Indiana Senate Passes HB 1052, Including Sweepstakes Casino Ban, Sends Amended Bill Back to House
The Indiana Senate passed HB 1052, advancing a sweepstakes casino ban with $100,000 penalties and sending the amended bill back to the House for concurrence.
The Indiana Senate has passed House Bill 1052, a measure that includes a ban on sweepstakes casinos and six-figure civil penalties for violations. Because the Senate amended the House-approved version, the bill now returns to the House for concurrence. If enacted, Indiana could become the first state in 2026 to formally prohibit online sweepstakes casinos through explicit statutory language.
What HB 1052 Does: The Final Senate Language
HB 1052, a broad administrative bill, creates a new statutory definition of a “sweepstakes game” under Indiana gaming law and authorizes enforcement by the Indiana Gaming Commission.
Under the Senate-engrossed version, a “sweepstakes game” means a game, contest, or promotion that:
- Is available on the Internet
- Is accessible on a mobile phone, computer terminal, or similar access device
- Utilizes a dual-currency or multi-currency system of payment, allowing a player to exchange currency for a cash prize, cash award, or cash equivalents, or a chance to win a cash prize, cash award, or cash equivalents.
- Simulates lottery games or casino-style gaming, including slot machines, video poker, table games, bingo, or sports wagering
The statute expressly excludes games, contests, or promotions offered by the state lottery, as well as peer-to-peer skill-based poker games.
The bill authorizes the Indiana Gaming Commission to impose civil penalties of up to $100,000 on operators or individuals who knowingly use the Internet to conduct sweepstakes games. That includes out-of-state parties involved in transactions with a person located in Indiana.
What the House Changed From the Introduced Version
The original introduced version defined sweepstakes games using a “dual-currency system of payment.”
However, the House-engrossed version expanded the sweepstakes definition to:
- Replace “dual-currency” with “dual-currency or multi-currency system of payment”;
- Specify that players may exchange currency for “a cash prize, a cash award, or cash equivalents”;
- Clarify that games must be available on the Internet and accessible on a mobile phone or computer terminal;
- Broaden simulated gaming references to include lottery games, slot machines, video poker, table games, bingo, and sports wagering.
What the Senate Changed
The Senate’s amendment did not alter the bill’s core provisions. Instead, it added a carve-out to exclude peer-to-peer skill-based poker games. An amendment that was shut down would have regulated the space.
During committee consideration, Public Policy Chairman Sen. Ron Alting explored an amendment that would have regulated and taxed sweepstakes operators instead of banning them outright, but later indicated there was significant resistance in both chambers, particularly among leadership.
Now It Returns to the House
Because the Senate amended HB 1052, the bill must return to the House for concurrence.
Indiana’s legislative calendar now becomes critical as the 2026 legislative session adjourns on Feb. 27. If the House concurs, the bill could move quickly to the governor’s desk for signature. However, there’s a chance it rejects it and sends it to a conference committee.
If enacted, the bill will take effect on July 1. Should it become law, Indiana would likely become the first state in 2026 to ban sweepstakes casinos and join six others that did so in 2025.
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