for a button that says “Join Now,” “Sign Up,” or something similar to get started.
The app will ask you to provide some personal information. Usually, this information will include your:
Rest assured that these sites are professional and well-regulated. Your data will be safe in their system.
The next step in the process is to deposit funds into your account. Look for a button that says “Cashier” or “Deposit” to go to the correct page.
Every online sportsbook offers the ability to deposit through a variety of methods. Deposits can be made through credit cards, debit cards, checks, electronic checks, electronic wallets like PayPal or Skrill, or even with cash through PayNearMe.
Choose the method that works best for your situation. Make sure to check for any bonuses or offers before submitting the request.
Not everyone wants to be glued to their phones when they bet on sports. Some prefer a more visceral and tangible experience.
Thankfully, there are numerous retail sportsbooks scattered throughout Indiana. All of them are integrated into the existing casinos that serve the state’s residents.
Indiana residents and visitors will find sportsbooks at the following locations:
Unfortunately, gambling does possess an addictive quality that can lead some to an unhealthy place. Problem gambling can destroy the lives of both the gambler and his or her families.
Thankfully, Indiana has one of the best systems for problem gambling in the nation. It is possible to receive treatment for the condition completely free.
For those who are hurting or know someone who is, contact the Indiana Problem Gambling Hotline at 1-800-9-WITH-IT (1-800-994-8448) as soon as possible. See our responsible gambling page for more information.
