Indiana’s gambling regulator can now fine sweepstakes casino operators $100,000. The penalty comes from House Enrolled Act 1052 and has applied since July 1, 2026. It’s aimed at online games that run on two or more currencies, where players can turn one of them into cash prizes.
HEA 1052 is a broad administrative bill that also deals with horse racing, alcohol and other subjects. Governor Mike Braun signed it on March 12, 2026, according to his office’s bill tracker. Section 15 creates a new code section, IC 4-33-10-7, inside the article that governs Indiana’s riverboat casinos.
The new section sets four tests for a sweepstakes game:
- It is offered on the internet.
- Players reach it from a mobile phone, a computer terminal or another access device.
- Its payment model is dual-currency or multi-currency, and a player can swap currency for a cash prize or cash equivalent, or for a chance at one.
- It simulates a lottery or casino-style gaming. The law lists slots, video poker, table games, bingo and sports wagering as examples.
Two things fall outside the definition: anything the state lottery commission offers, and skill-based poker played player against player.
Subsection (b) lets the commission impose a $100,000 civil penalty. The target is anyone, whether a company or a person, who knowingly runs a sweepstakes game over the internet in Indiana. A deal that directly involves someone located in Indiana counts too, so an operator based elsewhere is covered when it takes Indiana players.
The penalty is civil rather than criminal, and it falls on the people running the games rather than on players.