Indiana will now become the latest state in the United States to have released sports betting operations. Available for both professional and collegiate competitions, the state’s Gaming Commission has given the go-ahead for an official sports betting launch on September 1.
Indiana to Launch Sports Betting on September 1
Indiana has finally settled a date for the launch of its sports betting industry. The state will be releasing betting operations come September 1, the Indiana Gaming Commission confirmed after approving regulations that establish a legal framework for the vertical.
So far, five casinos have been authorized to launch retail sports wagering. The framework was voted on successfully on August 28, IGB North America reported. As a result, Indiana is headed to become the latest state to launch sports betting.
Meanwhile, the state has awarded 14 temporary permits to various casino properties, but these venues will still need to undergo closer scrutiny to determine whether they are fit to join the market in full. In addition, Indiana will need to address concerns about over-flooding the market with as many as 14 to 19 new properties.
As of this date, the five properties to have received the go-ahead include:
- Penn National Gaming’s Ameristar East Casino, East Chicago
- Hollywood Casino & Hotel, Lawrenceburg
- Blue Sky Casinos’ French Lick Casino
- Caesars Entertainment’s Horseshoe Casino, Hammond
- Indiana Grand Racing & Casino
All of these properties are considered to have the brand authority as well as war chest to spearhead a quality sports betting experience, the Commission has confirmed. Not all casinos will launch on September 1, however. Ameristar East, Hollywood and Indiana Grand will go ahead on September 1, but Horseshoe will bid its time until September 4 and French will start on September 6.
Important Timing for Betting in Indiana
These moves are important for Indiana, as the state will catch the NFL season which is kicking off in September. Indiana’s lawmakers have decided to look favorably upon mobile betting, but no property has yet announced plans to release a mobile betting product.
This should be soon coming, however, as companies such as DraftKings and FanDuel are constantly looking to expand into new markets. DraftKings has just released its new betting app in West Virginia, being second only to FanDuel, which launched its offer on Monday, August 26.
Back to Indiana, passing the sports betting bill was smooth sailing. Governor Eric Holcomb signed the bill into law in May, enabling betting companies to start offering lines on professional and collegiate betting competitions.
For the time being, Indiana is operating under a provisional framework, which will be worked on, but in the meantime, operators will already be able to start taking wagers. Recently, Illinois launched an official sports betting consultation that will run until September 27. The goal of the initiative is to create a regulatory framework to help regulate a future sports betting industry in the state.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has already signed Signed Bill 690 into law in July, that will hopefully help the state create 540,000 new jobs and generate as much as $45 billion that can be invested in the state’s infrastructure.
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