Rising Star Casino Sportsbook Launch Grows Robust Live Betting Options in Indiana

Posted on November 8, 2019 - Last Updated on January 3, 2020

The first week of Indiana legal sports betting featured seven retail Indiana sportsbooks. That number has officially doubled with the opening of the Rising Star Casino sportsbook, which went live on Thursday, Nov. 7.

The Rising Star Casino sits alongside the Ohio River in Rising Sun, on the Indiana side of the Indiana-Kentucky border. Rising Star got its approval to begin accepting wagers on that date on Monday, Nov. 4. The launch brings a new brand into the Hoosier State.

Details on the Rising Star Casino sportsbook launch

Although the Rising Star has plans to offer online betting, the licensee will limit itself to brick-and-mortar wagers for now. Full House Resorts, which owns the casino, has a contract with UK-based Smarkets to provide the technology for operating the sportsbook.

Smarkets is an exchange model for sports betting that also supports a social component. Apps for the Android and iOS markets could be available yet this year.

Although Smarkets’ own mobile brand is likely to operate under Rising Star’s license in Indiana, that may not be exclusive to the brand. The Rising Star could offer two more skins as well.

That could provide the William Hill brand a path into the Hoosier State. William Hill has contracts with Full House elsewhere.

Overall, casino patrons visiting the new sportsbook should expect a wide array of different bets available. Given its proximity to other retail sportsbooks that have been operating longer, Rising Star will likely offer promotions to grab a share of the market.

Consumer choice is a great thing for the Indiana sports betting market. The Hoosier State is now among the national leaders in that regard.

Indiana now unrivaled in its retail sportsbook options

With 14 brick-and-mortar licensees in operation, the number of options for Indiana residents and visitors looking to physically place a bet in person is impressive. New Jersey currently has 12 land-based sportsbook operators.

While that suggests a strong market, the state might be majoring in the minors. The real breadwinner for legal sports betting is mobile action – not Indiana’s strong suit as of yet.

In that regard, Indiana trails New Jersey by quite a margin. The Garden State currently boasts a dozen online sportsbook operators. Indiana offers its bettors only three choices right now.

That gap could be quickly closed, however. Both BetIndiana and PointsBet want to be live in the Hoosier State by Super Bowl Sunday.

888 Sport is eyeing Indiana for its next move as well. It’s possible the number of online sportsbooks in Indiana could double by the onset of the NBA playoffs.

As long as the situation in Indiana’s neighboring states remains as it is, there should be no concern about market saturation. Despite Indiana’s population, the lack of availability of legal sportsbooks in surrounding markets bodes well for operators like Rising Star.

Competition in the Hoosier State is healthy, and the Rising Star’s entry into the market increases that. When its mobile components go live as well, Indiana’s betting landscape will become even more robust.

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Derek Helling

Derek Helling is a lead writer for PlayUSA and the manager of BetHer. He is a 2013 graduate of the University of Iowa and covers the intersections of sports with business and the law.

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