Attempts to Legalize Sports Betting in Indiana Hindered

According to media reports, those hoping that Indiana Representative Alan Morrison would successfully push two bills regarding the legalization of sports betting and the right for state gaming establishments to take wagers on fantasy sports, will be disappointed as the bills failed at the committee stage. Earlier this year, the two bills were introduced to the Legislative body. Bills HB1073 and HB1074, both of which were aimed at the legalization of betting at state casinos, had failed to make it past the committee and onto the debate floor, thereby defeating Morrison's aim of reviving the declining state gaming revenues. Although fantasy sports wagering is being progressively more accepted throughout the US, the legalization of sports betting is more challenging. According to the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), only four states are allowed to offer sports betting, while only Nevada offers access to full wagering facilities. There has been continuous litigation over the past three years in New Jersey, as the state tries to circumnavigate the PASPA, actively opposed by various national sports leagues and the US Department of Justice, who desire to keep the status quo.