What Is Mike Pence’s Stance On Gambling?

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Thursday, August 11th, 2016 | Written by Charles Washington

Donald Trump’s casino-owning background initially raised hope amongst some iPoker legalization proponents that his candidacy would mean a greater possibility of a pro-gambling advocate ending up in the White House. Others, however, were more skeptical due to the fact Sheldon Adelson, a long-time critic of online casino games, is one of Trump’s biggest supporters. Now, there is further evidence to support the assertion that a Trump presidency may not be as pro-poker as many had hoped as the billionaire Republican Presidential nominee has named Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate.

Evidence of an Anti-Gambling Stance

Indiana has long been a state in love with gambling, and when Mike Pence became Governor in January 2013, Indiana already had in place a state lottery, a horse racing industry with pari-mutuel betting, and riverboat casinos. While Pence subsequently made no move to place new restrictions or regulations on gambling, by October 2014, he did, however, make it known that he had no intentions of making Indiana more open to gambling, either. Furthermore, Pence went on record as saying that he would support the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA), which sought to place a federal ban on online gambling.

Action By Inaction?

Pence has presented himself as a Christian conservative, which to him appears to mean having to oppose gambling. That doesn’t mean that gambling has been completely held back in Indiana with him as governor, though. In 2015, two pieces of gambling expansion legislation went from bill to law because the Governor did not sign or veto them.

The first law allowed riverboat casino operators to open facilities on land, and permit negotiation of gaming agreements with tribes located in Indiana. With the second law, the Horse Racing Commission received more leeway on how it could use breed development funds, gaining the ability to use the money to promote horse racing through advertising and marketing campaigns. Pence subsequently shed further light on his decision by stating that his views against a gambling expansion were well-known, but that he recognized the importance the industry held for both Indiana’s economy and state budget. Elaborating further, Pence said:

“From early in the legislative process, I made it clear that I would not stand in the way of reforms that would allow these businesses to remain competitive with surrounding states so long as it did not constitute an expansion of gaming in Indiana. HEA 1540 and SEA 252 meet this standard and, as such, I will permit them to become law without signature.”

Plausible Deniability

Nevertheless, many analysts have speculated that Pence did not sign or veto the bills so that he had plausible deniability. In other words, he could easily say that he didn’t support the legislation without having to actually move against it and risk upsetting the casino and horse racing industries in the state.

In addition, Pence did sign a daily fantasy sports regulating bill earlier in 2016, but this legislation classified the betting as a game of skill, not as gambling. Therefore, this is likely why Pence felt that he could support it.

Pence Against Online Wagering

In 2015, Pence also vetoed a bill called the House Enrolled Act 1270, which passed in the General Assembly and would have allowed Indiana residents to deposit funds with online companies, who would subsequently have placed horse racing wagers on their behalf. This would have made it unnecessary for gamblers to personally visit horse tracks to gamble, and as he explained at the time:

“This legislation is contrary to my longtime position against online gaming. Advance-deposit wagering, not currently permitted in Indiana, would also violate my position on expanding gaming here in Indiana.”

What Effect Would Pence Have as VP?

While the fact that Pence’s record on online poker may be concerning to some, the truth is that even if he ends up with an office in the White House, he is unlikely to have much of an impact on the matter. There does not seem to be a willingness in the legislature to pass a federal law banning online poker, and short of that, the decisions about online gaming expansion will be left up to the individual states. In other words, Pence becoming VP might end up being a good thing for Hoosiers who are hoping to be able to play poker online.