Indiana To Hold First Anti-Sweeps Casino Bill Hearing on January 6

On January 6, Indiana will hold a hearing on its sweepstakes casino ban bill, House Bill 1052, at 8:30 am local time before the Indiana House Public Policy Committee. 

This comes as other states like Maine will have a hearing on Jan. 14, Florida doesn't have a planned date, but should be coming soon, and a bill in Massachusetts has a reporting date set for March.  

More About the Bill

The bill, HB1052, was introduced by Rep. Ethan Manning. The bill focuses on online sweepstakes games that use a dual-currency model: Gold Coins, used for fun and with no cash value, and Sweeps Coins, redeemable for real cash prizes. 

Interestingly, the bill doesn't target payment processors, game vendors, or marketing affiliates, nor does it grant authority to the appropriate state agency to determine what is and isn't a sweepstakes casino. This could leave room for platforms to develop workarounds to the dual-currency model. 

This bill also includes measures on sports betting exclusion, tobacco and e-cigarette regulations, and horse licenses. 

With these other measures, more lawmakers could take an interest. Conversely, if there's an issue, it can be taken out. 

What the SGLA Will Do

The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance and its Managing Director, Sean Ostrow, have been busy lately. He appeared before a hearing in Massachusetts on Wednesday to discuss the "pros" of sweepstakes casinos. It's unclear if he'll appear and testify at this Jan. 6 hearing. That said, if he doesn't appear, written testimony is likely. Virtual Gaming Worlds, one of the top sweepstakes casino operators, could also provide a comment, too. 

Ostrow's angle in Massachusetts was to discuss the benefits, such as $30 million in additional annual revenue. He added, 

“The SGLA stands behind strong regulation and consumer protection, responsible social gameplay for adults only, fair taxation, and enabling economic development here in the Commonwealth. We look forward to working with members of this committee to achieve these mutually beneficial outcomes.” 

The good news for Ostrow and the SGLA is that the Massachusetts bills, in this form, may not pass, as they also include provisions to legalize online gambling.

Either way, after Montana, California, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut banned sweepstakes casinos in 2025, a new crop is on the horizon in 2026, including Maine, Indiana, Florida, and Massachusetts, potentially. 

We'll see what happens in this industry over time.