The Indiana Gaming Commission has a new member. Gov. Holcomb just appointed Milt Thompson as the new chairman of the commission.
Thompson is taking over for Mike McMains, who was appointed to the position back in 2018.
Milt Thompson joins gaming commission
Thompson is an attorney with Bleeke Dillon Crandal. He’s also the CEO of Grand Slam, a sports management consulting firm.
His term will be taking place until Sept. 30, 2023.
The Indiana Gaming Commission doesn’t have a meeting on the books for the near future. Its quarterly get-together will take place sometime before the end of June.
In other words, Thompson will have some time to get familiar with the landscape. He’ll be working hand-in-hand with new Executive Director Greg Small.
McMains was in the driver’s seat for many critically important stretches for Indiana gambling. He says it became time to move on once he saw those situations through to the end.
“When I was appointed chairman, there were significant issues that needed to be addressed in Indiana gaming. After four years of service and with those challenges behind us, I believed it was a good time to step down from my position.”
Indiana online casinos could make for busy 2023
McMains was at his post when Indiana gave the thumbs up for riverboat casinos to move to land. Since then, several properties like Caesars Southern Indiana and the Majestic Star Casinos have made the switch.
He was also chairing the commission when Indiana brought legal sports betting into the fold. That was a monumental addition to the state’s gambling landscape.
Perhaps most importantly, McMains stuck with the gaming commission through the end of the Spectacle Entertainment scandal. The Indiana side of that casino scandal is mostly wrapped up now, but the entire situation was a long and bumpy road for the state’s gambling industry.
In other words, Thompson isn’t exactly in store for a trial by fire in his new position. The biggest issues facing Indiana gaming are in the rearview mirror now.
However, that could be different by this time next year.
Lawmakers are actively trying to bring legal Indiana online casinos into the fold. That would let Hoosiers play classic casino games like blackjack and poker from the comfort of their homes.
The change wouldn’t be taking place until early 2023, but online casinos would be an even more significant step for Indiana gambling than sports betting was.
All of this means that Thompson and the rest of the commission could have their hands full next year as they try to integrate the changes. At least for now, Thompson should have plenty of time to prepare for whatever the future may hold.
