Indiana Lawmakers Pause Gaming Legislation After Corruption ScandalsOnline Gaming Looks To Be Off Table |
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After recent corruption issues involving Indiana officials and casinos, lawmakers in the state have backed off any further gambling proposals in the 2024 legislative session.
House Speaker Todd Huston® and Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray® have both said any additional gambling legislation or discussion will be put aside after recent scandals in the state. That has left many in the industry frustrated as additional gaming was previously being mulled over.
“It taints the Statehouse,” Bray told WFYI. “It diminishes the confidence that people have in the integrity of the Statehouse. It causes an awful lot of problems and it makes it particularly difficult to engage in that kind of policy.”
Restoring Confidence In The System
The move puts a stop to proposals some legislators had hoped to put forward in the next session. That included plans for online casino gaming. Rep. Ethan Manning® pushed for iGaming and online lottery play in the last session, but those efforts ultimately failed.
Any chance to revive the bills now appears off the table. Huston and Bray argue that the pause on gaming proposals allows the state to restore confidence in the process.
The pause in legislative efforts comes after former legislator Sean Eberhart, 57, pleaded guilty to corruption charges and now faces up to five years in prison. Prosecutors argued that Eberhart pushed for gaming bills in exchange for a promise of a job with annual compensation of at least $350,000.
Former Indiana state Sen. Brent Waltz® also received 10 months in federal prison for illegal campaign contributions involving a gaming company. Some in the state argue that the new delay in gaming bills gives lawmakers the chance at reforming the process to deter future corruption.
“No state agency even recognized what was going on,” Julia Vaughn, leader of the Common Cause Indiana government watchdog group, told Indiana Capital Chronicle. “Thank goodness that the (FBI) was paying attention.”
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