It seems almost every week a new state is moving forward with sports betting legislation or starting to consider legislation in the United States. There is certainly a boom taking place in the nation, as lawmakers want to see their individual states get in on the action. Most states are focusing on land-based sports betting, but if the true potential of the industry is to be realized, then mobile and online betting must be included. New Jersey is a prime example as to how successful a state can be when it comes to multiple formats of sports betting services.
For Indiana, the option to allow mobile betting was on the table until a lawmaker removed it from S 552. However, now, a conference committee in the state has decided to reinsert provisions that will allow apps to be offered for sports betting.
Conflicts
The House and Senate were unable to come to an agreement so two versions of S 552 were passed during the session. The bill then was moved to the conference committee. The group met this week and decided to create unified language so the bill could be passed into law.
One round of amendments were proposed by the committee, adding mobile betting statewide to the final bill. Senator Mark Messmer reported the law changes to the media.
The bill is now a unified measure that will set a 9.5% tax on sports betting revenues. A portion of that amount will go towards problem gambling services. Lawmakers will leave the Indiana Gaming Commission in charge of working on restrictions for data sources as well as in-play betting ranges.
What Happens Next?
The conference committee had to report their changes to the chambers yesterday and then other steps must be taken in order for sports betting to come to pass. The Senate bill will affect the revenue of the state so the House will need to approve provisions before the bill can move forward.
Language from the senate bill will have to be moved to the house bill 1015 and then that bill will have to pass to then see the option continue to move forward. It is expected that sports betting will be approved once the final steps are completed.
We could see Indiana begin to offer sports betting as early as the upcoming football season, if everything falls into place. Adding in the mobile wagering option once again will help the state to earn even more funds than first anticipated.
Without mobile, players are restricted to a physical location. With mobile wagering, players can place a sports bet from anywhere. The convenience factor as well as the amount of mobile usage today by consumers will help to increase the revenues produced by the new industry. The multiple options gives Indiana a greater chance of success with sports betting when compared to simply offering land-based gaming.
It will be interesting to see if the bill passes and what its final form will be. Hopefully, the state can continue with the same level of momentum to be the next to legalize sports betting in the US.
