Before becoming law, the bill must first pass a final review at Governor Mike Braun’s desk.
Following Texas’ example, Indiana is getting closer to enacting a law prohibiting lottery couriers. Currently, the governor of Indiana must sign the bill in order for it to become law.
Fire on Lottery Couriers
Online lottery couriers are businesses that purchase lottery tickets for participants, hence enabling online lottery play. These businesses typically charge a fee, but they provide people who are too busy to visit a lottery store with unmatched convenience.
But lottery couriers are now controversial, with some people likening them to “unlicensed online gambling.” Since courier services can enable affluent entities to make large purchases and significantly boost their odds of winning the lottery, some have voiced concerns over the integrity of state lotteries.
This occurred a while back when a European consortium secured a $95 million jackpot by purchasing all of the lottery draw tickets.
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The purpose of the bill is to make these services illegal
Legislators in Indiana advanced Senate Bill 94, which aims to outlaw lottery couriers. After an unsuccessful iGaming and iLottery initiative, the bill is another attempt to alter the state’s gambling industry.
For-profit companies that purchase or assist in the purchasing of lottery tickets on behalf of players will be outlawed under SB 94. Such services will be deemed unlawful under this regulation. Class A misdemeanors will be the punishment for violators.
Additionally, the law forbids the Indiana gambling Commission from running or approving any type of digital gambling business. In order to maintain the integrity of the state lottery, SB 94 also contains provisions to strengthen lottery gaming controls.
Indiana’s basic no-compromise stance toward gaming verticals that its framework does not allow is reflected in this permanent ban on lottery couriers.
State officials swiftly advanced SB 94. Before becoming law, it must first pass a final review at Governor Mike Braun’s desk.
The first state to crack down on couriers is not Indiana
The state of Indiana is not the first to impose restrictions on courier services. Texas regulators have long resented this contentious lottery play and declared it unlawful.
The distribution of a $83.5 million lottery jackpot in Texas was recently delayed due to an investigation into lottery couriers. After winning the jackpot, an independent participant claimed she was unfairly singled out. The unnamed winner argued that she shouldn’t be punished as a result of the investigation and that she had nothing to do with organizations who used lottery courier services to make large purchases.
Meanwhile, other states have also taken steps to either control or outlaw lottery couriers, including Connecticut, Arizona, and New Jersey.
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