Legislators in Indiana have chosen not to take up the matter of new gaming legislation in the forthcoming 2024 legislative session. The pronouncement by Todd Huston, House Speaker, and Rodric Bray, Senate President Pro Tem came as a reaction to ex-State legislator Sean Eberhart’s recent guilt admission to federal corruption charges.
Corruption Ties to Gaming Bill Favoritism Revealed in Confession of Former Shelbyville Representative
Eberhart, a past Representative from Shelbyville, confessed to receiving a bribe from Spectacle Gaming, which involved the potential of a highly profitable six-figure profession. His support for a 2019 gaming bill that evidently favored Spectacle Gaming was directly connected with this disclosed act of corruption.
In the Indiana House District 57, which consists of Shelby County and parts of Hancock and Bartholomew counties, Eberhart served as a representative. He held this office for 16 years, stepping down in November of 2022.
Rodric Bray, Senate President Pro Tem, emphasized the serious nature of the situation through his statement that no gaming legislations should be expected in 2024, as reported by the West Lafayette media outlet WBAA. Both Bray and House Speaker Todd Huston agreed that the consequence of Eberhart’s scandal has overshadowed any likelihood of progressing gaming-related bills in the next session.
Eberhart’s guilt admission has consequences beyond the immediate legislative timeline. Bray expressed anxieties over the lasting implications, maintaining that the situation tarnishes the statehouse’s reputation, undermines public faith in its honesty, and creates considerable hurdles for such policies.
Corruption Scandal Aftermath Blocks Gaming Legislation
The fallout provokes doubts about the overall integrity of the statehouse, and legislators are acutely conscious of the necessity to address them prior to deliberating any new gaming legislation. The corruption scandal has essentially hindered the gaming industry’s initiatives to advocate for the authorization of online casino gambling in recent times.
Despite these hurdles, the gaming scenario in Indiana has seen some promising progress. Sports gambling was legalized in September 2019, when Governor Eric Holcomb endorsed a regulated sports betting bill statewide just over a year post the US Supreme Court invalidated PASPA. This sector has seen substantial growth in the state, with September sports gambling turnover at its 12 land-based casinos amounting to nearly $404.2 million.
In addition, a new casino is set to open in Indiana in March 2024, further adding to the current 12 casino locations. The Terre Haute Casino Resort is expected to enhance the state’s flourishing gaming industry, in spite of the recent legislative considerations setback.
