On this page, you will find detailed information on legal gambling in the state of Indiana. We’ll start with an overview of the legality of gambling itself, before diving deeper into each type of gamble available — from land-based casinos and the HOG law to horse racing, the lottery, daily fantasy sports, and online options.
For those of you itching to get straight to the good stuff, here are some of the best offshore sites that Indiana residents can sign up at.
Best Sites With Online Gambling for Indiana Residents
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Changes to Indiana Gambling Laws
The latest development regarding gambling laws in the state came on April 27, 2021, when Governor Eric Holcomb signed into law a bill allowing for the establishment of two new land-based casinos. The new venues will be built in the new Gary/Hammond area and Elkhart. The move also authorizes up to 50 new satellite casinos statewide, as well as up to 40 new online sports betting skins.
Online poker and online casino gaming are not yet authorized, so until things change in the Hoosier State, the following nine sites (above) are your best option if you want to play real-money poker or wager on casino games from within Indiana, but remember, we recommend only playing with money you can afford to lose. Gambling should always be fun, and if you feel like you are losing control, there are many organizations that offer help, which you can find on our responsible gambling page.
Can You Legally Gamble Online in Indiana?
Yes, you can legally gamble online in Indiana - sorts of...
Despite best practices arguments put forward by locals since the inception of US gambling law, it is still officially illegal to gamble online at state-regulated websites in the state.
However, thanks to a legal gray area in the official definition of “mobile” gambling houses, coupled with federal law, residents of the state can access a range of online gambling options based out of other countries and states. This includes online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks.
When it comes to choosing the right site, safety should be your number one concern. Stick to our recommended list above and you can be sure your money and personal details are in safe hands. All of our chosen sites have a long track record of providing fair games, fast payments and treating their customers fairly.
How We Rank Online Gambling Sites in IN
Before we even think about ranking a site, we only consider sites that have passed our stringent security tests. Once we know it’s safe, we look at the range of games on offer - particularly making sure there are great bonuses for players, promotions, tournaments and loyalty rewards. We then check the payment options and speeds, software compatibility (iOS and Android), customer support and any other features that may give the site the edge over its competitors.
Types of Legal Gambling in Indiana
Let’s take a closer look at the gambling options open to you in Indiana. There is plenty of choice whether you prefer to visit a brick-and-mortar venue, or you want to enjoy the thrill of spinning the reels from your couch at home.
- Land-based Casinos
- The Horse Racing
- The Historic Horse Racing (HOG) Law
- Poker Rooms
- Daily Fantasy Sports
- Lottery
- Online Gambling
Land-Based Casinos
There are currently nine casinos spread across the state of Indiana, eight of which are riverboats. The final property, the French Lick West Baden, is unique in that it is granted permission to offer live table games and slots because it is classed as a residential community and able to operate an inland resort casino. It’s worth noting the casino has no hotel rooms, with all guests staying in a separate building. However, a large number of hotels in the surrounding communities allow patrons to walk back to their room.
Here are all of the casinos you can visit in the Hoosier State:
- Ameristar East Chicago (East Chicago)
- Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa (Michigan City)
- Caesars Southern Indiana (Elizabeth)
- French Lick West Baden (French Lick)
- Horseshoe Southern Indiana (Clarkson)
- Majestic Star Casino (Gary / Lake Michigan water) *
- Majestic Star Casino (Gary / Lake Michigan water) II *
- Harrah’s Gulf Stream Casino (fort Wayne)
* These two casinos are permanently closed as of March 2020 due to COVID-19, but their licenses remain active and they could potentially reopen in the future.
🎰 Starburst Review 2023 - **RTP: 96.10%** | Volatility: **Medium** | Free PlayEach casino offers all manner of slot machines and electronic games, while most boast a huge selection of table games including Three and Four Card Poker, Mini and Midi Baccarat, Spanish 21, Crapless Craps, and Pai Gow. Both Horseshoe properties and French Lick West Baden also offer low-limit Texas Hold’em poker tables.
In 2021, three new casinos were approved by Governor Holcomb, which means we could see the landscape of Indiana gambling change again in a few years time.
Horse Racing + Historical Horse Racing Machines
Historical horse racing (HHR) machines are essentially the same as video lottery terminicles (VLTs), or casino-style slot machines. Crucially though, because the outcome is dependent on actual horse races that have already been run, they fall under the remit of the Indiana Gaming Commission, rather than the Indiana Lottery. As such, they are classified as a form of expanded gambling under state law, and are legal at licensed racinos throughout the state.
All five of the state’s racinos offer HHR machines, with Hollywood Casino at Mahoning Valley Race Course and Hoosier Park Racing & Casino offering the highest number of machines (1,060 and 950 respectively). Meanwhile, Clark County’scaesars southern indiana has the fewest with 438, while Indiana Grand Casino sits in the middle with 725.
In addition to the HHR machines, racinos in the state also offer bets on historical horse races from around the country. This means you can log on, or sit down and place a bet on races that have already taken place, safe in the knowledge the odds and outcomes are regulated and legitimate.
Meanwhile, there are no restrictions on betting on live races either, both onsite at the tracks listed below and via online sportsbooks, using our .
Poker Rooms at Casinos
If you want to play , you’re probably better off heading to another state. That doesn’t mean Indiana casinos don’t have poker rooms per se, more that they are limited to between two and four tables each, and the action is largely focused on low limit Texas Hold’em cash games and tourneys.
Indeed, of the nine casinos in the state, six choose to operate a poker room, albeit on a temporary basis. This means the number of tables and games on offer can vary greatly from day to day and even hour to hour.
Average pots during our visits rarely broke the $30-$40 mark for a cash game (blinds $1/$2) and buy-ins for tournaments ranged from $20 for a freeroll through to $120 for their biggest event of the week.
It’s also worth noting that all Indiana poker rooms are smoke free zones. So if you like to get your fix surrounded by cigarette smoke, this isn’t the place for you.
Home of Automobile and Pacesetter: Dan Quayle
As you can see, the options for avid poker players are pretty limited. Indeed, unless you want to play in Chicago or Cincinnati, it’s a largely disappointing scene in the Hoosier State.
Former VP Dan Quayle once quipped: “In theory, people are born equal. In practice, everyone is a little different. In theory, people are free to pursue their happiness. In practice, a lot of them go to work every day.”
Well Mr. Vice President, in practice, people can also play poker how and when they want to if they live in Indiana, they just need to use one of our recommended .
Great Free Casino Games You Can Download Right NowDaily Fantasy Sports
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) was made legal in the state in 2016 and a number of operators rushed to secure licenses, meaning a vibrant DFS scene has sprung up across the state.
Whether using a desktop PC or a mobile app, players can quickly and easily enter daily or weekly fantasy competitions featuring American football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, golf, and even rugby league and union, car racing and other popular sports.
You can compete in free leagues against friends, or enter major tournaments with buy-ins starting at just $0.25- $350 (although many are much higher) and win hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in prize money.
While there was some doubt over the legal status of DFS in 2015/2016, the Indiana Gaming Commission now considers it to be legal, and as such, a range of operators are vying for position, including DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo Daily Fantasy, Fantasy Draft, PrizePicks, Monkey Knife Fight, Baltra, Underdog Fantasy, as well as numerous daily or weekend competitions offered by many of the state’s land-based casinos.
The Lottery
The Hoosier Lottery offers a wide variety of draw games and instant tickets. Draw games include Big Win Blackjack, Powerball, Mega Millions, Cash4Life, Hoosier Lotto, Hoosier Super Chelsea, Fast Play, Pick 3, Pick 4, and Pick 5. Scratch-off tickets are also available and cost anywhere between $1 and $30. Prizes can be claimed at more than 1,800 retail locations or the Indianapolis claims office. Prizes up to $150,000 can be claimed at the claims office in downtown Indy. Anything larger needs to be claimed by appointment at the claim’s office or at the lieutenant governor’s office.
Sports Betting at Casinos and Online
followed weeks of political wrangling where it initially appeared the bill would fail to pass through the Senate after it had been agreed by the House. However, just a couple of days later, the Senate agreed amendments made by the House, and the bill was sent to Pence’s desk to be signed into law.
The first retail sportsbooks opened in September 2019, and today, bettors aged 21+ can place bets at any of the state’s casinos. However, it’s a relatively restrictive market with no betting on eSports, high school sports, or Indiana University or Ball State University sports.
However, the real growth of the industry has come online, with dozens of accepting customers from across the state. Mobile apps include the likes of DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, BetRivers, PointsBet, William Hill, and more. For a full list of the best options, check out our dedicated .
Golf Tournaments
If you’ve got an eye for a good putt, the state caters to golfers of all abilities. There are more than 250 courses spread across the state, meaning per capita, Indiana ranks fourth nationally for course availability.
Pete Dye, the architect behind iconic TPC Sawgrass in Florida, designed several courses in his home state, including Brickyard Crossing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and French Lick's Valley Links. Other famous course designers with Indiana links include Donald Ross, Ben Hogan, Robert Trent Jones and Michael Hurdzan.
Some of the biggest tournaments held in the state include the Senior PGA Championship, the BMW Championship, the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship, and the Futures Tour’s Indiana Women’s Open.
Oregon Trail Poker: Schoolchildren
Surprisingly, school children get in on the gambling action too, with teachers allowing youngsters to participate in Oregon Trail card tournaments, named after the popular computer game. Instead of real money, players use gold nuggets and trail cards to keep score.
We assume the kids all hand their nuggets in at the end of the day, but if any of them retire from the classroom early to focus on their poker career, let us know…
Indiana Gambling Age
To summarize, the gambling age in Indiana is as follows:
- Players must be at least 21 years old for casinos, sports betting, the lottery, DFS, and horse racing (including HHR machines).
- Players must be at least 18 years old to play poker (excluding HHR poker tournaments and cash games, which are classed as horse racing).
- Players of the Indiana Lottery can be 18+, although some prizes may require the winner to be 21+.
- School children taking part in poker tournaments are presumably allowed as long as they are aged 5-18.
Responsible Gambling
Our site is devoted to helping people enjoy gambling in all its forms. However, we know all too well that a small percentage of adults are at risk of problem gambling, while some children and vulnerable adults can also struggle to resist the urge to gamble.
If you, or someone you know, is suffering from compulsive gambling, please seek help. You can contact the Indiana Council on Problem Gambling directly via their website or by calling 1-800-9WITH-IT.
There is also lots of helpful advice and resources on their site, including self-exclusion tools, a directory of Gambler’s Anonymous meetings, plus tips on how to recognize a gambling problem and how to go about getting treatment.
If you feel like you are losing control, stop! Seek support and protect yourself and your family. Gambling should be fun.
History of Gambling in Indiana
Gambling has been a part of life in Indiana for centuries. Early settlers would play cards and other simple games, while riverboat gambling became popular on the Ohio and Wabash rivers in the mid-1800s.
Initially, state lawmakers moved to ban gambling, passing their first Anti-Gaming law in 1855. But as often happens, a second law, passed in 1864, specifically permitted betting on horse racing. This created a loophole that saw gambling flourish across the state, with casinos operating openly on the waterways.
Best Online Casinos in USA (Table Games & Slots) of 2023This history is what led to the proliferation of riverboat casinos in modern times, with the passage of a 1983 law allowing vendors to operate on navigable waters. Nine casinos were awarded licenses in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, before former president Bill Clinton signed the Passenger Vessel Services Act in 1994, enabling the state’s casinos to operate just beyond the three-mile limit.
An amendment to the state constitution permitting the expansion of gambling was passed in a referendum in 2014, paving the way for the addition of two new casinos and up to 1,500 HHR machines in racinos. And in 2019, the legalization of sports betting rounded off a busy period of lawmaking for the Hoosier State.
Tips forvisiting an Indiana Casino
We mentioned earlier that visitors to Indiana casinos are able to enjoy their smoking material of choice, be that cigars, cigarettes or weed, without being asked to step outside. This is a revelation for many, especially compared to some neighboring states where smoky casinos are the norm.
But what else should you bear in mind ahead of a trip to one of the nine casinos dotted around the state? Here are some top tips.
- Don’t expect world class poker – If you’re a real money poker fan, you may be disappointed by the rudimentary offerings at Indiana casinos. Stick to the online sites for the best action.
- Take advantage of taxis and shuttle buses – Unlike some states where casinos charge exorbitant fees for shuttle buses to ferry customers to and from their casino, Indiana operators offer regular and free services to get you to/from your destination. Use them.
- Smoking buddies can puff away in peace – Although other states have banned smoking in casinos in recent years, Indiana lawmakers seem happy to turn a blind eye to the amount of tobacco, cannabis and other substances being consumed inside their venues. Smoky slot areas are a guarantee, so take a respirator if you’re sensitive to smoke.
- Get your steps in – Many of the casinos are sprawling affairs and it feels like the slot machine banks are getting farther and further apart each year. Make the most of the chair massages (see below) (or hit that bong extra hard) to increase your step count.
- Free play with food Compare – While some casinos still offer ‘free play’ for slot machine players who accumulate tier points, the rate at which you earn seems to get slower every year, while the play is inevitably low limit. Thankfully, most properties still offer decent buffets at reasonable rates, so stock up on carbs and keep grinding.
Frequently Askened Questions
Is gambling legal in Indiana?
Yes. Indiana gambling laws cover everything from land-based casinos and historic horse racing terminals, to sports betting, daily and horse racing. State residents can also purchase lottery tickets and play at offshore online casinos and sportsbooks.
Can you gamble online in Indiana?
Yes, you can. Thanks to a legal loophole, dozens of reputable online casinos, poker sites and sportsbooks accept players from Indiana. While there are no state-regulated sites, the likes of DraftKings, BetMGM and Caesars are all excellent choices, processed our withdrawals quickly, and have industry-leading welcome bonuses.
What casinos are in Indiana?
There are currently nine casinos in Indiana, eight of which are riverboats. The final property, the French Lick West Baden, is unique in that it is granted permission to offer live table games and slots because it is classed as a residential community and able to operate an inland resort casino.
When did gambling become legal in Indiana?
State lawmakers moved to ban gambling in 1855. But, as often happens, a second law, passed in 1864, specifically permitted betting on horse racing. This created a loophole that saw gambling flourish across the state, with casinos operating openly on the Ohio and Wabash rivers in the mid-1800s.
How old do you have to be to gamble in Indiana?
Players must be at least 21 years old to bet in casinos, play poker, sports bet, or enter the state lottery. However, the lottery draws and instant win scratchcards are available to 18+, although some prizes may have a higher minimum age limit. School children are apparently also allowed to take part in Oregon Trail card tournaments, but only using gold nuggets and trail cards.
Who can play poker in Indiana?
Only poker rooms can impose an upper age limit and the ones in Indiana’s casinos increase the minimum threshold to 18 (except for HHR poker tournaments and cash games, which are classed as horse racing). However, given the limited tables and games, we’d strongly suggest visiting one of the state’s many was perfectly acceptable for talented teenagers.
Does Indiana allow sports betting?
Yes. Governor Eric Holcomb signed sports betting legislation into law in May 2019 and the first retail sportsbooks opened in September 2019. Dozens of offer odds on sports, horses and greyhounds to customers aged 21+ located anywhere in the state.
Best Online Casino Sites in Texas for 2023 [Updated]conclusion: Mindful Gambling
What does “mindful gambling” mean exactly? Well, the Indiana Council on Problem Gambling uses the term to encourage people to stay in control when enjoying the thrills of betting, playing and spinning. It covers everything from setting budgets and knowing when to quit, through to recognizing the signs of problem gambling in yourself and others.
We wholeheartedly agree with the concept and encourage all of our readers to stay in control. Yes, we want you to hit the bonus spins on a slot, or turn a corner on a poker tournament when you needed it, or see your favorite horse or athlete win, but we want you to set limits, stick to them, and view gambling as a bit of fun, rather than a way to make money.
Used correctly, the array of gambling options available in the Hoosier State can bring hours of enjoyable and entertaining stress relief, but if you feel yourself slipping out of control, stop. Get help. Talk to someone. Be mindful.
Sources:
- Constitution.Laws.Findlaw.com – Indiana Public Act 437: Session Law 2019
- IBJ.com – Amended sports betting bill heads to governor
- Indystar.com – Two new casino proposals unveiled; governor says he’ll sign new Gary casino law
- Newsweek – Can You Online Gamble in Indiana? Best Sites, Laws and More
- Statutes.Legislature.Gov.State of Indiana – IC 4-34 (Entire Chapter relates to Gaming and Wagering)
- WDRB.com – Gov. Eric Holcomb signs sports betting into law