The Indiana 2024 legislative session will not include any gambling bills, due to former state Rep. Sean Eberhart’s guilty plea to a felony charge that he accepted a bribe in exchange for supporting a 2019 bill that would have benefited Spectacle Gaming.
According to court documents, an unidentified owner at Spectacle offered Eberhart a job at the company with a salary of $350,000. Prior to his retirement last year, Eberhart was a member of the House Public Policy Committee, which heard the bill.
At his urging, legislators reduced casino license transfer fees from $100 million to $20 million and added special tax incentives saving Spectacle millions of dollars in taxes. Spectacle had proposed moving its casinos to Terre Haute and Gary but ultimately lost the license because of financial improprieties.
In the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman, Eberhart admitted to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, including taking bribes or kickbacks while performing public service.
Eberhart faces a punishment of 36 to 47 months in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He also must make restitution of $60,000, the same as his salary as a legislator. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.
Federal prosecutors indicated Eberhart did not act alone, but no other individuals have been named or charged.
