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Indiana’s Interim Study Committee on Public Policy recently voted to support legislation for legalized sports betting, while at the same time recognizing that there will be obstacles along the way. However, legalizing sports betting has many supporters in the Hoosier state, including the executive director of the Indiana Gaming Commission, Sara Tait.
Tait has said there’s a good chance of launching sports betting relatively soon, since it’s “something that has been successfully regulated (elsewhere) for years, so we’re not going to have to reinvent the wheel.”
Additionally, the committee had hired a consultant to research the issue, and the report recommended launching sports betting before the 2019 legislative session and including mobile betting in the legislation.
Colorado Gearing Up for Sports Betting
Despite the failure of the past 8 attempts to expand gambling in the Centennial State, Rep. Cole Wist of Colorado thinks that there’s no better time than now. “It seems to me it’s a no-brainer. We should have the conversation to see if this is something we as a state want to do,” Wist said.
However, seeing what the state wants to do doesn’t just mean government officials voting on legislation; it means allowing voters to have their say as well, which is what the state did in the past.
Wist commented, “I think it’s important to go back to the voters and make sure it’s something that they want. I think there are reasons legally why we don’t have to, but we have to be respectful of that history.”
If voters approve the initiative, sports betting would likely be legalized in January 2020.
Rep. Alec Garnett, also in favor of legalizing sports betting, is already pushing to include mobile betting in the legislation. “I think it’s unrealistic we create a system that doesn’t include a mobile platform,” he said.
While Wist and Garnett have a clear vision of sports betting legislation, they still need to get 44 representatives and 23 senators on board.
