Following recent corruption cases involving officials and casinos in Indiana, state lawmakers have backed away from any further gambling-related proposals in the 2024 legislative session.
Both House Speaker Todd Houston® and Senate President Pro Tem Roderick Bray® said any additional gambling legislation or discussion will be set aside following the recent scandals in the state. This has left many in the industry frustrated Additional games have been thought of in advance.
“It’s polluting the statehouse,” Bray said. WFYI. “It reduces people’s confidence in the integrity of the State Council. “It causes a lot of problems and makes it particularly difficult to engage in this kind of politics.”
Restore confidence in the system
This move puts an end to proposals that some lawmakers had hoped to put forward in the next session. This included plans for online gaming. Rep. Ethan Manning® called for iGaming and playing the lottery online last session, but those efforts ultimately failed.
Any chance of reviving the bills now seems off the table. Houston and Bray argue that pausing gaming proposals allows the state to regain confidence in the process.
The stalling of legislative efforts comes after former lawmaker Sean Eberhardt, 57, pleaded guilty to corruption charges and now faces up to five years in prison. Prosecutors said Eberhart paid for gaming bills in exchange for the promise of a job with at least $350,000 in annual compensation.
Former Indiana State Sen. Brent Waltz also received a 10-month federal prison sentence for illegal campaign contributions involving a gaming company. Some in the state argue the new delay in gaming bills It gives lawmakers the opportunity to reform the process To deter corruption in the future.
“No government agency even acknowledged what was happening,” said Julia Vaughn, president of the Indiana State Government Watchdog Group. Indiana Capital Chronicle. “Praise be to God thatFBI“He was paying attention.”
