Indiana sports betting becomes legal Sunday, 2 facilities open Sept. 12 near Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Sports betting will be legal in Indiana beginning Sunday, and the state's casinos are ready.

The Indiana Gaming Commission voted Wednesday to approve sports wagering regulations, becoming the 12th state with sports betting when a state law adopted this spring takes effect Sept. 1. Eleven of the state's 13 casinos and all three off-track betting parlors had previously received temporary sports betting licenses.

Bettors will be able to place wagers on football, basketball, golf and more than 100 other sporting events throughout the year.

Indiana's casinos hope to attract gamblers from Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio, where sports betting is not yet allowed.

At least three Indiana casinos, those in East Chicago, Shelbyville and near Cincinnati, plan the opening of on-site sports wagering areas Sunday. Some others plan similar openings before the NFL season kicks off on Sept. 5.

"There's no hiding it," said Kyle Waggoner, the vice president of hospitality at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino. "The football season is by far the busiest time in sports books. And the atmosphere that's created around the NFL and college football is pretty exciting stuff."

Horseshoe Southern Indiana in Elizabeth will open "The Book" on Sept. 12. It will open on the riverboat portion of the casino until it can be moved to the new building being built on land.

The Winner's Circle Off Track Betting in Clarksville will also offer sports betting. The facility located on Eastern Boulevard in the parking lot of the old Value City will open Sept. 12.

The Winner's Circle is making some changes in preparation of launching sports betting. First, the age limit changed. In the horse racing world, you can be 18 or older to wager, Waggoner said. But now, a person must be 21 in order to enter.

The building is also getting some upgrades to the facility with new furniture, some shuffle board and foosball tables, and several more televisions. Waggoner said the atmosphere will have a lot more energy.

"It's going to be an awesome atmosphere, something different than what I think that community has ever seen," he said. "It's going to be younger, and they're going to be more enthusiastic about sports."

Another change will be that the hours of operation can be flexible.

"We'll be cognizant of what sporting events will be on late at night," Waggoner said. "And if we have a good crowd, and a lot of folks are interested in betting on the game, we'll stay open and make sure we take care of our guests."

Waggoner also expects that many visitors will be coming from outside Indiana.

"With Kentucky still not legalizing sports betting, we kind of have the upper hand," he said. "We see it as a major opportunity to pull from the Kentucky market."

But a Kentucky lawmaker wants to make sports betting legal at horse racing tracks. State Sen. Julian Carroll pre-filed legislation this week. The proposals build on two bills he already filed, which never got a hearing in the last two legislative sessions.

Carroll's new proposal would also allow people to place bets at off-track wagering facilities. He said the revenue would be used to fund education and the Kentucky Retirement Systems.