Gambling Recovery Ministries: Indiana Problem Gambling

Post 39

 

Update: Indiana Senate Bill 528 Becomes Law:

 

 

what's included and what's omitted

 

On May 15, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed into law legislation impacting the State's gambling industry.  Primarily, the new law's provisions carried financial implications affecting casinos and racinos.  Two exceptions are the accepting of limited mobile gaming systems at gambling facilities (see #1) and requiring the gaming commission to study the complimentary credit programs of gambling establishments (see #7).  Below is a listing of the legislation's components.

What's included:

1. Authorizes the use of limited mobile gaming systems at racetracks, satellite facilities, and in the gaming area of a riverboat casino or racino 
2. Allows gaming licensees to deduct adjusted gross receipts attributable to free play wagering
3. Provides that the total amount deducted by a licensee for free play may not exceed $2,500,000 in state fiscal year 2013 and $5,000,000 in state fiscal years 2014 through 2016
4. Provides that certain local development agreement reports must be made available through the Indiana transparency web site for local government
5. Provides that the lowest bracket of the wagering tax rate schedule for riverboats that had less than $75,000,000 of adjusted gross receipts during the preceding state fiscal year is 5% instead of 15%
6. Imposes an additional tax of $2,500,000 if the riverboats taxed under the alternative schedule recive adjusted gross receipts exceeding $75,000,000 in a particular state fiscal year
7. Requires the gaming commission to study the use of complimentary promotional credit programs
8. Repeals obsolete provisions concerning the riverboat admissions taxes formerly distributed to the horse racing commission.  Makes technical corrections.

Moreover, what was omitted from this new law is significant.

What's omitted:   
  

1. Live table games at the Shelbyville and Anderson racinos to be allowed
2. Expansion of gaming enterprises at off-site properties (on land) owned by the State's riverboat casinos.

For now, the physical (brick-and-mortar) expansion of Indiana casinos has been voted down.  Does this indicate the decline of Hoosier gambling?  Realistically, the answer is "No."  And ... where there is gambling, there will always be a number of persons affected by problem gambling.

For more information on hope and help for problem gamblers, here are some helpful web sites:

www.indianaproblemgambling.org                 Indiana Council on Problem Gambling 
www.ipgap.indiana.edu                                 Indiana Problem Gambling Awareness Program
www.ncpgambling.org                                  National Council on Problem Gambling
www.grmumc.org                                         Gambling Recovery Ministries

Blessings,

Rev. Janet Jacobs
Founding Director
Gambling Recovery Ministries