Members of the Indiana legislature are free to pre-file bills for the 2026 session, and Indiana Rep. Ethan Manning has done so regarding online casino-style sweepstakes games. The proposal could make processing real money transactions related to the games a potential criminal offense, although civil penalties might be an additional or alternative consequence of conducting the games.

Manning pre-filed HB 1052 along with Indiana Reps. Peggy Mayfield and Justin Moed on Dec. 5. The bill will be considered first in the Indiana House's Public Policy Committee.

The bill's summary states that it alters several parts of the state's code regarding gaming and tobacco sales. The full text of the bill is not yet available on the Indiana General Assembly website.

The House Public Policy Committee has no meetings scheduled currently. Manning chairs the committee while Mayfield is the vice-chair. Moed is the ranking minority member on the committee as well.

At this time, there has been no Senate companion pre-filed. The bill digest makes no mention of any explicit inclusion of changes that could bring the top online casinos into Indiana, so any legislation along those lines would likely have to be a separate consideration for 2026 in Indiana.

The digest only reveals that HB 1052 "defines and establishes civil and criminal penalties for conducting a 'sweepstakes game.'" Those tenets could go in a number of directions.

While gaming regulators have not taken action on the subject of sweepstakes casinos in Indiana, HB 1052 could spur them and law enforcement in the state to action on the matter. Similar legislation in other US states has tasked bodies like the Indiana Gaming Commission with duties such as deciding what qualifies as a "dual-currency system" on such sites.

The impact of these bills for players so far has been minimal other than sweepstakes casino sites geoblocking certain states from accessing the games or shifting that access to free-to-play games only. While it's possible that Manning's proposal could levy penalties for making purchases on the sites, the more likely targets based on similar legislation are operators and promoters.

California's sweepstakes ban, for example, assesses fines for promoting the sites as well as operating them. It's likely that the use of a dual-currency system and offering of casino-style games will form the substance of the potentially illegal activity in the bill's language.

On these sites, the dual-currency systems provide players two digital currencies with which to play the digital table games and slots on the sites. One of them, typically called "gold coins," is available for purchase but has no real money value.

The other currency, normally referred to as "sweeps coins," can be redeemed for cash prizes but is only awarded to players who perform certain actions such as buying gold coin packages or regularly signing into the site. People can play the games on the site with either currency.

Manning's bill could explicitly outlaw this dual-currency system as well as offering casino-style games online without a license from the Indiana Gaming Commission. However, more firm details will be available when the Indiana House publishes the full text of the bill.

HB 1052 could help to pave the way for licensed online casino gaming in Indiana as well. More restrictions on unlicensed games would set up the state to create a framework for regulated iGaming, potentially bringing offers like the Fanatics Casino promo code bonus to Indiana residents.

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Manning has been an influential lawmaker on the subject of gaming, as it was his bill that legalized sports wagering in Indiana. He might be able to expand that reach to affect sweepstakes casinos in the state as well.

Derek Helling