WASHINGTON, DC – Following testimony submitted today on Indiana House Bill 1052, the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) is urging lawmakers to carefully consider the impact of banning Social Plus games, a lawful category of free-to-play and freemium online social games with sweepstakes promotions enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers.
“Social Plus games are a safe, legal form of entertainment that has been operating responsibly in Indiana since 2012,” said Sean Ostrow, Managing Director of the SGLA. “HB 1052, as currently written, would criminalize law-abiding businesses while doing little to stop illegal operators who exploit consumers. The hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers who enjoy these games deserve a regulated environment that protects them and preserves choice.”
Social Plus platforms are free-to-play, restricted to players 21+, and equipped with robust consumer protections, including age and identity verification, responsible social gameplay tools, geolocation, and secure handling of consumer data. Optional in-game purchases enhance the experience, but no purchase is ever required to play the games.
At the hearing, Dan Marks, Chief Financial Officer of ARB Interactive, explained: “HB 1052 is an overly broad attempt to protect consumers from bad actors that will continue to prey on consumers whether the bill is passed or not. If it does pass, consumers will be in more danger as legitimate companies like ARB cease operations and our players drift to offshore sites that operate illegally.”
At the hearing, Lloyd Melnick, Chief Growth Officer at VGW, also testified in support of sensible regulation that safeguards consumers while keeping legal operators in the state. Melnick also noted that there has been “a near constant pace of innovation in gaming and entertainment overall and Social Plus games benefit players by giving them a broad range of fun, safe entertainment.” He added that HB 1052, as written, would signal that Indiana is not open to digital innovation and competition.
SGLA has also proposed a regulatory framework that would generate over $20 million in annual revenue for Indiana through player purchase taxes and operator registration fees, while enforcing strict age verification, data privacy, and responsible gameplay protections.
“Responsible regulation, rather than a ban, is the pragmatic pathway forward,” Ostrow continued. “We are ready to work with Indiana legislators to protect consumers, support local businesses, and provide meaningful tax revenue while keeping these popular games accessible to adults.”
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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