Indiana Sports Betting

Indiana Sports Betting

The Hoosier State has a good history of sports betting. Riverboat casinos have been a big part of the betting culture here since their introduction in the late 20th century. The state also has a long and proud sports culture, with basketball, in particular, being a major part of the state’s identity. For this reason, it only makes sense that Indiana sports betting would take off quickly here once this type of betting was legal once more.

Now, you can visit any retail casino in the State, from the racinos to the one tribal casino, and you will be able to find a sportsbook waiting to accept your next sports bet. If this wasn’t enough, many online sports betting sites have plenty to offer customers. With a comprehensive market and plenty of options for bettors, there is no denying that the Indiana online sports betting scene is flourishing. As more states legalize sports betting and the market opens even further, it will be interesting to see how Indiana continues to evolve and change. They have a fantastic foundation for sports betting, but much has to be done in the future to ensure that they can still offer excellent opportunities to their players.

Best Indiana Sportsbook

Our experts have listed the best online sportsbook websites that offer legal sports betting to Indiana residents. Each site

DraftKings Sportsbook Indiana

In order to provide Indiana residents with access to online betting on sports, DraftKings has formed a partnership with Ameristar East Chicago. DraftKings was one of the first mobile betting apps to launch in Indiana after the state legalized sports wagering, doing so in October 2019, making it part of the initial wave of mobile betting apps. DraftKings comes to Indiana with a lot going for it, including a well-known brand name and a wealth of technical experience gained from its previous daily fantasy operations thanks to which it has gained many advantages.

The DraftKings app provides residents and visitors of the Hoosier State with access to a comprehensive selection of mobile betting options. This includes the typical pre-game wagers, betting while the game is being played, and special promotions for users on mobile devices as well as desktop computers. The stability of their mobile app, the breadth of their betting markets, the generosity of their bonuses, the variety of deposit methods, and their overall usability all receive high marks. It also has a tendency to be more lenient toward winning bettors than some of the other major names in the industry.

BetMGM Indiana

In February of 2020, BetMGM opened its doors in Indiana, bringing with it a comprehensive betting menu covering all of the major college and professional leagues from around the world. Because of their operations in other states, the people behind BetMGM Sportsbook have a significant amount of experience in the process of accepting wagers, and they have been able to successfully apply that experience in Indiana.

BetMGM provides extensive coverage of sports, both in the United States and internationally, in addition to a mobile betting app that is both slick and overly busy.

Caesars Sportsbook Indiana

William Hill was the name of the brand when Caesars Sports first opened its doors in Indiana in October of 2020. After some time, Caesars Entertainment purchased William Hill and changed the name of the mobile betting app and website to Caesars Sportsbook after the acquisition. The modification did not have any effect on the customer accounts that were already established, but it did result in an enhanced betting interface, additional wagering markets, and a substantially augmented in-play betting lineup.

FanDuel Sportsbook Indiana

On August 8, 2019, the parent company of FanDuel, Betfair Interactive US, was granted a sports wagering vendor license. Two months later, on November 8, 2019, they were given permission to start offering mobile betting.

FanDuel, just like DraftKings, was able to get off to a quick start in Indiana by capitalizing on its name recognition and customer database, which consisted of people who played fantasy sports. FanDuel has the largest overall market share in the United States, and in Indiana, it is only surpassed in market share by DraftKings.

The larger agreement that FanDuel made with Boyd Gaming in 2018 is the source of the smaller partnerships that FanDuel has formed with Blue Chip Casino and Belterra Resort. In accordance with the terms of that agreement, the two businesses have made a pact to collaborate on the development of sports betting in jurisdictions in which Boyd Gaming operates casinos in the event that favorable legislation is enacted.

BetRivers Indiana

Rush Street Interactive possesses a sports wagering license for the state of Indiana and has been given permission to collaborate with French Lick Resort casino on various projects. Mobile betting was introduced by BetRivers Indiana in the state of Indiana on the same day that DraftKings went live in October 2019.

In addition to operating mobile betting sites under the BetRivers.com banner through its online-focused subsidiary Rush Street Interactive, the parent company, Rush Street Gaming, is in the business of running a small chain of casinos throughout the states of Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York.

BetRivers is the Indiana online sportsbook with the most beginner-friendly bonus, and it was the first U.S. licensed betting app to begin live-streaming certain sports so that fans can watch live while they bet. BetRivers also has the most competitive odds among Indiana online sportsbooks. The lines and the layout of the app leave something to be desired, but this is to be expected given the extensive number of betting markets and formats that BetRivers Indiana supports.

PointsBet Indiana

PointsBet, a company based in Australia that first established operations in the United States in New Jersey, provides a novel form of sports betting that is not yet provided by any other company. PointsBet not only allows users to wager on traditional sports events, but it also enables users to wager on events with payouts that vary based on how accurately they predicted the outcome of the game.

In January of 2020, the Indiana Gaming Commission granted PointsBet a license to conduct sports betting, and the company’s sportsbook went live two months after receiving the license.

Legal Online Indiana Sports Betting

Having had legal casino betting for several years, it is a little surprising that the Hoosier State has had legal sports betting for some time. Indiana sports betting has been legal since May 2019, with the first apps launching a few months later. Now, all of Indiana’s land-based casinos have retail sportsbooks. There is also a wide range of online mobile apps that users can download if they do not wish to visit one of the retail locations around the State.

Under Indiana law, casinos and off-track betting sites can open up to three online sportsbooks, each with a unique skin. Since there are now fourteen brands that have been granted licenses, there are plenty of options for players to choose from. Betting on professional and most collegiate sports is permitted, but there is no betting on esports or high school games.

Many of the top betting brands in the USA have a presence in the Hoosier State. These include DraftKings sportsbook, FanDuel sportsbook, Caesars sportsbook, BetMGM, and PointsBet. In addition, players will have no trouble finding many options if they wish to play through their phone or another mobile device.

How To Pick A Indiana Sports Betting Site

With such a broad market available for Indiana sports betting, players should research to ensure that they are playing at the best site for them. Players must be 21 years or older to open an account or visit a casino to play at land-based casinos. However, it is also not necessary to head to a land-based casino to open an account – it can all be done online.

Players must also be located within the Hoosier State to take advantage of Indiana sports betting. Since this legislation is only valid within state borders, operators will have geofencing technologies within their apps. Those who download these apps will only be able to use them within state borders. If they visit from out-of-state, they will find that the apps cease to work when they leave Indiana. To use the Indiana sports betting opportunities, someone must be based within this State.

History / Timeline Of Sports Betting in Indiana

Gambling has been a big part of Indiana’s identity for some time. While other states have moved away from betting activities, Indiana has moved to legalize a lot of them. But, of course, things weren’t always as open and well-received.

The first significant restriction regarding wagering and gambling within Indiana came in 1851 when a ban on lotteries was introduced. Though this was strictly on lotteries, the courts also considered it a general prohibition of gambling activities: this prohibited Indiana sports betting and casino wagering for some time.

However, in 1988, state voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that lifted the lottery ban and established the Hoosier Lottery. From 1989 onwards, this lottery flourished. The introduction of the lottery was followed in 1989 by the legalization of pari-mutuel betting. This also allowed several racetracks and off-track betting parlors to open throughout the State.

One area of gambling that Indiana is particularly famous for is its riverboat casinos. These came following the great debate in the state government, and they were also joined by several land-based establishments around the State, plus a tribal casino.

As for Indiana sports betting, this was put on hold when the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was introduced in 1992. This federal bill outlawed sports betting across all states that had not already set up operations. The only exceptions were Nevada, Montana, Oregon, and Delaware.

Sports betting could not be set up in other states until this bill was repealed. This eventually happened in 2018, putting the power back in the hands of the state governments. This then allowed them to consider whether or not they wanted to introduce sports betting.

With Indiana sports betting underway in 2019, the Hoosier State became an early player in this new era of American sports betting. Many of the casinos and racetracks located around the State opted to set up their sportsbooks. With tax for these sportsbooks set at 9.5%, it allows much more gambling revenue to stay within Indiana, going to help the project and people who need it the most.

Indiana Sports Teams

There is a long and proud sporting history in the Hoosier State, so it is unsurprising to see that Indiana sports betting has taken off so rapidly. There are several significant franchises here, plus minor league and collegiate sports. With so much going on, it is little wonder that Indiana can deliver such interesting sports betting market.

The major league franchise teams are the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL, the Indiana Pacers of the NBA, and the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. They play at the Lucas Oil Stadium and Gainbridge Fieldhouse, respectively, with all three teams regularly making their way to the playoffs.

Basketball as a sport has an important place in Indiana. Though the game was developed in Massachusetts, Indiana is where the sport took off at a high school level. The State has also produced more NBA players per capita, including basketball legend Larry Bird. In addition to the major franchise and collegiate teams, fans can also follow the State’s minor league team – the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne.

Plenty of other sports have a significant following in the Hoosier State. Many minor league teams play across a variety of leagues and tournaments. These include the Evansville Otters, the Gary SouthShore RailCats, the Fort Wayne TinCaps, the South Bend Cubs, and the Indianapolis Indians.

Soccer fans will find three teams to support. The Indy Eleven is a men’s team in the USL Championship, the league below Major League Soccer. F.C. Indiana is in the Women’s Premier Soccer League, and their male counterparts are the F.C. Indiana Lions. They play in the National Premier Soccer League and the Premier Arena Soccer League.

Finally, several minor league hockey teams are also supporting in the Hoosier State – the Evansville Thunderbolts, the Fort Wayne Komets, and the Indy Fuel.

Since Indiana sports betting does allow wagering on college teams within the State, it is necessary to mention the many collegiate teams here. There are 10 NCAA Division I teams throughout the State, each competing in different sports and coming from a good mix of State and private colleges.

Though it is not a team sport, we can’t mention Indiana without talking about the Indianapolis 500 or the Indy 500. This is a major speedway race that takes place every year. With over 250,000 people attending, it is the largest single-day sporting event. Though the Indy 500 is the main attraction, plenty of other events throughout the year can interest fans too.

Retail Sports Betting in Indiana

All casinos in this State also have a retail sportsbook as part of their facilities. This means that anyone who wants to engage with Indiana sports betting in a retail location need only head to their nearest casino, with no concerns about whether the facilities will be there for them.

The casinos in Indiana can be found in a mix of riverboat and land-based casinos, with a few racinos and one tribal casino too. Riverboat casinos are popular in Indiana and other states as they enable gambling whilst limiting the construction and expansion of physical land-based casinos. However, with the state borders touching Lake Michigan and the Ohio River carving out the Southern border of the State with Kentucky, these also limit the places where riverboat casinos can be placed.

The riverboat casinos are the Ameristar Casino East Chicago, Belterra Casino Resort & Spa, Blue Chip Casino, Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg, Rising Star Casino Resort, and the Horseshoe Hammond casino. All of these riverboats offer sports betting and multiple decks of casino games. Though the games must be kept to just the boats themselves, many companies have built hotel complexes nearby that offer rooms, spas, and restaurants and transform the casinos into a complete entertainment destination. In addition, these riverboats are frequently visited by poker competitions like the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker.

The land-based casinos can be found at various locations around the State. Many of these casinos started life as riverboat casinos but have then moved into permanently constructed ones, with the original riverboats removed. These land-based casinos are Bally’s Evansville, Caesars Southern Indiana, the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, and French Lick Resort. These casinos are also home to whole entertainment complexes, including hotels for guests to stay in.

Two of the casinos, Caesars Southern Indiana and the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, are owned by tribes from outside the State. Caesars is owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians from North Carolina, while the Seminoles of Florida own the Hard Rock. Both of these casinos are strategically placed close to Louisville, Kentucky, and Chicago, Illinois, no doubt to offer those living in these cities a place to gamble if they legally cross state borders. Though sports gambling is legal in Illinois, it is not in Kentucky. Indiana sports betting could be a great option for anyone searching for a legal place to bet, and the proximity of these two major cities to the casinos helps to facilitate this.

Tribal Casinos

Though two other land-based casinos offer Indiana sports betting owned by Native American tribes, only one casino in the Hoosier State is owned by one of the federally recognized tribes of Indiana. This is the Four Winds Casino, located in South Bend, Indiana, owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.

This tribe lives in both Michigan and Indiana. Having developed a main casino complex in Michigan, they established two more casinos in line with the terms of their compact with the Great Lake State and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. However, they were limited to just three casinos. This is why they turned to their lands within Indiana for further expansion and were able to negotiate a new compact here. This took the form of a 164-acre tribal village, part of which included the casino and hotel.

To place a bet on sports through this brand, you can do so at one of their kiosks in the resort. Betting on sports can be done online, but you must visit the casino and sportsbook to fulfill the bet – something we don’t see in other Indiana sports betting venues. Players have to choose the bets that they wish to make. They will then be given a QR code that must be scanned at the Four Winds Casino for the bet to be placed.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Indiana is one of the states that not only permits daily fantasy sports but has taken steps to legalize them. Many states across the USA permit daily fantasy sports simply because they have not outlawed them. The legislators in the Hoosier state instead decided to make this a legal form of Indiana sports betting back in 2016.

Two major daily fantasy sports providers in the USA are DraftKings and FanDuel. Not only do they both provide daily fantasy sports, but they both also operate sportsbooks. This means they can offer retail locations and work through their apps, targeting both sides of the Indiana sports betting market. DraftKings can be found at the Ameristar Casino East Chicago, and FanDuel is at the Belterra Casino Resort & Spa, and the Belterra Blue Chip Casino.

Fantasy sports are popular with many, and FanDuel and DraftKings are two of the most popular brands of daily fantasy sports that players could opt for. They and the other brands on offer here can legally target sports betting and daily fantasy sports, creating an open betting market bound to appeal to many. Since there is no need to visit most casinos to enjoy Indiana sports betting, those who want to use these providers should find that they can access both from the one app.

Offshore Sports Betting

With plenty of options for Indiana sports betting, there is little reason to look to offshore operators. However, some live in Hoosier State and might be interested in what they offer. If this is the case, a bettor has to ensure they are headed to the right site.

There are a few safe and secure offshore casino operators. These tend to be licensed and regulated in places like Curaçao and Costa Rica. This means that they are monitored and tested for fairness by external organizations, and have been deemed worthy of a license.

What bettors always need to avoid at all costs are the completely unregulated sites. These are not safe to play at and could even be hiding scams. Playing at such places could compromise your personal or financial data and should be avoided at all costs. Always avoid an unregulated site, no matter how appealing the deals on the site might be.

However, with such a good Indiana sports betting market, players should be able to find everything that they want within the state borders. There is even no reason to cross the border and head into another state like Illinois or Iowa – everything that a bettor could want can be found in Indiana. With retail and online sports betting plus daily fantasy sports, the Hoosier State can provide.

Indiana Horse Racing & Off-Track Betting

There are two racinos in Indiana, offering both horse racing and casino games and a sportsbook in-house. These racinos are an excellent destination for those who want to enjoy everything in the gambling world.

The first racino is Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, located in Anderson, Indiana, and operated by Caesars Entertainment. From April to November, this racino offers live harness racing around a seven-eighths of a mile dirt oval. One of the most notable games to take place here is the Dan Patch Stakes. This is one of the premier events in harness racing each year. Three off-track betting locations for Hoosier Park can also be found in Clarksville, New Haven, and Indianapolis. In addition, simulcast wagering for other events can be found at Hoosier Park itself all year round.

In addition to the racetrack, this entertainment complex is also home to a massive range of slots and restaurants. They have also hosted notable music acts for concerts, such as The Beach Boys.

The other racino in Indiana is the Horseshoe Indianapolis. It is located in Shelbyville and is also operated by Caesars Entertainment. The racino offers thoroughbred and quarter horse racing from April to October and is also the home of the Indiana Derby. It is also affiliated with off-track betting parlors in Indianapolis, Clarksville, and New Haven.

This massive facility also features over 2300 slots games plus table games on the casino floor. There is also a gift shop and plenty of restaurants for visitors. Musical acts like The Buckinghams and The Box Tops are two of the musical acts that have played there over the years.

Two additional off-track betting locations could be a good choice for Indiana sports betting fans. These can be found in Fort Wayne and Merrillville. In addition, off-track betting locations can offer simulcasts for races in Indiana and other states. For this reason, they can be an excellent place to visit for any sports fan interested in watching simulcast races from across the USA.

Final Thoughts / Summary

The Indiana sports betting market is well and truly alive and thriving. Regardless of what a player might be interested in, they can find it here. In addition, the State’s proximity to major cities like Chicago and Louisville means it can attract a fantastic audience from other states – even those who have launched sports betting operations.

Since riverboat casinos flourished in the Hoosier State, it is little wonder that they could get sports betting up and running so quickly once PASPA was repealed. It is great to see that all casinos in the State have embraced sports betting, opened their retail sportsbooks, and launched apps. However, it is essential to remember that each licensee is permitted to own and operate up to three skins. This means that we could see even more sportsbooks launch in the future as brands decide to take advantage of the extra skins. It will be interesting to see which brands choose to take this up.

Another exciting area to watch will be the activity of the tribes in Indiana. The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi is not the only federally recognized tribe in the State. Though the others would have to renegotiate their compacts if they wished to build and open their casino, this could be something we see in the future. The Four Winds Casino has undoubtedly proved to be a success, which could motivate the other tribes to replicate this for themselves. In addition, with two tribes from outside Indiana owning casinos, we could see more purchasing properties as the market grows.

It will also be interesting to see what the longevity of the racinos is like. With the Indiana Derby taking place at one and plenty of interest here and the off-track betting locations around the State, horse racing might prove to be more of a stable sport here compared to in other states. However, there is always the chance that things could die down, resulting in the race track portions of the racino closing.

Overall, the Indiana sports betting market is in a great position and is set to grow even more significantly. As a result, those in the Hoosier State will find no shortage of places with great odds covering the latest sports.  

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About Joe Kizlauskas

Joe is a seasoned iGaming copywriter and speaker who has been in the business since 2015. He's written more words on all elements of Casinos, Slots, Bingo & Sports Betting than he likes to remember, and he's contributed material to a number of well-known brands. Joe may be seen playing 5 a side, at the gym or playing games on his Playstation when he is not writing.