Indiana Governor kills hopes of online horserace wagering
Governor Mike Pence vetoes legislation seeking to legalize online advance deposit wagering in the state
The prospect of online horserace wagering in Indiana was dealt a fatal blow on Friday (8 May) after state Governor Mike Pence vetoed a bill seeking to legalize the activity. [private]
The bill, HB 1270, was authored by Representative Robert Cherry and sought to allow racetrack operators to accept advanced deposit wagers over the internet.
While HB 1270 cleared the House with a 71-21 vote in favor of its passage, Pence killed the measure because it was âcontraryâ to his âlong-time position against online gambling.â
âAdvance deposit wagering, not currently permitted in Indiana, would also violate my position on expanding gaming here in Indiana,â Pence added.
While Governor Pence is adamant in his opposition to egaming and gambling expansion, lawmakers in the state have a slightly different view.
At the start of the year Rep. Alan introduced two bills seeking to legalize sports betting and daily fantasy sports, with Indiana just one of five states where DFS is explicitly illegal.
DFS is legal in the vast majority of US states under a carve-out in the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act 2006 that considers it a game of skill.
Morrison previously said of the two bill his daily fantasy sports legislation has a âfighterâs chanceâ of being passed into law.