New Delhi, July 2 -- INDIANAPOLIS - On the morning of July 1, thousands of Indiana residents opened their apps and found their sweepstakes casino accounts gone. Balances built up over months of play at Chumba Casino, McLuck, Stake.us, and more than a dozen other platforms had been zeroed out or converted in a rushed round of operator exits through June, leaving players scrambling for refunds and, in many cases, holding coins they may never recover.

The shutdowns were not a surprise. House Bill 1052, signed by Governor Mike Braun on March 13, gave operators 110 days to exit the state before civil penalties of up to $100,000 per violation began. The Indiana Gaming Commission now has authority to fine companies that continue serving Indiana...