Indiana Inching Closer To Allowing Online Lottery Sales
After trying and failing to legalize iLottery and iCasino last year, legislators introduced a lotto-only bill
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Indiana is taking another step toward putting the Hoosier Lottery online, with the House Public Policy Committee voting 9–3 on Tuesday to advance House Bill 1078 to the full House.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Ethan Manning, would authorize the state lottery commission to sell draw games and digital eInstant games over the internet beginning July 1, 2026.
According to the bill text, draw games are defined as games in which winners are determined by a random selection at a designated event, while eInstant games are digital tickets that immediately reveal whether the player has won once symbols or numbers are shown.
The legislation also lays out what the lottery cannot offer online, barring any digital lottery games that simulate slot machines using spinning reels, a pull mechanism, a spinning drum, or varied paylines. It also excludes digital versions of casino-style games such as poker, blackjack, roulette, and traditional slot machines.
Subtle shift
The move to focus strictly on iLottery represents a shift from previous attempts. As reported by SBC Americas, prior versions of the bill paired online lottery with online casino gaming, a “dual concept” that ultimately failed to pass. Manning told committee members the change was strategic given the short legislative calendar.
“While most of us in this room support that [dual] concept, we’ve tried that before and it didn’t work, so we’re trying something different to take a smaller bite at the apple,” he said during the Jan. 6 hearing.
Not everyone was satisfied with the narrowed approach. SBC Americas reported that Reps. Cory Criswell and Steve Bartels voted against the bill because they wanted online casino language reinstated. Criswell said he “strongly feels that iGaming and iLottery should be hand in hand,” according to the report. SBC Americas also noted that the Casino Association of Indiana urged lawmakers to reconsider, arguing the state’s commercial casinos should be able to bring their operations online as well.
One concern raised during the hearing is whether eInstant games could end up resembling slot machines despite the prohibitions.
Hoosier Lottery Director of External Affairs Jared Bond told lawmakers the commission would ultimately determine where that line is drawn. Bond said the bill “modernizes how the lottery products are sold, not necessarily what products are sold,” and said that guardrails are in place to prevent casino-style games from popping up.
HB 1078 also includes a built-in voluntary exclusion system. The bill requires the lottery commission to create a program allowing individuals to ban themselves from purchasing digital lottery games. Contractors running the online platform would be required to stop marketing to anyone on the exclusion list and would be prohibited from accepting payments or extending credit to them.
With Indiana’s legislative session ending in mid-March, supporters of HB 1078 have a tight window to move the bill forward. The measure now heads to the full House for further debate.
