By DEANNA MARTIN

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — A Senate committee approved a proposal Monday that supporters say would crack down on illegal gambling statewide by stepping up enforcement and enacting stricter penalties.

The Senate Rules Committee voted 12-0 for the bill, which would set aside money to hire 25 more state excise enforcement officers to investigate illegal gambling, including electronic machines sometimes called “Cherry Masters.”

The legislation would also create a special prosecutor to handle gambling cases, and would increase penalties to include the possible revocation of licenses for selling tobacco, alcohol or lottery products.

Daniel Gangler, with the Indiana Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, said the bill would step up enforcement against one of the most addictive types of gambling.

“Slot machines are considered the crack cocaine of the industry,” he said. “They can put people into a habit of gambling very quickly.”

Cherry Masters look like slot machines, but gaming experts say they are unfair to players and can be programmed to pay far less than a typical slot machine.

Although the bill would outlaw such unregulated machines, the Legislature could still allow regulated, fair video gaming machines if it chose to do so, said Rep. Trent Van Haaften, D-Mount Vernon. He said that lawmakers may debate that option as the bill moves through the legislative process, but estimated that there were not enough votes in the House for such a measure to pass.

“I think that question’s still floating out there,” Van Haaften said.

Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels has said he opposes a net expansion of gambling, but has not given specifics on what that means.

Another bill being considered by the General Assembly would allow up to 1,500 slot machines at each of Indiana’s two horse racing tracks.

If that bill and the bill that cleared the rules committee Monday both pass, the state would see an overall reduction in gambling, said Ernie Yelton, executive director of the Indiana Gaming Commission.

The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

If it passes the Senate in its current form, the bill would return to the House for consideration of Senate changes. The House could either approve the Senate version and send it to the governor, or it could end up in a joint House-Senate conference committee, where a compromise would be sought.