Best Indiana Online Sportsbooks And Apps
Indiana joined the list of states with legal sports betting in September 2019, when retail sportsbooks opened their doors for customers. The Hoosier State has expanded its offer with online sportsbooks, which opened for business a month later, in October 2019.
As one of the first states to dab into the world of online sports betting, Indiana has had enough time
to grow a sizable betting market and established itself as a stalwart location for sports betting. Even though Indiana has not reached the same status as the heavyweight betting states in New Jersey and Nevada, it has done extremely well in expanding its offer of available sportsbooks, with over a dozen currently operating in the state.
That isn't too surprising, knowing how eager the Indiana lawmakers were to launch sports betting. That, in turn, also made Indiana's journey from legalization to launch relatively short, as only four months separated the law's passage and the first bet placed.
In comparison to other states, Indiana State has very few restrictions. Here, you can bet on any sport, including in-state college teams, as well as some more exotic bets such as bets on TV shows such as Oscars.
As one of the fastest-growing betting states in the U.S., Indiana is doing a lot of things right to keep its betting market flourishing. Today, we will look at which are the best online sportsbooks in the state, what Indiana bettors like to bet on, how the legalization of sports betting looked like, and ultimately answer the question of what life is like for Indiana punters.
Best Online Indiana Sportsbooks
Indiana is the home of over a dozen online sportsbooks, and the list features some of the industry's biggest names. The selection of sportsbooks includes DraftKings Sportsbook and BetRivers, who were two of the first brands to launch their sports betting apps in the state, but they are by no means the only two sportsbooks the Hoosier State bettors can choose from.
Top IN Sportsbooks
1. BetMGM
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2. Draftkings
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FanDuel
If a state features FanDuel as one of its online sportsbooks, you can rest assured that the quality of the betting service is there. Pioneer of DFS betting, FanDuel successfully transitioned to the world of sports betting in 2018 and has since emerged as one of the leading U.S. sportsbooks.
FanDuel has gained renown as a top-of-the-shelf sports betting provider throughout its sports betting history, largely thanks to its extensive offer of betting markets, highly competitive odds, and the industry's most recognizable mobile betting app.
FanDuel sportsbook was one of the first sports betting sites to launch a mobile sports betting app in Indiana. And even though it has received tons of competition since, FanDuel has kept its distance and ran away with the title as Indiana's most popular platform.
The reason for that is very simple – FanDuel has odds that can rival anyone and some of the best promotions and bonuses in the industry. Beyond that, its mobile app is smooth, reliable, and intuitive, providing FanDuel mobile bettors with excellent sports betting experience.
FanDuel Indiana Partner: Blue Chip Casino
DraftKings
If there's one sportsbook that will guarantee you a consistently good betting experience, it's DraftKings. You can never go wrong with betting at DraftKings, which has – like FanDuel – made a remarkable transformation from a DFS site to one of the leading sportsbooks in the United States.
Another similarity DraftKings has with its DFC rival is that it offers an exceptional mobile betting app. While this could be a controversial take for some, you could argue that DraftKings' app is hands down the best in the industry.
It's available for iOS and Android devices and has all the features you would expect from a top betting app. Beyond its excellent app, DraftKings is also known for great pricing and vast betting markets, ensuring you will always have something to bet on at competitive odds.
And if that is not enough to get you interested in DraftKings, the site also boasts great welcome bonuses and promotions. All in all, DraftKings is an excellent sportsbook, and it's easy to see why it's the go-to option for many Indiana sports bettors.
DraftKings Indiana Partner: Ameristar Casino East Chicago
BetMGM
If you would go and search for the top sportsbooks in the United States, almost every list will have BetMGM on it, and for a very good reason. Like its main competitors in Indiana, BetMGM has all the key features you would expect from a reputable sportsbook.
Its market depth is incredible, and you will be hard-pressed to find a sportsbook with a better offer of betting odds. And beyond that, BetMGM's mobile betting app is one of the highest-rated in Indiana and one of the site's key selling points, which has helped transform BetMGM into one of the leading online sportsbooks in the United States.
Besides that, BetMGM has gained recognition for its highly lucrative features, including the Parlay Plus option, which allows you to increase parlay profits by 5% to 40%. So if you're a parlay bettor, there is no better online sportsbook for you than BetMGM.
We also can't forget to mention BetMGM's appealing bonuses and promotions, including a risk-free bet of up to $1000 for all new users. Overall, BetMGM is an excellent choice for any Indiana sports bettor.
BetMGM Indiana Partner: Belterra Casino
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars was one of the first sportsbooks to enter Indiana and is, to date, one of the biggest brands in the state. Despite launching its operations early, Caesars re-launched in the Hoosier State in August 2021, after it acquired William Hill.
The deal saw Caesar's re-launch on William Hill's Liberty platform, which integrated the well-known Caesars' loyalty program (Caesars Rewards) into the app. By integrating its loyalty program, Caesars continues to provide one of the defining features that make it stand out from the rest of online sportsbooks.
While many other betting providers boast generous bonuses and promotions, none can compare to Caesars. The Caesars Rewards allow users to collect points by placing bets either online or in-person at Caesars Entertainment properties and exchange them for prizes, ranging from free bets to physical rewards.
Besides its generous loyalty program, Caesars also prides itself on offering vast betting markets and competitive odds. We also publish the latest statistics on the NFLPickwatch NFL Leaderboard page.
Caesars Sportsbook Indiana Partner: Tropicana Casino
WynnBET
WynnBET is one of the newer faces in the United States betting world, currently operating in only a handful of states, including Indiana. But despite not being as known as some of the heavyweights of the U.S. betting industry, WynnBET has gained plenty of thumbs up from the betting circles.
Partner of Wynn Resorts and the European betting powerhouse, BetBull, WynnBET is known for the signature, classy and sleek look of its betting platform, which it has carried over to its mobile betting app. Unlike most other sportsbooks, WynnBET offers an app that isn't flashy but rather simple and straightforward.
Instead of introducing something new and unique, WynnBET instead focused on the essentials and built an efficient, fast, and stable mobile betting all mobile bettors will be happy to use.
Despite being recognized as one of the underdogs in the U.S. betting world, WynnBET is on the right track to emerge as one of the top betting providers.
WynnBET Sportsbook Indiana Partner: Rising Star Casino Resort
Popular Sports In Indiana
Indiana is known for many things, but mainly for its successful sports teams, namely the Indiana Colts and the Indiana Pacers. As two highly successful franchises in their respective leagues, the Colts and the Pacers are also two of the most popular teams in the state.
Evidently, basketball and football are big in Indiana, amongst the sports fans, and in the sports betting circles. As reported by the state, a majority of online bets are placed on NFL and NBA games, with the two switching places depending on the time of the year and which games are played.
Beyond the NFL and the NBA, Indiana is also home to a highly successful college football team, Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are by far the most popular sports team in the state – Indiana is green 24/7, 365 days a year.
Even though the NFL and NBA are fairly evenly matched in terms of the number of bets placed on each league, most of Indiana's bets get placed on college football, as the most popular sport in the state.
Due to that, Indiana sportsbooks offer a huge number of lines on all Notre Dame games, as well as special bonuses and promotions for Indiana bettors to take advantage of.
While the Colts, Pacers, and Notre Dame stand out as three of the top teams in Indiana, the Hoosier State is also home to some lesser-known teams in; Ball State, Butler, Indiana State, Purdue, and Indiana University.
While we talk about various sports, Indiana has nearly introduced an option for bettors to bet on esports as one of the fastest-growing betting markets in the world. But, unfortunately, the regulators outright banned esports wagering, largely because some esports players are underage.
Betting Options In Indiana Sportsbooks
As of May 2021, Indiana has 11 different online sportsbooks operating in the state, each with its own mobile betting app. Although the selection is not as large as in some U.S. betting market leading states, Indiana's offer is large enough for anyone to find the right sportsbook for him.
In fact, with 11 sportsbooks, including some of the industry's biggest names, running in the state, you'll be spoiled for choice.
Sports betting options in Indiana are plenty, and there are almost no restrictions on what you can bet on. Even though Indiana doesn't allow for esports betting, that is largely unimportant for most bettors and also the only notable restriction in the state.
While esports betting remains prohibited, betting on in-state college games is not only allowed but thriving in the Hoosier State. In fact, college football betting is one of the most popular betting options amongst Indiana bettors, and a major factor in Indiana's impressive betting handles.
Beyond the relatively open market, Indiana also does not have any restrictions on the bet types available in its online sportsbooks. This part falls to each individual sports betting provider and its offer.
Legislation For Online Sports Betting on Indiana
Indiana has a rough road to legalizing sports betting, as its former Governor, Mike Pence, was strictly opposed to any sort of gambling expansion. However, things became better for sports betting-hungry Indiana residents when Pence got replaced by Eric Holcomb, who took over as the state's governor in January 2017 and took charge of turning Indiana into one of the biggest betting states.
While Holcomb played a significant role in the legalization of sports betting in the state, it wasn't all his doing. The wheels started spinning in the right direction in February 2019, when the Indiana Senate passed Bill 552, which saw countless revisions from the Republicans and Democrats, before the bill finally landed on Holcomb's desk in May 2019.
The bill got signed, giving Indiana the green light to start venturing into the world of sports betting, and to say that the Hoosier State has done an excellent job would be an understatement.
There are states with bigger betting handles, and obviously, there are markets with a wider selection of online sportsbooks than Indiana. But most other U.S. states pale in comparison to Indiana's market accessibility.
In comparison to Illinois, where sportsbooks are subject to a 15% tax rate and a $10 million license fee, Indiana has only a 9.5% tax fee and an annual $50,000 license fee. This also explains why more and more sportsbooks are rushing to enter the highly attractive Indiana's betting market.
Making its market more accessible has already proven to be the right choice. Indiana's estimated $10 million in tax revenue in its first year and $38 million by 2024, and while those are huge numbers, Indiana was off by only one million for its first year.
All in all, the sports betting legalization process in Indiana was relatively smooth, and it seems like the state made all the right decisions to further develop as one of the top betting states in the country.
Indiana Sports Betting Timeline:
February 2018 – Indiana Senate passes Bill 552, beginning the process of the legalization of sports betting.
May 2019 – Gov. Eric Holcomb signs the new gambling bill into law.
September 1, 2019 – Indiana Grand Casino, Ameristar East Chicago, and Hollywood Casino start accepting in-person bets.
September 19, 2019 – 13 casinos in Indiana start accepting retail sports bets.
September 25, 2019 - Rush Street Gaming (owner of BetRivers) becomes Indiana's first online sports betting platform.
October 2019 – BetRivers and DraftKings launch in the state as the first two licensed online
sportsbooks, FanDuel, William Hill, and BetAmerica, follow suit.
September 2020 – From February to September, Indiana welcomes five more sportsbooks in BetMGM, PointsBet, Unibet, theScore, and Caesars Sportsbook, expanding its offer to 10 online sportsbooks.
November 2020 – Indiana reports a betting handle of over $200 million for the third consecutive month.
April 2021 – TwinSpires and WynnBET launch their mobile betting apps in Indiana.
May 2021 – Barstool Sportsbook enters Indiana as the 11th sports betting app.
What to Consider When Shopping For The Best Indiana Online Sportsbooks and Apps
When shopping for an online sportsbook in Indiana, you will be spoiled for choice. With 11 different online sportsbooks available, you can rest assured that you'll find the right one for you, but when picking out the app, you should consider a few things.
When browsing through the available sportsbooks in Indiana, you should always pick the one which has the best odds and the largest selection of betting markets. Although most of the top brands are fairly similar in those two factors, slight differences go a long way in the long run.
If you're planning on betting on football, it makes sense to find a sportsbook that has the best prices on football matches, the most bet types, and the largest market depth. Of course, the same principle holds true for any sport you're planning to bet on.
Beyond searching for the best odds and market selection, you should also consider the different available banking options. The deposit and withdrawal options differ heavily between different sportsbooks, so you should always pick the one that has options best suited for you.
It's also wise to read the fine print and check whether there are any added fees on withdrawals or deposits. While most of the top sportsbooks won't charge you any fees, it's always smart to double-check.
Mobile bettors will naturally want to pick a sportsbook that has a reliable, fast, and stable mobile betting app. Some of the names that stand out are FanDuel and DraftKings; however, those are not the only two sportsbooks with excellent mobile betting apps.
The site's layout and the appearance of the betting app are things to consider, but they should not be the main reason you pick one sportsbook over the other. Even though it's normal for you to choose the mobile betting app that you find attractive, you should never weigh the visuals over the quality of the odds and the market offer of the sportsbook.
Lastly, you should check the loyalty programs, bonuses, and promotions. Most sportsbooks in Indiana will have special promotions ready whenever one of the Indiana sports teams is playing, and those could be a great way to get more value from your betting.
Conclusion
With how Indiana approached legalizing sports betting in the state, it's more than fair to say that its future in the world of online sports betting is bright. By offering one of the lowest licensing fees and desirable tax rates, Indiana is, for many sportsbooks, a hot market, which will help the state prosper into one of the biggest betting markets in the United States.
Beyond the low tax rates and low licensing fees, Indiana also allows for in-state college betting, which was a brilliant choice, considering the popularity of college football. The only negative about Indiana's betting restrictions is that the state doesn't allow for betting on esports, which is a restriction the Hoosier State will want to revisit once the legislators realize how huge the esports betting market is.
Regardless of that, Indiana is an excellent state to be for any online bettor. It offers a large selection of online sportsbooks, which make sure to provide bonuses and promotions on games involving any of Indiana's sports teams, which is just an added bonus Indiana bettors get to enjoy.
All in all, Indiana has done a terrific job in establishing itself as one of the top sports betting markets in the United States. And based on the projections, the market growth is nowhere near done.