Poker in Indiana

Poker in Indiana

Indiana, a sizable state in the Midwest, has an extremely liberal stance on the subject of gambling. This is despite the fact that the majority of voters in the country lean conservative. They allow betting on sporting events via the internet and have casinos for those who prefer to gamble in person. Unfortunately, online poker in Indiana is not included in this legal framework at this time. Gambling was once against the law in Indiana’s constitution. In 1988, a proposition to end the ban was successfully voted on, and the ban was promptly ended. As a result, a thriving gambling industry developed in Indiana after the state’s 1st legitimate game of chance, the Hoosier Lottery, was introduced that year.

The state’s residents have a strong affinity for its river casinos and horse racing tracks. The former is significant in poker’s annals because it was there that the game we now know as poker was first played across the United States, as it was circulated amongst sailors in the bar compartments of riverboats.

According to Pokeratlas.com, Indiana is home to nine different legal poker rooms. There is one in Elizabeth, IN called Caesars Southern Indiana (formerly Horseshoe Southern Indiana) that has hosted WSOP Circuit events before.

Quick Summary

• 67,320,00 people live here.
• Central Government Headquarters: Indianapolis
• The United States Dollar ($) is the unit of currency used here.
• Space-Time Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) 5-6
• Indiana Abbreviation is IN

Where You Can Play Poker in Indiana Casinos:

Prominent Poker Players from Indiana

Don’t be surprised; the term “Hoosier” serves as the state demonym. There is some debate as to where the term first appeared, but it gained widespread use in John Finley’s poem “The Hoosier’s Nest,” published in 1833.

Mike Sexton, a pioneer in the world of poker, hailed from Indiana. A 1947 Shelby, Indiana birth marked his official entry into the world. For a total of $104,400, he won the $1,500 7-Card Stud Split event at the 1989 World Series of Poker, and he took home his first and only gold bracelet.

Sexton’s regular commentary on World Poker Tour events made him a household name. He also played an instrumental role in the early days of partypoker, a now-hugely-popular online poker room. Before passing away in 2020, he was honored by being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2009.

Winner of two gold bracelets at the World Series of Poker, Jason DeWitt hails from Mishawaka, Indiana. Winning the 2010 $5,000 No Limit Hold’em tournament for $818,959 and the 2016 $1,500 Millionaire Maker NLHE tournament for $1,065,403, respectively, was a career high for him financially. He has won $3,180,000.00 in live tournaments.

John Cynn, the winner of the 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event, has amassed $10.189 million on Hendon, making him the state’s all-time money winner. His official address is Indianapolis, but he was actually born in Illinois.

Live Poker in Indiana

Indiana’s Live Poker Laws

As we mentioned in the introduction, a ballot initiative in 1988 successfully overturned a prohibition on gambling in Indiana’s state constitution. Five years after prohibition was repealed, in 1993, the first casino licensing auctions were held. In December 1995, the Casino Aztar Evansville was the first casino in Indiana. It was the first of its kind because it was located on a riverboat.

There are currently about 15 legal casinos in operation in the state of Indiana.

Indiana Code Section 35.45.5 contains the state’s current gambling laws. It is important to remember that any poker game played outside of a legally sanctioned establishment is against the law. The Indiana Gaming Commission is in charge of licensing and regulating the industry.

Play Poker in Indiana’s Live-Action Casinos

Caesars Southern Indiana in Elizabeth, IN has hosted WSOP Circuit events; the most recent one was in the fall of 2019. Except for the Main Event, which had a $1,700 buy-in, the tournament’s buy-ins were between $250 and $600.

They have 16 tables available in their poker room all year long. There are $1/$2 and $2/$5 No Limit Hold’em cash tables, a $3/$6 Limit Hold’em table, $1/$2 and $2/$5 Pot Limit Omaha tables, and a $30/$60 Limit 7-Card Stud table on the weekend.

A poker room can be found at the Horseshoe Hammond, Indiana’s largest casino. The legendary casino owner Benny Binion even has his own high-stakes VIP room, appropriately titled “Benny’s Back Room.” The high roller room can be reserved by calling the number provided on their website. Yet, not even their so-called “regular” games have any online presence at all.

The Majestic Star Casino in Gary, Indiana, and the Hollywood Casino & Hotel Indiana in nearby Lawrenceburg, Indiana, both feature poker rooms.

Indianapolis, the state capital and largest city, does not have any dedicated poker rooms. Some sports bars, like Eddy’s Sports Pub, however, occasionally host poker tournaments. A freeroll No Limit Hold’em tournament with a $75 prize pool was held in March 2021, for instance.

Gambling Halls and Poker Casinos in Indiana

Indiana Legalizes Online Poker

For residents of Indiana, among the few US states where online sports betting is legal, the internet offers a unique opportunity. The State Congress of that country passed the crucial legislation in September 2019 that allowed that to happen. This has paved the way for a slew of new companies, including DraftKings and Fanduel, to enter the market for online sports betting and fantasy sports. Sadly, neither of those options offers or is capable of supporting online poker.

Since online poker remains against the law, this is the case in Indiana. To accomplish this, a brand-new legislative process would need to be initiated. However, if the state’s experiment with online sports betting is successful, that could motivate them to decriminalize online poker, too.