In May of 2019, Indiana passed a gaming bill that included the relocation of a casino gaming license from Gary to Terre Haute, adding live dealers at the two Indiana racinos, and allowing sports wagering in both casinos and online. Governor Holcomb cited the creation of hundreds of jobs, economic growth and new revenue for the State as benefits of the gaming bill.
The first sports books opened on September 1, 2019 with a reported $35.2 million in bets placed at four casinos in the first month alone. Online sportsbooks from Rush Street Interactive and DraftKings were launched October 3. Early reports for October show online wagering significantly outpacing in-person betting.
This is the largest expansion of gaming Hoosiers have seen in decades and aims to make Indiana more competitive with neighboring states and increase declining casino tax revenue.