Indiana Gaming Commission – An Overview of the Gambling Situation

Legislations and Developments

The state of Indiana is the 38th largest state of the US by the size of its territory, with more than 6 million citizens, but it’s not particularly fond of gambling. That’s why the recent steps it took towards the legalization of the various forms of real money gaming activities are considered somewhat surprising by the critics. The proactive approach of amending the Constitution of Indiana that began in 1988 with the allowing of lottery games, has continued with the most recent development in 2019.

Within the past 12 months alone, 6 new companies have obtained permits to operate legal online gambling activities. Indiana first enrolled online sports betting in late 2019 and has decided that the state will charge 9.5% in taxes. The law allows players of at least 21 years to participate as long as they have registered with a state casino. Compared to the expansion of regulated online gambling in the United States, it seems like Indiana is slowly beginning to follow the right path.

While the IGC revenue for 2019 has declined with 1.3%, the expectations for 2020 look more optimistic now that online desktop and mobile sports wagering are allowed. The amendment of the rules could prove even more valuable for the state, considering its struggle with the competition from Illinois, Ohio, and the top Michigan online casinos. Now, let’s take a look at the list of some of the sports on which you can bet if you’re a resident of Indiana:

• NFL
• NBA
• MLB
• NHL
• Soccer
• Professional Boxing
• Tennis
• Golf
• Auto Racing
• Darts
• Cricket
• Lacrosse
• Sailing

State of Indiana Gaming Commission and its Divisions

As an organization, the IGC has the responsible function of ensuring that all players are legally participating within the borders of the states. Meanwhile, the now legitimate sports gambling is a great opportunity for further economic development and attracting players from the close by Midwest states.

The state of Indiana Gaming Commission has several divisions that are responsible for the fair and safe environment of the players. Each of them has a specific function, but the end goal is always the same – ensuring a transparent and regulated ambience. With that being said, let’s have a look at each Division individually.

Athletic

The Athletic division has been given the responsibility to ensure the safety and fairness of professional and amateur fights. This includes monitoring the Integrity MMA and boxing fights that take place on the territory of the state of Indiana. Of course, all illegal acts are punished by the commission, such as Class B misdemeanour.

In case an IGC enforcement agent determines that a combat contest is held without the needed license or permit by the IGC, the punishment is a 180 days imprisonment plus $1000 fine. The law includes further felonies such as Class C and Class D, which are respectively with heavier consequences.

Charity Gaming

The Charity Gaming division is responsible for licensing and regulating over 4,000 organizations that conduct charitable gaming events. Some of the activities include charity game nights, raffles, bingo, door prize drawings, among others. There’re predetermined prize payouts that are described within the licensing policies of each game.

It’s worth mentioning that non-profit organizations lead all ventures. Therefore, even if you’re holding a fundraising event such as a raffle, you’ll need a raffle license. According to the license rules, you’ll be able to organize raffle drawings, door-prize drawings, and selling pull tabs, punchboards, and tip boards.

Gaming Control

Another Division of the IGC is the Gaming Control, which was incepted in 2007 during the legislative session. It’s considered as the “law enforcing arm” of the Indiana state gaming commission and has 16 professional and certified officers on duty. The primal function of the Gaming Control Division is investigating illegal gambling as well as enforcing the laws of the state.

The control officers are given full police forces which are applied in accomplishing reduced illegal gambling. Nevertheless, the goal of the Division is not to use its powers at all costs and make arrests but rather to get voluntary consents. Despite all good intentions, however, whenever a violation of the gambling laws is caught, several different licenses and certificates can be lost. You can be appealing forfeitures of winnings, but in most cases, you’ll face a denial as the rules are iron.

Sports Wagering and Paid Fantasy Sports

Finally, the newest Division within the Indiana Gaming Commission is the Sports Wagering and Paid Fantasy Sports. As you can guess by its name, the main responsibilities of the department relate to monitoring and regulating all sports betting and paid fantasy sports in IN. While still young, make no mistake that the Division and the enforcement agents are well trained and committed to creating a robust regulatory environment.

Indiana Gaming Commission – Forms & Licensing

It really helps that business owner who wants to develop gambling endeavours are entitled to the transparent and easy-going registration process. The state of Indiana Gaming Commission makes sure that every year more casinos can be involved in the expansion of the industry. The territory of the Hoosier State has a population of over 6 million people, which means that the market could potentially evolve into a billion-dollar industry.

In fact, the United States online casinos are already worth a substantial sum, and with all the states that are legalizing gambling, the figures will only grow from here. And if you’re eager to take a piece of the pie in IN, you can apply at the Indiana Gaming Commission forms listed in the table below. Furthermore, you can send a certified letter to their address, or get in touch with the IGC by phone and fax number.

The process itself involves specific criteria that must be met, necessary documentation, and an application fee. Of course, a thorough background check of your financial history will also be required, so only shortlisted candidates who tick all boxes can be approved. Indiana is definitely a hot market right now, especially since Kentucky and Ohio are yet to legalize sports wagering. Other forms of legal gambling in Indiana include:

• Lottery Games – legal since 1988 and regulated by the Hoosier Lottery
• Horse Racing – legalized in 1989 and managed by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission
• Casino Games – officially legitimate since 1994, with the first preliminary license obtained by Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts

Casinos in Indiana

A few words are worth mentioning about the casinos in Indiana. The state is currently running 14 legal casinos, with some of them spending millions into upgrading and adapting their properties with sports bars and additional goodies. Number 15 to the list will be a brand new Hard Rock Casino, which is planned to open its doors on New Year 2020 in Northern Indiana. The IGC approved the development of a $300 million project, which is said to include a massive 200,000 square feet casino.

Meanwhile, the Horseshoe Southern Indiana has invested some $85 million in their riverboat casino, while French Lick is constructing a 71-room hotel tower that will cost more than $18 million. Another popular resort Blue Chip is also actively reconstructing its property spending $11 million for an additional 11,000 square feet. For your convenience, we’ve included a table with all casinos that are currently under the jurisdiction of the Indiana Gaming Commission.

FAQ

This paragraph marks the end of our article regarding the Indiana state Gaming Commission. We hope that you find it informative enough and take away as many keynotes. In fact, we have even more great US gaming commission blog posts you can read about in case you wonder what’s the situation in the other states. But first, we suggest skimming through our FAQ section related to the IGC.