Indiana seems to be the latest state to join the rest of US jurisdictions where lottery couriers have been banned from operating.
House Bill 1053, which looks to prohibit the state’s lottery commission from operating or authorising lottery courier services, has just been signed by the President of the Senate, passing with a 42-7 majority vote.
The draft Bill, sponsored by State Senator Ron Alting, will next land on Indiana Governor Mike Braun’s desk for a final sign off. Passing that threshold would make it a misdemeanor to operate a lottery courier in the state from 1 July. Additional rules around the bulk purchase of lottery products will also be adopted.
Alting commented: “With the ever-changing world of online gaming and betting, lottery courier services have caused a lot of issues in states across the country.
“This bill would make Indiana more proactive in restricting the practice before it reaches our borders.”
Different strokes for different folks
Lottery couriers are currently only legal in the states of New Jersey and New York where explicit regulations exist to control the space. Around 17 jurisdictions represent a gray area where couriers are neither allowed nor prohibited.
One state that has taken a firm stance against couriers is Texas, where the Lottery Commission is looking to chase the operators out of its borders after a number of high-profile incidents that have raised questions around the couriers’ transparency.
The local lottery courier cohort has hit back against that decision, saying they have every right to operate there.
Indiana, however, seems to want to avoid similar troubles in the future, with the likes of Senator Alting having already made up their minds.
He concluded: “Online lotteries are not allowed in Indiana, and these couriers have skirted the law in other states – causing major issues for gaming regulators.
“With this bill, Indiana would ensure we don’t have an unregulated online lottery industry with millions of dollars at stake.”