After several failed attempts in years prior, the prospects of regulated online poker in Indiana are looking up. At the end of January, the Indiana House Committee on Public Policy held a hearing on HB 1432, a bill seeking to legalize and regulate igaming in the state, and the committee gave it the green light, allowing it to pass the first hurdle.
While the newly-proposed bill still has a long way to go, it looks like efforts to legalize online poker and other igaming activities in the state are finally gaining enough traction and Indiana could become the ninth state with regulated online poker.
Rep. Ethan Manning, who is championing the bill, emphasizes that Indiana residents are already gambling online but doing so on offshore, unregulated sites. HB 1432 would change this, creating a safe and legal environment that benefits the players and the state alike.
Indiana to Help Grow US Online Poker
As proposed, the bill would allow all Indiana land-based casinos (including racinos and riverboats) to get an igaming license for a $500,000 fee. Perhaps more importantly, the language of the bill includes the possibility of the state joining the MSIGA or a different multi-state compact.
If the regulation happens, Indiana would become the fourth-largest regulated market with a population of seven million people. Although big enough to stand on its own, it would certainly be a major contribution to the growing network of regulated states in the MSIGA (currently PA, MI, NV, and NJ).
Provided everything goes to plan and the bill passes all regulatory hurdles, the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) would start accepting and reviewing license application on July 1, with the goal of the market going live at the start of September.
Promising Progress, but Challenges Remain
There’s been a push to regulate online poker and gambling in Indiana for several years now, but this is the first time the proposed bill made it out of committee and onto the House floor, where it will face a vote on February 20.
The final step would be passing the Senate, and this needs to happen before the Indiana General Assembly adjourns on April 29.
Although the window is quite narrow, things look promising, especially given the fact the bill passed the committee with a 9–2 vote. The biggest concern coming from one of the committee members who voted against it had to do with responsible gaming and making gambling more accessible and appealing to teenagers.
It is worth mentioning that Indiana is one of eight US states to have introduced igaming bills in 2025, and although HB 1432 still faces significant hurdles, it is the most likely candidate to receive the approval this year and create another regulated market in the country.
Since Indiana’s bill already has provisions for multi-state compacts, it’s safe to assume the state would be very open to joining the MSIGA early on, which would be great news for all fans of online poker in the US.
Given previous experiences, it’s probably best to curb the enthusiasm for the time being, but it’s good to see that at least one new state is on the right path, and US online poker could receive some good news in the months to come.
