Indiana is a Midwestern state that’s best known as the home of the Indy 500 🏎️, but you can also win real money prizes playing sweepstakes poker in the Hoosier State.
For many years, Indiana has also been on a short list of states that the gaming industry and others thought would be among the next to create a regulated space for real money online poker. Expectations were high that an igaming expansion bill would be introduced in 2024. Sadly, a scandal involving a former lawmaker derailed those plans in November 2023.
Despite the setback, there is good news — Hoosiers can still play online poker in their home state! We recommend playing sweepstakes poker, where you can win real cash prizes.
We recommend Sweepstakes online poker in the Hoosier State Sweepstakes poker sites are a popular (and legal) choice for players in Indiana and other states without a regulated market for real money online poker. Sweepstakes sites host tournaments on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. They also have ring games and sit-and-go (SNG) tourneys. Until a regulated market for real money online poker exists, we recommend sweepstakes online poker.
The sweepstakes online poker site we recommend in Indiana is Clubs Poker. It follows the so-called “modern sweepstakes” model (which we explain later in this guide) and offers players a chance to win real money prizes. You will find ring games and tournaments on Clubs Poker.
Several free-play poker apps and websites are also available to Hoosiers. These are recommended for anyone who wants to play online poker for free, but they’re also great for beginning players because they offer a place for them to learn all about the game without spending any money.
Can I play online poker in Indiana?
Yes, you can play online poker from anywhere in the Hoosier State! You can play for real money prizes or you can play for free.
If you’re looking for an online poker experience that closely resembles a real cash game, we recommend playing sweepstakes online poker — where you can win prizes that can be redeemed for real money. On the other hand, if you’re looking to play for free, there are free-play sites and free-play apps available for download from anywhere in Indiana.
| Online Poker in Indiana: Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| 📢 What’s Legal | Social poker, including free-play and sweepstakes sites |
| ✨ Main Highlights | Sweepstakes poker has daily tournaments, players can win real money |
| 🔮Real Money Online Poker (Regulated) |
Legislation could be introduced as early as 2025 |
| 🃏 Available Games | No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and mixed game variants |
| 🔞 Legal Age | Players must be at least 18 years of age |
| 👥 IN Population | 6.9 Million (ranks 17th) |
The Best Online Poker Sites in Indiana
We expect that efforts to create a regulated market for real money online poker in Indiana will resume at some point. Until then, if you’re looking for an online poker experience that closely resembles playing in a real cash game, we recommend sweepstakes poker sites. On the other hand, if you’re a new player or you just want to play for free, there are several free-play apps and sites available for players in Indiana.
You can win real money prizes by playing sweepstakes poker. It’s important to know up front that the term “sweepstakes poker” can mean two types of online poker site: subscription-based sites and so-called “modern” sweepstakes sites.
How are subscription and modern sweepstakes poker sites different? Subscription sites are pretty straightforward — for a monthly fee, players can enter tournaments and win prizes redeemable for real money. Under the modern sweepstakes model, players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and receive Sweeps Coins as a gift. Sweeps Coins are considered entries into a sweepstakes — players use them to access ring games and tournaments, which award prizes that can be converted into real money.
We recommend Clubs Poker for modern sweepstakes poker. Players will also find subscription-based poker in Indiana. Here are short descriptions for three sites legally available to Hoosiers:
Clubs Poker
Clubs Poker is a new online poker site that follows the modern sweepstakes model. Although the poker room is new, we expect that it will one day grow to become the best room in the US.
We recommend Clubs Poker because it runs on modern software and has top-notch features. The platform also offers a wide variety of mixed game poker variants. Recreational players will find the site appealing, so we expect there will be plenty of soft games. Clubs Poker is a US company, with its headquarters in Philadelphia.
Read our full review of Clubs Poker »
ClubWPT
ClubWPT is a popular subscription-based poker site based in California. The site hosts tournaments on a daily basis that offer prizes redeemable for real money. It also has two tiers for paid monthly memberships.
Sit-and-go (SNG) and ring games are offered by ClubWPT, but ring games are only available in play money mode, so players can’t win real money prizes through ring games. Some tournaments offer players a chance to win entry to events on the popular World Poker Tour.
Read our full review of ClubWPT »
Global Poker
Global Poker also follows the modern sweepstakes model, which means players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and they receive Sweeps Coins as a gift. Sweeps Coins are used to access sweepstakes tables, and these are where players can win prizes that can be converted into real money.
The operator, which is headquartered in Australia, offers regular MTT series that feature large guarantees and special prizes for winners. Global Poker is known for awarding its tournament winners custom-made trophies, swag, and unique avatars, among other things.
Read our full review of Global Poker »
Free-Play Poker in Indiana
Hoosiers also have the option of playing online poker for free. Players can download free-play apps or visit free-play poker sites to play online poker without spending any money. Free-play poker sites are great options for new players or for anyone still learning the game.
Zynga Poker, Replay Poker, and Governor of Poker are three of the more popular free-play sites. Facebook and other social media platforms also offer online poker for free.
There are other options, too. PokerStars and WSOP, two popular real money online poker operators, also have free versions of their online poker product. They offer free-play versions with the hope that once new players become more comfortable with playing poker, they will migrate to their “paid” sites, assuming the players live in a state with regulated real money online poker.
It should be noted that while we recommend free-play sites to new players, such sites have limited value in developing a winning online poker strategy because there isn’t any real money at stake.
Real Money Online Poker in Indiana
As mentioned at the beginning of this guide, Indiana has long been a state that the gaming industry and its supporters considered to be one of the next states to expand igaming beyond mobile sports betting, which launched in September 2019.
Lawmakers introduced bills to legalize online poker and casino gaming during the 2021, 2022, and 2023 legislative sessions, but every bill submitted eventually died in committee.
Attitudes toward expanded igaming appeared to be softening by 2022, when Spectrum Gaming Group released a study that found online poker and casino gaming wouldn’t cannibalize revenue from the state’s land-based casinos.
Unfortunately, any aspirations that Indiana lawmakers could introduce an igaming expansion bill in 2024 were upended by one of their own. A former lawmaker admitted to federal investigators in late 2023 that he had taken a bribe from a gaming company.
The scandal reverberated through the entire Indiana General Assembly, with House and Senate leaders agreeing that the scandal made the introduction of any igaming expansion bills in 2024 a non-starter. Consequently, it will be at least 2025 before lawmakers introduce a new bill to establish a regulated real money online poker market in the Hoosier State.
Multi-State Online Poker in Indiana
The most recent igaming expansion bill, submitted during the 2023 session, called for allowing Indiana to join a multi-state gaming compact for poker. Indiana would likely join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), a compact for multi-state online poker that currently includes Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia.
Membership in such a compact is considered vital to the success of online poker in small markets. Indiana would be considered a mid-size market for online poker.
The Hoosier State ranks 17th in population with 6.9 million residents. Compared to the MSIGA states, Indiana is larger than Delaware (1 million residents), West Virginia (1.8 million), and Nevada (3.2 million), but smaller than New Jersey (9.3 million) and Michigan (10 million).
Poker Sites Likely to Launch in Indiana
If Indiana were to join MSIGA, operators in the state would be able to combine their player pools with other states in the compact. Additionally, online poker players in Indiana would be able to play against those running the same platform in other states. Shared liquidity between the states would lead to more prizes and larger prize pools.
BetMGM Poker, PokerStars, and WSOP are all very likely interested in Indiana, provided the tax rate isn’t too high — the most recent igaming expansion bill, from the 2023 session, proposed a 20% tax rate.
The following network setups are purely speculative, but are based on existing partnerships for sports betting and the verbiage of the last failed bill to set up a regulated market for real money online poker:
| Operator | Potential Indiana Partnership | Hypothetical Network Plans |
|---|---|---|
| PokerStars USA | Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa is the most likely partner because the riverboat casino is already partnered with FanDuel for mobile sports betting. | A three-state network across IN-MI-NJ would be the most likely setup at this early stage. |
| BetMGM Poker | Another riverboat, Belterra Casino Resort, is already partnered with BetMGM for sports betting in Indiana. | The operator could make a four-state network that includes IN-MI-NJ-NV, but it would first need to combine its players pools in MI and NJ and launch in NV. |
| WSOP Online | Potential partners include two casinos, Horseshoe Hammond and Caesars Southern Indiana, and a racino, Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Caesars owns WSOP. | Could create a four-state network across IN-MI-NJ-NV. That seems the most likely setup at this stage, especially since the operator lost access to DE in late 2023. |
| BetRivers Poker | A real money online poker platform in development by Rush Street Interactive (RSI). BetRivers, RSI’s flagship brand, is partnered with Frenck Lick Resort for mobile sports betting. | RSI will most likely initially launch BetRivers Poker in more populous states than Indiana, but a three-state network across IN-MI-NJ is possible from the outset. |
PokerStars Indiana
PokerStars is locked in tight competition with its rivals and would likely be one of the first real money online poker operators to launch in Indiana.
The operator could gain access to the state through FanDuel, another Flutter brand. FanDuel operates retail sportsbooks at Belterra Casino Resort and Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa. FanDuel also runs an online sportsbook through Blue Chip.
PokerStars is the world’s largest (and arguably the best-known) online poker operator, so its arrival in Indiana would be a big deal. It’s also a familiar brand in the US, having launched in New Jersey in 2016, Pennsylvania in 2019, and Michigan in 2021. The operator combined its Michigan and New Jersey player pools on January 1, 2023.
BetMGM Poker Indiana
BetMGM currently runs an online sportsbook at Belterra Casino Resort and would likely also offer online poker (and casino gaming) through the Belterra license.
Although BetMGM is also a well-known online poker brand in the US — with operations in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania — it is currently not engaged in multi-state poker. Instead, each state on the BetMGM Poker US Network functions as a state-specific network, where BetMGM shares liquidity with Borgata and partypoker regulated sites in the same states.
It’s unclear how long the status quo will last. BetMGM needs regulatory approval before it can combine its Michigan and New Jersey player pools. The operator is working toward launching in Nevada and has also expressed interest in West Virginia, making a five-state BetMGM Poker US network a possibility.
WSOP Indiana
WSOP is another big and well-known online poker brand with operations in Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It owns the iconic World Series of Poker and has been running the successful tournament for more than five decades.
There are several potential partners for WSOP in Indiana. It’s owned by Caesars, which operates retail sportsbooks at two casinos, Horseshoe Hammond and Caesars Southern Indiana, and a retail sportsbook at a racino, Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Caesars also operates a mobile sportsbook through Horseshoe and Harrah’s.
The operator has online poker rooms in Michigan, New Jersey, and Nevada — where WSOP NV is currently the only regulated real money online poker platform in the state. WSOP combined its player pools across Michigan, Nevada, and New Jersey in May 2024. A four-state network that includes Indiana is a possibility.
BetRivers Poker Indiana
BetRivers Poker is an online poker platform currently in development by Rush Street Interactive (RSI). A launch sometime in 2024 is expected.
RSI currently runs a mobile sportsbook under the land-based casino license of the French Lick Resort and is a partner for the retail sportsbook there. The online sportsbook is branded as BetRivers, which is the Chicago-based company’s flagship brand.
It’s very likely that RSI would initially launch BetRivers Poker in the largest regulated markets that it can. Michigan and New Jersey would top that list since both are members of MSIGA. A multi-state launch of BetRivers Poker also seems likely. Online poker players in Indiana are more likely to see BetRivers Poker if the Hoosier State also joined MSIGA.
Indiana Online Poker FAQ
Is online poker legal in Indiana?
Yes, you can play online poker anywhere in the Hoosier State! We recommend sweepstakes poker sites for players looking to win prizes that can be redeemed for real money. For players looking to play online poker without spending any money, we recommend free-play poker sites.
Does Indiana have real money online poker?
No, Indiana does not have a regulated market for real money online poker. Lawmakers have been trying to pass a bill that would set up such a market, but since 2021 those efforts have fallen short. Until Indiana has real money online poker, we recommend playing sweepstakes poker sites — they offer a legal alternative to real money online poker and offer real money prizes.
Does Indiana have modern sweepstakes poker?
Yes, Indiana has sweepstakes online poker sites that follow the modern sweepstakes model. Players use real money under this model to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and receive Sweeps Coins as a gift. Gold Coins have no monetary value and can only be used for play money games, but players use Sweeps Coins to get a seat at sweepstakes tables, where they can win real money prizes. The modern sweepstakes poker site we recommend is Clubs Poker.
Can I play ring games online in Indiana?
Yes, Clubs Poker has ring games for players. Since Clubs Poker is a modern sweepstakes poker site, players will need a certain number of Sweeps Coins before they can get access to tables that offer real money prizes.
Are subscription poker sites available in Indiana?
Yes, online poker players in Indiana have access to subscription-based poker sites. For a monthly fee, players can access tables that offer prizes that can be converted to real money.
Are there online poker tournaments in Indiana?
Yes, poker players in Indiana will find online poker tournaments every day on Clubs Poker. There are many different types of games available, including No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLH), Horse, Five-Card Stud, and Pot Limit Omaha.
What types of poker games are available online?
Many tournaments on Clubs Poker are NLH, but there are also variants like Omaha Hi-Lo. Bounty tournaments, sit-and-go (SNG) tournaments, and progressive knockout tournaments (PKOs) can also be found on Clubs Poker.
Is PokerStars legal in Indiana?
No, PokerStars and the other top online poker operators in the US — BetMGM and WSOP — are not currently legal in Indiana. But all three operators, plus BetRivers Poker, have market access in the state and could quickly open online poker rooms through land-based gaming properties they are already partnered with for online sports betting.
Will Indiana regulate online poker anytime soon?
Efforts to create a regulated market for real money online poker date back to 2021, but have so far been unsuccessful. It’s possible that lawmakers could pass an igaming expansion bill in 2025.
Why didn’t lawmakers consider poker legislation in 2024?
A very public corruption scandal involving a former state lawmaker erupted in late 2023. The former lawmaker admitted to federal investigators that he took a bribe from a gaming company. The scandal shook confidence in expanded igaming, with House and Senate leaders both pledging in 2023 that they would not introduce new legislation for online poker in 2024.
Can I play online poker on offshore sites?
Playing online poker on sites based offshore is not recommended because they don’t offer the same level of consumer protection as legal, regulated sites in the US. Players that disclose their personal information when playing on offshore sites are at risk of identity theft. Federal officials have warned US citizens not to play poker on offshore sites because they have no recourse to collect winnings owed to them.