In October, the first month mobile betting was allowed, Indiana bettors placed $91.7 million in sports bets, according to Indiana Gaming Commission figures. That’s nearly three times the amount bet in September—$35.2 million—when in-person sports wagering was launched. The October sports bets generated $1.1 million in tax revenue for the state, up from $813,103 in September. Adjusted gross revenue for the sportsbooks were $11.5 million, up from $8.6 million in September.
PlayIndiana.com lead analyst Dustin Gouker said, “Indiana is quickly becoming a star among legal sports betting markets in the U.S. Indiana is so far ahead of its neighbors in Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan that the Hoosier state is well on its way to establishing itself as the gambling capital of the Midwest.”
In-person sports betting began at most of the state’s casinos and off-track betting facilities in September. Mobile betting launched on October 3 via
DraftKings teamed with Ameristar Casino in East Chicago, and Rush Street Interactive partnered with French Lick Casino. FanDuel, working with Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, kicked off mobile betting on October 22. Geo-fencing technology ensures mobile bettors are located within Indiana’s borders.
Bettors can wager on professional, collegiate and international sporting events, including football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, hockey, soccer, boxing, golf and Olympics. Betting on high school or youth sports and eSports is prohibited.
Football continued to be the most popular sport to bet on, bringing in $41.1 million in wagers in October. Ameristar Casino posted $46.2 million in wagers, followed by Horseshoe Hammond’s $10.7 million, French Lick Resort’s $7.1 million and Blue Chip Casino and Hollywood Lawrenceburg, both posting $6.9 million.
Meanwhile, Rising Star Casino Resort in Rising Sun, Indiana recently opened its BetAmerica sportsbook. Present at the ribbon-cutting were former Cincinnati Bengals players Ickey Woods, Joe Walter, Louis Breeden, Robert Jackson. Kevin Walker, Richard Carey and Joe Kelly, who placed the first bets. Rising Star General Manager Ben Douglass said, “We are excited to be able to offer sports betting to our guests here at Rising Star. The sports betting industry is expected to provide Indiana with hundreds of new jobs as well as an additional $150 million in annual state tax revenue over the next five years.”
Rising Star is the second metro Cincinnati-area casino to open a sportsbook. Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg launched sports betting on September 1—the first day it was legal—and posted a handle of $5.2 million in its first month. Several other of the state’s 10 casinos and racinos also opened sportsbooks on September 1. They took in $35.2 million in bets in the first moth, generating $8.6 million in combined revenue after winnings were paid out, according to the Indiana Gaming Commission.
