Guide to Online Gambling in Indiana

For newcomers, online casino gambling and playing for real money might seem challenging at first. It can also be tricky to get your head round the gambling laws that are in place. Our expert team take the time and put in effort to make sure we recommend only the best and safest Indiana online casinos. We produce our list of safe Indiana casinos based on a strict set of criteria.

The majority are Curacao licensed casinos.

Here’s what you should expect when joining one of our sites that offer online gambling for Indiana players: 

Play Safely at Our Top Indiana Online Casinos

Indiana’s regulation of online gambling is restricted to sports betting which became legal in 2019.  So, while the state doesn’t allow Indiana online sites to operate, it’s easy to find safe offshore options. You can play at our recommended Indiana casinos with complete peace of mind. This is because we check that each site meets our high standards of security. Before we list an Indiana online casino on this page, we check the site is licensed by a trusted gambling authority. We only recommend regulated online casinos. 

Enjoy the Most Popular Real Money Indiana Gambling Games

Online sports betting is legal and naturally extremely popular with Indiana game players. However, if you fancy trying your hand at other popular casino games then check our recommended casinos list. Take a look around for lobbies full of video slots and classic slot machines or pay a visit to a poker room. Offshore Indiana casinos are also full of classic casino games like poker, bingo, blackjack, roulette and baccarat. And our trusted and best Indiana online casinos have horse racing fans covered also!

Get the Most Out of Your Gameplay With Top Bonuses

You can enjoy top bonuses and offers when joining our suggested Indiana state online casinos or Indiana gambling sites. Welcome bonuses come hand in glove with top casinos and our list won’t leave you disappointed. With our suggestions you can expect to receive either a match bonus, welcome bonus, free spins, or a no deposit bonus. Some are more generous than others and may reward you more each time you bet. When you become an existing member more great offers will tend to appear. 

Benefit From Fast and Secure Payouts

One of the most frustrating things when gambling online is when you win and can’t get your gambling winnings. Any casino that throws up long delays and complicated rules over letting you withdraw gambling winnings is to be avoided. We only approve casinos that have simple, straightforward and quick withdrawal times. Our list of top offshore Indiana online casinos allow fast payouts and are also accompanied with a great choice of deposit methods. Whether its VISA, MasterCard and Bitcoin you play with, our casinos allow you to easily top up your account and get playing.

Get Any Support You Need

If you get stuck somewhere or have a question, then all of our top Indiana sites will have help readily available. These casinos offer a whole range of contact methods you can use to reach out if you need to. You can usually make contact via email or through the casino’s live chat options. Some even have a contact telephone number you can call. Our team makes sure that casinos offer a fast response time so you’re not left waiting around. 

We would never approve an Indiana casino if it couldn’t give the assistance you need.

At the moment, the only form of online gambling that is regulated is Indiana online sports betting and daily fantasy sports. But just because the state hasn’t regulated the practice of gambling online, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t available to those who seek it out. Indiana is one of many states in the US that has lots of options for top online casinos, though none are licensed by the Indiana state legislators. Indiana residents and players do have an array of offshore online casinos to choose from.

There are a number of different aspects to consider if you want to play casino games online in Indiana. First and foremost, you’ll want to choose a top Indiana online casino that ticks all of the boxes for your favourite game types. This could be mean having games from leading software developers such as NetEnt or Microgaming. You may want to have certain blackjack or roulette variants, video poker options, offers of no deposit bonuses or a live dealer casino. 

No online casino will be regulated by the state of Indiana. But you can have a look at our recommendations for the safest gaming sites and welcome bonuses page and pick the best option for you.

Casinos, Horse Racing, Popular in the Hoosier State

Indiana’s gambling history began in 1988. This was when state voters overwhelmingly approved a state lottery (aka the Hoosier lottery). In October 1989, scratch cards started being sold in the state. These days, a range of instant games are offered to Indiana players, and Indiana also allows betting for the Mega Millions and Powerball.

But as in so many other states, like with online gambling in California, a lottery didn’t put an end to the appetite for gambling expansion. During the mid-1990s, horse racing also came to Indiana, with Hoosier Park being the first track to open in 1994. Off-track betting wasn’t far behind, and a second track – Indiana Downs – opened in 2002.

The Indiana Riverboat Gambling Act was passed in 1993. This allowed 10 riverboats to offer table games and slots. 

Some of the better-known locations are:

• The Horseshoe

• Tropicana Evansville

• Majestic Star (and Majestic Star II)

• Ameristar Casino East Chicago 

• South Bend

• Ohio River

The French Lick Resort Casino opened in 2006, the first land-based resort. The facility was originally another riverboat casino venture, taking the state’s final license after one originally intended for an operation in Patoka Lake was transferred. These days, the French Lick features a fairly sizable floor that hosts more than 1,300 slot machines, live casino games, table games, and poker rooms. 

Lawmakers then gave the racing industry tools to keep up with the riverboat casinos and resorts beginning to boom throughout Indiana. In 2007, they agreed to allow both tracks to host up to 2,000 slot machines. This effectively turned them into ‘racinos’. Notable other big-name establishments include the Horseshoe Indianapolis (formerly the Indiana Grand Casino), as well as the many other Indiana riverboat casinos. 

There is currently only one Native American gaming facility in the state - the Four Winds Casino in South Bend. This is owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians who had sought the right to offer gambling on its lands, especially after the tribe gained federal recognition in 1994.

It’s unlikely that anything dramatic will change in Indiana’s gaming industry in the next few years. Although some other experts may hold a different opinion. Attempts to legalize and expand online gambling failed in both 2021 and 2022. Proposals were introduced but did not advance beyond committee stage. 

However, there are a few minor changes that could see the situation continue to evolve in the state.

While former Governor Pence was not in favor of anything that resembled expansion of casinos, he was willing to allow more minor changes. This helped venues compete with those in surrounding states such as land-based and online gambling in Illinois. One such measure was passed in 2015, allowing the riverboats to move their operations onto land.

That bill wasn’t all about commercial operators, however. It also explicitly authorized the governor’s office to negotiate a compact with Native American tribes in the state, which paved the way for the Potawatomi Indians resort in South Bend.

At the time, this legislation caused controversy. According to tribal officials, some parts of the bill actually make it harder for the state to negotiate a compact by setting preconditions for any Native American resorts, which they said might violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The prospects for Internet expansion are looking a bit better than when Governor Pence was in office. With online sports betting (and online sportsbooks) and fantasy sports betting coming to fruition and being a reasonable success so far, lawmakers may go a step further. This could allow legal Indiana online casinos in the future. Indiana is actually now higher on the list of states that could potentially regulate online casinos and establishing ‘legalized’ online gambling.

The Spectrum Report and iGaming

Many analysts and researchers believe that Indiana could be one of many US states with the potential to expand into iGaming. A recent report by Spectrum Gaming Group found that online poker and online casino gaming could generate around $469 million in revenue in year one. They estimated that this could rise to $830 million by the third year. 

The Spectrum report stated that Indiana is in a likely position to expand into online gambling. Not only because of the potential revenue, but also because it already has many land-based casinos and strong regulatory infrastructure.

The Potential Players

BetMGM, PokerStars and WSOP all have mobile sports betting licenses in Indiana and are the major players. These guys also happen to be the biggest online poker operators in the US. They are likely to be the first to get involved in online poker and casino verticals if or when legislators allow it. 

BetMGM is currently a partner with land-based Belterra Casino Resort. PokerStars partners with Belterra also and the Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa. And WSOP partners with Caesars Southern Indiana, Harrah’s Hoosier Park and Horseshoe Hammond. WSOP are themselves owned and operated by Caesars who run land-based casinos all over the state. 

When legal online poker is introduced, these three would most likely be the ones to make their move and dominate the market. 

While online casinos may not be licensed by the Indiana authorities (yet), locals still have the chance to play their favorite casino games from the comfort of their own homes. And of course, players can venture out to many land-based casinos to gamble in person.

Check out our top list to find a reputable site that fits your needs. Once you find one you like and trust, you’re all set to play your choice of online casino games.

Signing up for an account only takes a few minutes, and you’ll be heading into your Indiana online casino and exciting gaming experience before you know it!