Indiana is moving to regulate online sweepstakes platforms as lawmakers consider legislation targeting dual-currency systems used for gaming. State Representative Ethan Manning filed House Bill 1052, proposing amendments affecting horse racing, responsible gaming, and online sweepstakes. Manning co-authored the bill with Reps. Peggy Mayfield and Justin Moed, and it has been referred to the Committee on Public Policy following its first reading.
HB 1052 defines “sweepstakes games” as “a game, contest, or promotion available on various forms online that: (1) utilizes a dual-currency system of payment allowing a player to exchange currency for a cash prize, cash award, or cash equivalents or a chance to win a cash prize, cash award, or cash equivalents; and (2) simulates casino-style gaming, including slot machines, video poker, table games, lottery games, bingo, and sports wagering.”
Penalties and Exclusions
The bill stipulates that any individual or operator knowingly conducting such online sweepstakes in Indiana could face a civil penalty of $100,000. HB 1052 does not impose criminal penalties on affiliates, suppliers, or other parties linked to sweepstakes operators. Manning’s legislation also seeks to expand Indiana’s voluntary exclusion program to include sports betting operators, requiring participants to “refrain from entering a riverboat or other facility under the jurisdiction of the commission [Indiana Gaming Commission] or from placing a wager with a certificate holder under IC 4-38.”
The bill proposes enhanced horse racing safety regulations, including alcohol breath-testing administrator approvals and improved blood testing procedures for horses.
Regional Moves Against Dual-Currency Gaming
Indiana’s legislative action occurs amid a national push to regulate dual-currency sweepstakes platforms. Maine lawmakers introduced Legislative Document 2007, which similarly seeks to ban dual-currency sweepstakes that simulate casino-style games, lotteries, bingo, or sports betting. Florida is considering a bill criminalizing online gaming outside the Seminole Tribe’s exclusivity rights, though it does not explicitly mention sweepstakes.
New York has already taken definitive action. Governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill S5935, prohibiting all dual-currency sweepstakes platforms that allow players to convert game currency into cash prizes or equivalents. The law also penalizes associated payment processors, geolocation companies, and technology providers, with fines ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. Other states, including California, Connecticut, Montana, Nevada, and New Jersey, have passed sweepstakes-related legislation in 2025.
Context and Industry Implications
HB 1052 clarifies that online sweepstakes casinos differ from traditional amusement devices. The legislation notes that “sweepstakes game”does not include “any other device played for amusement that rewards a player exclusively with a toy, a novelty, candy, other noncash merchandise, or a ticket or coupon redeemable for a toy, a novelty, or other noncash merchandise that has a wholesale value of not more than the lesser of ten (10) times the amount charged to play the amusement device one (1) time or twenty-five dollars ($25).”
While Manning has been a key figure in discussions on legalizing online casino gaming in Indiana, HB 1052 does not directly link to renewed efforts to permit iGaming. Previous attempts, including HB 1432, stalled in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Lawmakers avoided bringing forward such bills following the conviction of former Representative Sean Eberhart, who pled guilty to federal conspiracy charges related to casino relocations in exchange for employment with a gaming company.
Source:
“HOUSE BILL No. 1052”, resources.sbcamericas.com, December 2025
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