WASHINGTON, DC – As HB 1052, a bill that would ban online social games with sweepstakes promotions, or Social Plus games, moves to a conference committee to address differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill, the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) is highlighting two recent articles that call out why banning, rather than regulating and taxing, Social Plus games is the wrong approach for Indiana, where the industry could generate more than $20 million annually in state revenue through player purchase taxes and operator registration fees.
- CasinoBeats, “ARB Interactive CEO Patrick Fechtmeyer: Indiana Should Tax & Regulate Sweepstakes Gaming,” Feb. 18, 2026
On modernizing sweepstakes laws: “I’ve argued for this idea of modernizing sweepstakes laws. Sweepstakes laws were written a long time ago, before the internet age had ever come about, mainly for mailing stuff in and other promotions that don’t exist now with digital economies and digital tokens. All these things that just didn’t exist are not explicit in sweepstakes law, so it leaves room for a lot of interpretation.” ARB Interactive CEO Patrick Fechtmeyer
On illegal operators: “If you look at a state like California banning this, the people celebrating the most are probably not the San Manuel tribe, who lobbied heavily for a ban. It’s probably actually offshore operators.” ARB Interactive CEO Patrick Fechtmeyer
On consumer protections: “I’m a big believer in consumer protection, so our company has plenty of protections built in, age verification, AML, geolocation, and responsible play tools that people can easily access.” ARB Interactive CEO Patrick Fechtmeyer
- Americans for Tax Reform, “Indiana Should Not Ban Sweepstakes Games,” Feb. 13, 2026
On industry bans: “A ban on an industry also means a ban on jobs, a ban on economic activity, a ban on any consumer benefit. It is an extreme measure, a serious move that at the very least should not be rushed.” Americans for Tax Reform
On Indiana economic impact: “With 10 million players across the country, 220,000 in Indiana, sweepstakes games specifically generate $12 billion in annual sales. Their trade association estimates that under a sensible tax rate, they would generate around $20 million in revenue for the state.” Americans for Tax Reform
The SGLA urges Indiana to stop the ban on Social Plus games and instead pursue policies that expand economic opportunity and preserve access to popular forms of digital entertainment for all Hoosiers.
To learn more about SGLA, please visit our website at www.SGLeadership.org and our social channels at LinkedIn, X, and Facebook.
Contact
Laurie Rossbach
Partner, Seven Letter
202.258.7810
Laurie@SevenLetter.com
About the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance
The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) champions social gaming operators who offer innovative, free-to-play entertainment experiences enjoyed by millions of Americans while promoting responsible digital entertainment. Our partners set the standard for innovation, world class games and the responsible use of digital marketing including sweepstakes promotions. We advocate for appropriate oversight that recognizes the unique entertainment value of Social Plus games, protects players, platforms and the community, and promotes responsible gameplay.
The SGLA’s operator partners are VGW, PLAYSTUDIOS, Yellow Social Interactive, ARB Interactive and B-Two Operations, representing Chumba Casino, Luckyland Slots, Global Poker, Pulsz, Pulsz Bingo, Modo Casino, McLuck, HelloMillions and SpinBlitz. Other partners include major payments provider Nuvei. The SGLA’s advocacy and standards focus exclusively on Social Plus games. Our advocacy does not extend to operators offering sports products or transacting in cryptocurrency.
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