Anti-sweepstakes legislation to be considered by Indiana Governor

The Indiana Senate has voted 46-4 to advance House Bill 1052 to Governor Mike Braun’s desk for further consideration, potentially clearing the way for sweepstakes casino operations to be prohibited across the state. 

Originally brought forth by Indiana Representative Ethan Manning in December 2025, HB 1052 bans the operation of dual-currency and multi-currency online sweepstakes casinos which allow players to exchange real money for the opportunity to win cash or an equivalent prize.

Following the Senate’s original 37-8 vote in favor of HB 1052, conducted on February 18, Senate members and the Indiana House of Representatives adopted a Conference Committee Report which was approved by both legislative bodies on February 27. 

The bill hopes to ban online sweepstakes operators from providing casino-style games which include slots, table games, lottery games and online sports betting.

If approved by Governor Braun, the anti-sweepstakes legislation would go into effect on July 1, and enforce a civic penalty of $100,000 to those found to be conducting sweepstakes operations in Indiana. 

HB 1052 includes an exception for games offered by the Indiana Lottery Commission and peer-to-peer skill-based poker games. 

In response to the House of Representatives passing HB 1052 on February 4, 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 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.