1. Indiana Poker Tournaments
2. Indiana Poker Reopening

Poker players in Indiana have many options to enjoy the game as the state offers a large variety of legal land-based establishments that provide multiple variations of poker, including multiplayer. There is no shortage of options for poker players in Indiana. For live poker, there are more than five casinos and cardrooms. You can also play online poker. You don’t even need to leave your house. Indiana’s poker tournaments are the gleaming gems of the state’s poker scene. The Highland Poker Tour stop in Belterra brings big names of the pro poker tournament circuit face-to-face with local players. Famous faces seen regularly in Indiana include WSOP main-event champion Greg Raymer and WSOP bracelet winner Adam Friedman. Poker Come to the place where the WSOP was born. Caesars Southern Indiana is the Midwest’s most exciting place to play your favorite games in an authentic gamblers’ environment. With 16 lively tables and plenty of comfortable seating, you can try your hand at a variety of poker games and get in on the craze that's sweeping the nation. Mar 01, 2021 The land-based poker Indiana has to offer is impressive when you factor in the size of the state itself. There are 10 land-based poker rooms that are available in Indiana. Given that there are a total of 14 land-based casinos up and running in the state, it is very impressive that this is the case.

Important IN Notes

• Legal (federally) for IN residents to play at offshore sites
• The state currently has no plans to legalize iGaming
• Laws criminalize online gambling as a misdemeanor offense
• Significant land-based poker presence is a positive
• There are no tribal casinos in the state – not allowed

Indiana’s views on online poker are very clear: It is a crime to wager over the internet at a poker site operated in the state, including on the game of poker, and charges range from misdemeanor for players to felony for operators. However, it is federally legal for Indianans to play poker online at offshore sites. Indiana shows no sign of changing their laws in the near future, nor are there any plans to introduce licensing authorities to govern any future online gambling industry.

Future Outlook of Online Poker in Indiana – Estimated date of legalization: 2020-2021

The following graph tracks our expected legislation of online poker in Indiana on a state law level. It is currently already legal on a Federal level. This graph monitors the current rise or fall of expected legalization.

Recent Activity
Indiana is considered a conservative state and the likelihood that it will blaze the trail to introduce changes to its current anti-online gambling laws is not very large. On the other hand, some believe that should the issue ever come up in a referendum, there may be enough pro-gambling supporters to see significant changes on the law books.

For now, however, Indianans have remained silent on the law front, with no major proposals seen in several years and none waiting to be discussed in any form at present.

In early October 2013, two Indianapolis attorneys[A] proposed the idea of expanding gambling in Indiana by allowing mobile gambling in the city’s airport. The idea is to allow the use of iPads for low stakes gambling, with the proceeds going to fund a new football stadium. While state authorities have said that the idea is not possible under existing law, it has nevertheless piqued the interest of the Indiana gambling industry and may at least plant the idea of pushing for online gambling regulation in the state.

History of Gambling in Indiana

Land Based Poker in Indiana

Indiana’s gambling laws, particularly Section 35-45-5-1 (d)[C], incorporate wagering on all games of chance, skill or a combination of both, performed in an unregulated environment. This includes the game of poker.

Poker for real money is allowed in Indiana as long as it is played in a commercial casino or at events run by charitable game operators. There are ten privately owned casinos in Indiana, each one of which offers poker tables, including Texas Hold ’em, Omaha, Stud and variants of Hi/Lo.

A number of noteworthy casinos include Belterra Casino, Blue Chip Casino, Casino Aztar and the Horseshoe Casino.

Another way to play poker for real money in Indiana is to find a poker league – a legal option as long as there is no entry cost involved. Several of these leagues award real cash prizes or buy-ins to local tournaments. The Columbus Poker League, for example, charges no entrance fee and is a points based league.

While the majority of US states make allowances for private poker games, this, unfortunately, isn’t the case in Indiana. Authorities in the state view home poker games as unlawful gambling – a crime which carries a hefty Class D felony charge and a potential prison sentence for operators of these games.

Charitable organizers or fundraisers may offer private poker games, under strict state laws, including a specific license from the state.

Gambling Laws in Indiana

Indiana’s strict gambling laws, under the state codes 35-45-5-1 et seq.; 4-31-1-1 et seq, define gambling as, “risking money or other property for gain, contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance, or the operation of a gambling device.”

Gambling is only allowed in licensed commercial casinos which offer a wide range of casino games and table games. It is also legal to place pari-mutual wagers on horse races or play lottery games run by the state lottery, Hoosier Lottery.

The biggest casino or gaming facility in Indiana is the Caesars Indiana which boasts 2,300 gaming machines and 145 tables. The Argosy Casino and Hotel in Lawrenceburg comes in a close second place with 2,000 gaming machines and just under 100 table games.

Some of Indiana’s casinos remain open from 11am to midnight while others are open 24 hours a day. Games offered include slots, blackjack, craps, roulette and several variants of poker.

Despite the state’s strict laws, however, it is estimated that casinos in Northwest Indiana rank third in the gambling market of the United States in terms of revenue, showing that the popularity of this pastime in the Hoosier State is wide spread.

Indiana is one of the few states which have gambling laws that pertain particularly to online wagering. These laws, introduced in 2005, make it illegal to wager over the internet.

The law refers to professional gambling over the internet as follows:

(a) A person who knowingly or intentionally:
(5) conducts any banking or percentage games played with cards, dice, or counters, or accepts any fixed share of the stakes therein; or
(6) accepts, or offers to accept, for profit, money, or other property risked in gambling;
commits professional gambling, a Class D felony. However, the offense is a Class C felony if the person has a prior unrelated conviction under this subsection.
(b) An operator who knowingly or intentionally uses the Internet to:
(5) conduct any banking or percentage games played with the computer equivalent of cards, dice, or counters, or accept any fixed share of the stakes in those games:
(A) in Indiana; or
(B) in a transaction directly involving a person located in Indiana; or
(6) accept, or offer to accept, for profit, money or other property risked in gambling:
(A) in Indiana; or
(B) in a transaction directly involving a person located in Indiana; commits professional gambling over the Internet, a Class D felony.

The future of gambling in Indiana will depend mainly on competition from neighboring states, which continues to grow with each passing year. Not only are neighboring states setting up new casinos, but smaller drinking establishments in states such as Illinois are also allowing the introduction of video gaming machines – something that will prove to be direct competition to casinos in Indiana.

The state’s high unemployment rates continue to affect local casinos, offset slightly by a boost from the Indiana General Assembly which voted recently to exempt Indiana casinos up to $5 million per year in free slot play from taxes.

In May 2013, Governor Mike Pence signed into law the Senate Enrolled Act of 528[D] which allowed existing casinos and racinos in Indiana to improve their market competitiveness without expanding gaming in the state. The law, “authorizes the use of limited mobile gaming systems at racetracks, satellite facilities and in the gaming area of a riverboat or racino” according to OpenStates.org.

Adjustments were made to the gaming tax structure and the law codifies the limited use of mobile gaming devices approved by the state’s Horse Racing Commission.

When passing the law, the governor said[E]: “Recognizing the competitive environment in the gaming industry and its importance to local communities, I signed this legislation to give gaming businesses within our state the tools to compete with surrounding states. I appreciate the opportunity to work with the legislature on this bill and am pleased that it did not include an expansion of gaming.”

After regaining federal recognition in 1994, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians voted to purse casino gaming. While speculation was high that the tribe would construct a casino in South Bend or Elkhart in Indiana, these plans never surfaced, and in 2001, it was announced that that no casino would be built in the state. However, in 2012, the tribe said that it was planning the construction of a tribal village which includes a casino in South Bend[F]. The casino, Four Winds Casino South Bend, opened on January 16, 2018.

The regulation and oversight of Indiana’s horse racing industry is the responsibility of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission[G], which aims to ensure, “that pari mutual wagering on horse races in Indiana will be conducted with the highest of standards and the greatest of integrity.”

There are two horse tracks in Indiana, Hoosier Park which opened in Anderson in 1994 and Indiana Downs track in Shelbyville which opened in 2006. Five off track horse betting parlors are located in five Indiana cities, namely Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and Merrillville which are operated by Churchill Downs, as well as in Evansville and Clarksville, operated by Indiana Downs.

The horse tracks are home to several thousand slot machines. The minimum legal age to take part in pari-mutual betting in Indiana is 18. The minimum age to enjoy casino gambling is 21.

Rules and statutes pertaining to horse track racing and gambling in Indiana can be found here: http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title4/ar35/index.html[H]

In July 1993, the Indiana Riverboat Gaming Act was passed to allow riverboat gaming in the state for the first time, and allowing the creation of ten riverboat casinos. The first of these opened in 1995. The regulation and oversight of casino river boats falls under the auspices of the Indiana Gaming Commission[I]. In 2015, the House, Senate, and Governor passed a bill to allow riverboat casinos to move onto land within their footprint.

The Hoosier Lottery[J] is operated by the State of Indiana, and was created after a 1988 citizens referendum voted in favor of its establishment. Over the decades, the lottery has returned millions of dollars to the state and its residents, including pension and disability funds, lower taxes, education and so forth.

The Hoosier Lottery offers nine draw games (including three big jackpot games – Powerball, Mega Millions and Hoosier Lotto), as well as instant games, scratch offs, raffles, Mix and Match and a range of others.

While charity gaming is permissible in Indiana, it can only be offered by specific organizations, including bona fide religious, educational, senior citizens, veterans or civic organizations that operate in the state. Some of the restrictions on charity gambling include that fact that these organizations must:

• Operate with a profit to their members
• Be exempt from taxation under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code
• Be in existence for at least five years
• Be approved by the Indiana Gaming Commission unless the total value of all prizes awarded during the event does not exceed $1,000 or $3,000 during the calendar year.

Charity games approved in Indiana include bingo, raffles, door prizes, pull tables, punch boards, tip boards, charity game nights, festivals and special events. The minimum legal age to take part in charity gaming in Indiana is 18.

Author:Joseph Falchetti (twitter)
(C) Copyright PokerWebsites.com, 2018

References and Citations

Let‘s start with the definition of gambling in Indiana:

“(d) “Gambling” means risking money or other property for gain, contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance, or the operation of a gambling device, but it does not include participating in:
(1) bona fide contests of skill, speed, strength, or endurance in which awards are made only to entrants or the owners of entries; or
(2) bona fide business transactions that are valid under the law of contracts.” (1)

So we know that poker would fit the definition itself, as it states that this need only be in part contingent upon lot, and the outcome of risking money at poker is certainly contingent upon lot to some degree, as the lay of the cards does end up being a determining factor.

So whether this element of chance is substantial enough for the game to be found to be substantially one of chance isn’t of any consequence here, at least to the game fitting the definition itself.

As far as the stated exclusions go, it certainly doesn’t fit the one referring to business contracts, but is it saved by being a bona fide contest of skill? Well while some may argue that skill is an important element in the game of poker, and that it may indeed be a bona fide contest of skill in spite of the element of chance present, the second part of this, the part about awards being made to the participants would at least disqualify cash game poker from being saved by this exclusion.

On the other hand, poker tournaments may be seen as games of skill and also have the element of awards being given to the participants, so at least an argument could be made that tournament poker would therefore not consist of gambling in Indiana

The definition of bona fide skill could be understood as referring only to those contests which did not include any element of chance, but if so, we may wonder why it would be necessary to make such a provision as this already would not fit the definition of gambling.

How This May Apply To Real Money Online Poker

Operating a gambling device also consists of gambling in Indiana, so let’s look at their definition of that:

“(4) It is a video game machine or device operated for consideration to play poker, blackjack, any other card game, keno, or any simulation or variation of these games, including any game in which numerals, numbers, pictures, representations, or symbols are used as an equivalent or substitute for the cards used in these games.” (2)

So this is worded in such a way as to at least seem to include playing poker on a computer, as it would not normally be considered a gambling device but it may be when it is operated as such, to play poker for money that is. So this may end up making all poker playing online illegal in Indiana.

So the law also addresses operators, but not players, from using the internet to gamble, although players doing so may already qualify as operating a gambling device:

(a) A person who knowingly or intentionally engages in gambling commits unlawful gambling.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), unlawful gambling is a Class B misdemeanor.
(c) An operator who knowingly or intentionally uses the Internet to engage in unlawful gambling:
(1) in Indiana; or
(2) with a person located in Indiana;
commits a Class D felony (3)

So while the law against playing poker and playing online poker in Indiana isn’t as clear as it is in some states, there is every reason to believe that playing online poker is illegal, playing live cash game poker would be as well, and possibly live tournament poker. People from Indiana continue to play online poker though as even if it is illegal the law is not being enforced as it isn’t in any state right now actually.

Playing Poker In Indiana

There are a total of 9 poker rooms where you can play live poker in Indiana. They include the Ameristar Casino in East Chicago (12 tables), the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City (8 tables), the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond (34 tables), the Indiana Grand Casino in Shelbyville (10 tables), the Tropicana in Evansville (10 tables), the Belterra Casino in Florence (9 tables), the Hollywood Casino Indiana in Lawrenceburg (19 tables), the Horseshoe Casino Southern Indiana in Elizabeth (30 tables), and the Majestic Star Casino in Gary (21 tables). (4)

So the live poker scene in Indiana is pretty thriving, with several larger venues and several large casino operations being represented.

Apart from these live poker rooms, residents of Indiana also have access to all of the major online poker rooms that offer play to Americans these days.

Our top recommendations for online poker players from Indiana, or for those who have yet to experience the fun and excitement of online poker but want to give it a try, are Ignition Poker and America’s Cardroom.

Both of these online poker rooms have been offering a very good poker experience to players from Indiana for several years now and they make it easy to get started if you don’t already have an account at one or both.

Both sites offer generous welcome bonuses for first time depositors, with Ignition offering a really nice 100% up to $1,000 bonus for new players, as well as a FREE $5 casino chip just for signing up. It’s out most recommended poker site for users out in Indiana.

References:

(1) Gambling, Definitions

(2) ibid.

(3) Gambling, Unlawful Gambling

(4) All Online and Live Poker Rooms in Indiana

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