Indiana lawmakers seek to decide online lottery

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s governor backs the Hoosier Lottery’s review of launching online gambling or ticket sales as state lawmakers seek a say in whether to allow these.
Governor Eric Holcomb highlighted lottery players’ interest in online options and how these could increase lottery revenue.
“We’re going to continue to look at all the innovations that come out and connect with consumers,” Holcomb said last week. “Obviously demand often dictates the day. We want to make sure we do it responsibly.”
State lottery officials have been discussing since 2019 the possibility of joining other states in selling lottery tickets and offering other games online.
Indiana House and Senate committees have approved provisions that would require legislative approval for online lottery operations to begin.
Representatives of state casinos and convenience stores objected to the Hoosier Lottery launching online sales using the Lottery Act which was written in 1989 before cell phones existed.
Republican House Speaker Todd Huston said some lawmakers are questioning the possibility of taking online gambling further.
“That question obviously got mixed up in a larger discussion about online gambling and that kind of stuff,” Huston said.