Indiana's sweepstakes ban skips poker: what HB 1052 means for Clubs Poker players

Indiana's House Bill 1052 became Public Law 153 on Mar 12, 2026, and its sweepstakes section took effect on Jul 1, 2026. It sets penalties for online sweepstakes games that simulate lottery or casino-style gaming. Its definition leaves out one thing by name: "peer to peer skill-based poker games". Here's what that means for Clubs Poker players in Indiana, and what we still can't confirm.

What the law says

• The enrolled act defines a "sweepstakes game" as an internet game using two or more currencies that "simulates (A) lottery games; or (B) casino-style gaming, including slot machines, video poker, table games, bingo, or sports wagering."
• The same definition continues: "However, the term does not include a game, contest, or promotion offered by the state lottery commission or peer to peer skill-based poker games."
• The enrolled text sets a civil penalty of $100,000.
• The poker exception wasn't in the version the House committee passed. It was added later, before the bill was enrolled.

We're quoting the law, not interpreting it. Whether a particular site falls inside or outside it is a question for a lawyer.

What Clubs Poker's own documents say

Clubs Poker's Sweepstakes Official Rules, updated Jun 30, 2026, exclude 13 states, and Indiana isn't one of them. Clubs' Terms of Use, updated as of the same date, cover both Clubs Poker and Clubs Casino. They say "certain Games or Services" aren't available in a list of states that does include Indiana. We re-checked both documents on Oct 15, 2026, and neither has changed since Jun 30.

What reports say Clubs changed

GlobalPokerSites reported on Jun 30, 2026 that, effective Jul 1, "Indiana: poker stays, casino goes", meaning Clubs Poker remained available in Indiana and Clubs Casino didn't. Pokerfuse, writing about the bill on Mar 20, 2026, said sweepstakes poker had avoided the ban and named Clubs Poker among the sites it expected to carry on in Indiana. We haven't seen Clubs' original notice ourselves, so the Clubs Casino removal is as those reports describe it.

Other lists disagree

Some sweepstakes directory sites list Clubs Poker as not available in Indiana. That doesn't match the law's poker exception, Clubs Poker's Sweepstakes Rules or the reports above. Pokerfuse's sweepstakes guide notes that poker availability in Indiana can differ from casino availability, and that some operators chose to leave Indiana anyway. So check each site's own terms, not a third-party list.

What we do on this site

Our state picker shows the Clubs Poker link to visitors who pick Indiana, because Clubs Poker takes players there under its own Sweepstakes Rules. That's our reading of Clubs' documents, not a legal conclusion. Our Clubs Poker state list has the 13 excluded states and the sources. If Clubs Poker changes its rules for Indiana, we'll update both pages, with the date.

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