The Indiana House Public Policy Committee has unanimously voted to pass House Bill 1052, which seeks to prohibit and establish criminal penalties for sweepstakes operations across the state.
Despite receiving unanimous approval from the Indiana House Committee, lawmakers issued an amendment to HB 1052 which removed a provision that downgrades proposed criminal penalties for sweepstakes operations to civic penalties.
In response to HB 1052’s approval, Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) Managing Director Sean Ostrow released a statement calling for “sensible regulation” of sweepstakes casinos rather than a legal ban.
“Social Plus games have been operating lawfully in Indiana since 2012 and are enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers,” Ostrow said.
“Rather than a ban that would criminalize law-abiding businesses while doing nothing to stop illegal operators, we believe sensible regulation is the pragmatic pathway forward.”
The Association has proposed a regulatory framework that it projects would generate over $20m in annual revenue for Indiana while enforcing “strict age verification, data privacy and responsible gameplay protections.”
Ostrow continued: “We are disappointed with the committee’s vote but remain committed to working collaboratively with Indiana lawmakers to protect consumers, support local businesses and preserve access to these popular games for adults who enjoy them."
The SGLA previously submitted testimony regarding HB 1052 on January 6, describing the legislation as an "overly broad attempt" to safeguard residents from "bad actors" in social plus gaming.
House Bill 1052 was originally brought forth by Indiana Representative Ethan Manning on December 5 and looks to prohibit sweepstakes casinos utilizing dual-currency payment systems and simulating casino-style games, lottery games, bingo and sports betting.
Paysafe officially joined the SGLA as the organization's newest partner on January 20 and will help to advocate for the regulation and advancement of social plus games across the US
