The Indiana Gaming Commission says it does not foresee a significant effect on its operations after ex-State Rep. Sean Eberhart’s guilty plea in federal court to corruption charges.
Eberhart of Shelbyville pleaded guilty to charges that he accepted a role at Spectacle Gaming for an annual salary of $350,000 in exchange for supporting Gaming Bill HEA 1015 in 2019. This bill, which had a significant effect on the gaming industry in Indiana, was at the center of the corruption charge.
In light of Eberhart’s guilty plea, leading state legislators have decided to exclude gaming-related bills from the 2024 session’s agenda. This decision underscores Indiana’s cautious approach to gaming legislation after the corruption case. House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray have agreed with the decision.
“It taints the Statehouse. It diminishes the confidence that people have in the integrity of the Statehouse. It causes an awful lot of problems, and it makes it particularly difficult to engage in that kind of policy,” Bray told reporters in November.
The IGC agreed with the decision not to bring forward new gambling legislation. The Commission’s response suggests a focus on ensuring the integrity of the gaming industry in Indiana rather than seeking legislative changes in the immediate future.
Commission Deputy Director Jennifer Reske also has indicated that it has, and will continue, to assist the DOJ in its investigation into Eberhart’s dealings with Spectacle.
“We very much admire the work of the Department of Justice and the things they’re doing — not only here but in other states — to fight public corruption, and we’ll continue to be as supportive as we can,” Reske told WFYI in Indianapolis,
