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Indiana criminal charge

Professional gambling; professional gambling over the Internet in Indiana

Current through 2026 Indiana legislative session

Professional gambling; professional gambling over the Internet is a criminal offense under Indiana law, defined by Ind. Code § 35-45-5-3. Its classification is not fixed: Indiana assigns a different penalty class depending on the circumstances of the offense. The class that applies — and the sentencing range that follows from it — depends on which statutory variant fits the facts.

Defined by Ind. Code § 35-45-5-3.

What is the penalty for professional gambling; professional gambling over the internet in Indiana?

Penalties for Professional gambling; professional gambling over the Internet
PenaltyRangeBasisAuthority
Jail / prison6 months to 30 months (Professional gambling — A person knowingly or intentionally engages in pool-selling, bookmaking, maintaining prohibited gambling devices accessible to the public, conducting lotteries or numbers games, conducting banking or percentage games, or accepting money risked in gambling for profit.; fixed term; advisory sentence 1 year; court may enter judgment of conviction as a Class A misdemeanor in limited circumstances (IC 35-50-2-7(c)))presumptiveInd. Code § 35-50-2-7
Fineup to $10,000 (Professional gambling — A person knowingly or intentionally engages in pool-selling, bookmaking, maintaining prohibited gambling devices accessible to the public, conducting lotteries or numbers games, conducting banking or percentage games, or accepting money risked in gambling for profit.)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-2-7
Jail / prison1 years to 6 years (Professional gambling — prior conviction — The offense described in subsection (a) is committed by a person who has a prior unrelated conviction under subsection (a).; fixed term; advisory sentence 3 years)presumptiveInd. Code § 35-50-2-6
Fineup to $10,000 (Professional gambling — prior conviction — The offense described in subsection (a) is committed by a person who has a prior unrelated conviction under subsection (a).)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-2-6
Jail / prison6 months to 30 months (Professional gambling over the Internet — An operator knowingly or intentionally uses the Internet to engage in pool-selling, bookmaking, maintain online equivalents of prohibited gambling devices, conduct lotteries or numbers games, conduct banking or percentage games, or accept money risked in gambling for profit, in Indiana or in a transaction directly involving a person located in Indiana.; fixed term; advisory sentence 1 year; court may enter judgment of conviction as a Class A misdemeanor in limited circumstances (IC 35-50-2-7(c)))presumptiveInd. Code § 35-50-2-7
Fineup to $10,000 (Professional gambling over the Internet — An operator knowingly or intentionally uses the Internet to engage in pool-selling, bookmaking, maintain online equivalents of prohibited gambling devices, conduct lotteries or numbers games, conduct banking or percentage games, or accept money risked in gambling for profit, in Indiana or in a transaction directly involving a person located in Indiana.)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-2-7

Applies to offenses committed after June 30, 2014 (P.L.158-2013).

How is professional gambling; professional gambling over the internet classified in Indiana?

The classification depends on the circumstances:

Classification variants for Professional gambling; professional gambling over the Internet
VariantClassificationWhen it appliesStatute
Professional gamblingLevel 6 FelonyA person knowingly or intentionally engages in pool-selling, bookmaking, maintaining prohibited gambling devices accessible to the public, conducting lotteries or numbers games, conducting banking or percentage games, or accepting money risked in gambling for profit.Ind. Code § 35-45-5-3(a)
Professional gambling — prior convictionLevel 5 FelonyThe offense described in subsection (a) is committed by a person who has a prior unrelated conviction under subsection (a).Ind. Code § 35-45-5-3(a)
Professional gambling over the InternetLevel 6 FelonyAn operator knowingly or intentionally uses the Internet to engage in pool-selling, bookmaking, maintain online equivalents of prohibited gambling devices, conduct lotteries or numbers games, conduct banking or percentage games, or accept money risked in gambling for profit, in Indiana or in a transaction directly involving a person located in Indiana.Ind. Code § 35-45-5-3(b)

Common questions about professional gambling; professional gambling over the internet in Indiana

Is professional gambling; professional gambling over the Internet a felony or a misdemeanor in Indiana?

It depends on the circumstances: professional gambling; professional gambling over the Internet ranges from a Level 6 Felony to a Level 5 Felony in Indiana under Ind. Code § 35-45-5-3.

Professional gambling: Level 6 Felony (Ind. Code § 35-45-5-3(a)) · Professional gambling — prior conviction: Level 5 Felony (Ind. Code § 35-45-5-3(a)) · Professional gambling over the Internet: Level 6 Felony (Ind. Code § 35-45-5-3(b))

What are the penalties for professional gambling; professional gambling over the Internet in Indiana?

Penalties for professional gambling; professional gambling over the Internet in Indiana depend on how it is classified — from a Level 6 Felony up to a Level 5 Felony — with the ranges set by Ind. Code § 35-50-2-7 and Ind. Code § 35-50-2-6; the full table of ranges by variant is published on this page.

Which Indiana statute covers professional gambling; professional gambling over the Internet?

Professional gambling; professional gambling over the Internet is governed by Ind. Code § 35-45-5-3 (Professional gambling; professional gambling over the Internet).

Legal terms used in this law

This reference is informational and is not legal advice. Penalty ranges are the statutory classification ranges; sentencing in a specific case depends on its facts and history.