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Indiana lawmakers halt online lottery expansion

The Hoosier Lottery won’t be adding online games anytime soon.

Lawmakers added new language to state law that stops expansion into iLottery without their authorization.

The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette broke the news halfway through session that the lottery was deep into plans to add online games.

Many legislators weren’t pleased. And so they weighed in, legislatively, in HB 1260, as Rep. Dan Leonard (R-Huntington) explained.

“The General Assembly would have control over and oversight over expansion of gaming,” Leonard said.

READ MORE: Some of the 2022 legislative session's biggest issues defined by Republicans vs. Republicans

Join the conversation and sign up for the Indiana Two-Way. Text "Indiana" to 73224. Your comments and questions in response to our weekly text help us find the answers you need on statewide issues. Trying to follow along with our coverage of the legislative session? We've compiled all the stories our reporters have published by bill number and topic here.

The measure doesn’t stop the lottery from offering a free promotional or interactive game online.

But they can’t offer online scratch-off games, anything through a video terminal, or any online casino-style games.

Some lawmakers indicated they’re willing to discuss allowing the lottery to move into online games next session.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Copyright 2022 IPB News. To see more, visit .

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.