Sports betting is now on in Indiana after three of the state’s casinos debuted their sportsbooks on September 1. Gov. Eric Holcomb inaugurated one of the state’s first betting facilities by placing bets on his favorite teams.
Sunday was the first day of legal sports betting in the state after Indiana’s top official signed into law a bill authorizing athletic wagering this past May. The Indiana Gaming Commission started accepting betting license applications on July 1. The regulator has authorized 13 sites – ten casinos and three off-track betting locations – to provide sports gambling services.
Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville, Ameristar Casino in East Chicago and Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg were the three casinos to go live with sports betting this past Sunday. Horseshoe Hammond is set to start taking bets on Wednesday, while the French Lick Resort is scheduled to debut its retail sportsbook on Friday.
The opening of Indiana’s first sportsbooks was right in time for the start of the new NFL season, which kicks off September 5.
The First Bet
Gov. Holcomb place the ceremonial first bet at Indiana Grand Casino’s sports betting facility at noon on Sunday. The state’s top official bet $10 on the Indianapolis Colts to win the Super Bowl, another $10 on the Indiana Pacers to win the NBA Championship, and $10 on the Indiana Fever to win Sunday night’s game.
Gov. Holcomb revealed that he would donate any winnings on the bets to the Indiana Canine Assistant Network, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to disabled children and adults by partnering them with service dogs.
Of the legalization of sports betting in his state, Gov. Holcomb has said previously that gambling “is a highly regulated industry that once had little competition, but now does from surrounding states and new technology.” The official has further elaborated that the modernization of their laws will “spur positive economic growth” and will “bring in new revenue and create hundreds of new jobs.”
Indiana’s New Sports Betting Law
Indiana’s sports betting law allows the state’s casinos and off-track betting facilities to provide retail and digital betting services. They can take bets on major leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL as well as on professional boxing, golf, soccer, tennis and on less popular sporting events such as cricket, darts, and sailing. Indiana-based bettors can also wager on college sports.
Betting on high school and amateur youth sporting events is prohibited under the new regulations.
Interested sports betting operators were required to pay an initial license fee of $100,000. They will also have to make annual payments of $50,000 to have their licenses renewed.
Sports betting is taxed at 9.5% of gross revenue under Indiana’s gambling law. The gambling tax money will be allocated to the state’s general fund and to problem gambling initiatives.
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