Sweepstakes casinos in Indiana

PRIMARY-SOURCE NOTE

Indiana's sweepstakes law defines the game closely but not how its penalty is counted

What the law does

SECTION 15 of House Enrolled Act 1052 adds Ind. Code § 4-33-10-7, effective July 1, 2026¹. A sweepstakes game under the section must meet four conditions: it is available on the Internet, it can be reached from a phone, computer terminal or similar device, it runs on a dual-currency or multi-currency system that lets a player exchange currency for a cash prize, cash award, cash equivalents or a chance at one, and it simulates lottery games or casino-style gaming such as slots, video poker, table games, bingo or sports wagering¹. Games offered by the state lottery commission and peer to peer skill-based poker are excluded. The penalty clause names an operator or individual who knowingly uses the Internet to conduct such a game, and nobody else¹. The fiscal note on the enrolled bill names the Indiana Gaming Commission as the body that imposes the penalty and says fines could add revenue to the state General Fund³.

What has happened since

The House passed the bill on February 2, 2026, by a roll call of 86 to 12, and the Senate passed an amended version on February 17². Both chambers adopted the conference committee report on February 26, and the Governor signed it on March 12, 2026, as Public Law 153². The sweepstakes section took effect on July 1, 2026. Our event history for Indiana holds one entry, “HEA 1052 (Ind. Code § 4-33-10-7) takes effect”, and no record of the commission levying the penalty. The exit records we hold for Indiana list BabaCasino (June 14, 2026), MegaBonanza (June 14, 2026), Jackpota (June 14, 2026), DexyPlay (June 29, 2026), LuckParty (June 30, 2026), PlayFame (June 30, 2026), Pulsz (June 30, 2026), SpinBlitz (June 30, 2026), Ace (June 30, 2026), HelloMillions (June 30, 2026), McLuck (June 30, 2026), Shuffle (July 6, 2026) and SweepJungle (July 6, 2026). Across the operators we track, 92 are recorded as not accepting Indiana players.

What is still open

The section states one amount, a civil penalty of one hundred thousand dollars, and does not say whether it is levied once per operator or separately for each game or each transaction involving a person in Indiana¹. It also turns on the word knowingly without saying what an operator must know about where a player is located¹. The new section does not describe the procedure the commission would follow to levy the penalty, and the fiscal note does not either¹³. With no commission action in our event history since July 1, 2026, the record holds no answer yet to how the penalty is counted or proven.

Enforcement search

Our tracked event history for Indiana holds one entry, the date the section took effect, and no record of the Indiana Gaming Commission levying the civil penalty against any operator or individual.

Question still open

Whether the civil penalty is levied once per operator or per game or transaction, and what an operator must know about a player's location to act knowingly, is not settled by the text or by any commission action on our record.

Sources for this note

1. House Enrolled Act 1052 (2026), enrolled text, SECTION 15 adding IC 4-33-10-7 (Indiana General Assembly) accessed Sep 28, 2026
2. House Bill 1052 (2026) bill actions (Indiana General Assembly) accessed Sep 28, 2026
3. HB 1052 fiscal impact statement, enrolled version, March 2, 2026 (Legislative Services Agency) accessed Sep 28, 2026

Sources rechecked 2026-09-28. Next scheduled review 2026-12-28.