(INDIANAPOLIS) - A bill that would have allowed the Hoosier Lottery to sell tickets online and offer instant games on its website will not advance this legislative session.
The proposal cleared an Indiana House committee earlier this month but was pulled from Thursday's House calendar and never brought up for a full vote, due to lack of support.
House Bill 1078 would have authorized the Hoosier Lottery to sell tickets digitally and host instant games online, a move supporters said could significantly boost state revenue. Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan are among 18 states that currently allow online lottery sales.
A fiscal analysis of the bill projected online sales could have increased lottery revenue by between $314 million and $629 million by the third year. That would have translated into an estimated $31 million to $94 million increase in annual profits, on top of the lottery's roughly $340 million in profits during fiscal year 2025. Overall lottery sales have remained flat at about $1.7 billion annually for the past five years.
Opposition to the bill echoed concerns raised in previous legislative sessions. Lawmakers cited fears that online lottery sales could pull business away from brick-and-mortar casinos and worsen gambling addiction, even though this year's proposal did not include online casino games.
The House Public Policy Committee endorsed broader online gambling legislation last year, but that proposal also stalled before reaching a full House vote. With Thursday's action, any changes to Indiana's lottery sales model will have to wait until a future legislative session.