Indiana – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations
Online Casinos in Indiana (US)
Find the Best American Casino Online
While a lot of great progress has been made for Hoosiers sports betting fans, gaming enthusiasts are unfortunately in a less than ideal situation. So, your mileage may vary depending on your interests. Sportsbook players will generally have a good time choosing between well established and reputable sites, which have the authorization to operate within Indiana and cater to its residents.
Casino players will have to look towards overseas operations, as these fall outside of federal jurisdictions. This does however open up an increased risk of coming across illegitimate operations, which thrive in restricted or unregulated markets. It is therefore recommended that you always take extra precautions before registering your information with a site. These precautions can include asking yourself a few questions, such as the ones below:
- Is the casino licensed by a reputable authority?
- Do third parties verify the trustworthiness of the site?
- Does the site accept players from Indiana?
- Can you play with US dollars?
- Can you use your preferred payment method?
The reviews and articles we write at GoodLuckMate are aimed at providing a clear and concise one-stop-shop for all things casino-related. If you ever have any doubts about registering an account with a site or want to know more about a specific game or aspect of the industry, then be sure to check in with us first.
Gambling Regulation - The Indiana Gaming Commission
Virginia was the first state to recognize and regulate the fantasy sports scene back in 2016, which was quickly followed by Indiana. It was then in 2019 that sports betting, both land-based and online, became a regulated market within the state. This allowed establishments to apply for sports betting licenses from the responsible gambling authority, The Indiana Gaming Commission, of which several have now been issued.
The enactment of the House Bill 1015 facilitated this transition towards a regulated market, however, no considerations were made towards casino games like slots and poker. There are also no signs of any changes being in the works either. The lack of regulation aimed at casino games has meant that overseas operations have largely taken over, giving players an option to play their favorite games online. This does however mean that no legal recourse can be taken for any wronged individuals and that there is an ever-present risk of falling into an illegitimate operation. We sincerely hope that Indiana will begin looking at casino games the same way it has done with sports betting by making all forms of gambling regulated.
Localized Online Casinos
Again, the strength of a site’s localization options will be heavily influenced by whether it is an authorized sportsbook platform or an overseas online casino. Sites like BetAmerica, who are authorized operators, are already focused on targeting their services to US audiences. This means English language options, US-based payment methods, as well as tailor-made events and promotions.
Those looking for casino games might have to work a little harder to find the same kind of localization options. Finding a site in English and with US dollar support will not be especially difficult, as most online casinos tend to offer these options by default. Although, locating events and promotions that are inclusive of Hoosiers is where your choices will become much less numerous.
Gambling with US Dollars
Most online casinos will offer up euro and US dollar currency and payment options for all of their players. Choosing a currency is usually done when registering an account and US dollars tend to be an option, due to it being a good substitute for supporting every potential currency out there.
US players may however run into issues when trying to make a deposit from the bank though. Several banks will have policies that restrict the movement of funds that are suspected of being made towards online gambling activities. That is why many players instead opt to use E-wallets or cryptocurrencies as an alternative payment method that doesn’t directly involve the bank.
Casinos in Indiana
Going to visit the beautiful Great Lakes region is not the only reason to take a trip to Indiana. Over a dozen land-based casinos, including Native American establishments, and race tracks can be found throughout the state. Online sportsbooks are also becoming more prevalent with the likes of BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel and BetAmerica being some of the fully operational sports betting services available. For online casino action, players will need to be extra vigilant in ensuring that they find a trustworthy establishment, due to the legal restrictions currently in place. Until these restrictions are lifted, you will need to ensure that due diligence is applied before you register any personal information or payment details with any given casino.
Dispute resolution – can I get help from a third party?
A gambling license is intended to protect players, and one of its main functions is to provide a mechanism for resolving disputes when they come up. If you have a dispute with a casino, and the casino is being unreasonable, the gambling authority will help you. For many licenses, this means you can contact the gambling authority to get help processing your withdrawals, claiming money the casino has debited from your account, or resolving other disputes that might arise. The likelihood that the gambling authority will help you in ways that are effective, however, depends on the procedures they have in place for this. This is yet another reason why choosing to play at a casino that has a safe license is important.
Getting help directly from the gambling authority is not always necessary, or even an option. A lot of regulators have now enforced third-party dispute resolution. This means casinos must have an agreement with an arbitrator who will look into disputes on the behalf of players from a particular casino. This ensures your dispute will be reviewed by an objective third party. All trusted online casinos have information about arbitration on their websites if they use this option, or they’ll have the contact information for the gambling authority you should consult. However, you should always try to resolve your issues with the casino first, and a lot of casinos have separate email addresses specifically for handling complaints.
Secure payments – can I trust a casino with my money?
If you’re worried about the security of the transactions you’re making at a casino, you should look for a logo with the acronym PCI DSS. This stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, and this is something the payment industry has created. If you see this logo, it means the casino can be trusted for safe money transactions since they follow all of the rules set by the payment industry. Information about this can also be found in an FAQ section on the casino’s website.
Another thing to look out for in terms of payments is where your money is kept while you play. Some gambling authorities, all of the best ones actually, regulate what the casino can do with your money while they are holding it. Your money shouldn’t go into a general bank account held by the casino; it should go into an account that is strictly for holding player funds. This means that as long as you have the money in your player account, it can’t be spent by the casino. Your deposit will be kept separate from the operating funds of the casino until your player account is empty, which will happen if you make a funds withdrawal or if you lose the money while playing.Fair gaming – do the games give me a fair chance to win?
The best known system tool for ensuring that a casino offers fair games is eCogra; however, there are other providers that also offer these kinds of systems. You want to make sure that the casino is using a certified third-party control system to ensure that the games of chance you’re playing are actually based on chance and not on other types of metrics. Rigged games are ones that have been set up to pay out less than they claim to or ones that give some players a greater chance of winning than others.
The eCogra logo can often be found in the footer of the casino’s website, but not all casinos choose to display it. If you can’t see this logo, go to the FAQs and see if you can find information about random number generators. If there are no FAQs on the site, check out their terms and conditions or contact the casino’s support and ask how they ensure their games are safe.
Encrypted website – how is my information kept safe?
An SSL-encrypted website should be mandatory for any casino, and very few casinos operate without this or similar safe encryption features. Always keep in mind that you are giving the casino quite a bit of sensitive information, including your payment details. When you’re uploading and sending documents to verify your identity, you want to make sure that no unauthorized third-party has access to them. Site security, therefore, doesn’t only include the website itself but also what the casino does on the backend. You should always look into a casino’s data security. You’ll normally find information about this in their terms and conditions and their privacy policy. If in doubt, contact their support and ask for more detailed information.
Most trustworthy casinos have information about site security in the website footer, so simply scroll down and look for the logo of a well-known security system.
Gambling license – can I play at a casino from my country?
The gambling license a casino operates under will have a big impact on your security. Not all licenses are equally safe for players for the simple reason that they are issued by different gambling authorities that work in different ways and have different rules. The rules and regulations may be quite similar, but the way they are enforced is a different story entirely. For example, if a casino doesn’t comply with the regulations, some gambling authorities may just issue a fine while others may revoke the casino’s license outright. How often gambling authorities show up for an unscheduled inspection or control will also vary.
The biggest differences between a safe, high quality gambling license and one that isn’t as good will usually show up in the areas of fair gaming, dispute resolution and the rules and systems for identifying and handling problem gamblers (responsible gambling). If your country of residence has its own gambling authority, playing at casinos that are licensed by them will be the safest option for you. Other international licenses that can be trusted are issued by the Malta Gambling Authority and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority. Curacao eGaming is getting better at protecting players whereas licenses from Panama and Costa Rica, for instance, are considered less safe. The worst option is obviously a casino with no license whatsoever.
Our casino experts have tried and tested all aspects of each and every casino, so you can feel confident when signing up.
