Sports betting is back on the table in Minnesota as the legislature is working on passing the Minnesota Sports Betting Act, which would finally see the practice made legal in the state, after legislatures failed to get it done last year.
During failed talks last year state lawmakers went back and forth on who they would allow to offer sports betting, with DFL lawmakers wanting the tribes to have sole control and Republicans wanting to include the state’s two race tracks.
Many critics of state lawmakers’ failure to act have pointed to surrounding states that have passed legislation legalizing sports betting. They say other states are getting revenue from Minnesotans crossing the border to gamble. Meanwhile Minnesota loses out on potential revenue.
“Since the United States Supreme Court struck down federal law in 2018 that prohibited sports betting, other states have been moving at a rapid pace to legalize it. Based on my last count, 36 states, along with Washington, D.C., have passed laws to authorize sports betting, including our border states,” Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-26) said at a press conference announcing the bill. “I’m sure more are considering it this year. This means Minnesotans must either go to other states to bet on sports, or they’re forced to do so illegally.”
Miller says he knows Minnesotans who will drive across the Iowa border to place bets from their phones before driving back to Minnesota. He calls this a missed opportunity.
Under his proposed bill, Minnesota’s 11 tribes and the state’s two horse racing tracks would be able to provide sports betting on site, while each of the state’s professional sports teams would also be able to offer the service in their arenas or stadiums, according to a press release.
The law would allow each tribe to receive one primary mobile license, making mobile sports betting an option for Minnesotans.
Each tribe would also be allowed one partnership-mobile license to partner with a Minnesota professional sports team or a horse racing track. This means tribes could utilize the mobile license on their own, with a partner, or both, the release shared.
The bill, being proposed by Miller, would also allow for major sporting events taking place in the state to apply for temporary licenses. Events include the Final Four, the Super Bowl, the PGA tour, and more.
Lastly the bill would divide the revenue from the state’s sports betting program into four equal parts. According to the release, 25% each would go to tax relief for charities, mental health and gambling problem support, major sporting events, and grants for youth sport programs throughout the state.
The bill is still being drafted, and it isn’t known if the DFL will bend on the state’s race tracks, Running Aces and Canterbury park, getting a piece of the gambling pie, something that stalled talks last year.
When it comes to the DFL’s control of both chambers and the possibility of the legislation being passed without the race tracks included, Miller says he doesn’t think the party has enough support for such a measure. Instead, he says that the only way this gets done is with bipartisan support.
When asked at his press conference if he had a DFL co-sponsor, Miller said that the bill is in the final stages of being drafted and that he hopes to have it done soon so he can talk to his colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
He did note that from the conversations he’s had, there is “a lot of interest in it, but they have not seen the final language yet, so it’s too early to make that call.”
Nonetheless, Miller says that the time to legalize sports gambling in the state is now.
“It is time to authorize sports betting here in Minnesota, and I believe this proposal or something similar can gain the bipartisan support necessary to get it done,” Miller said. “This proposal is good for the tribes, it’s good for the tracks, it’s good for the professional sports teams, and most importantly, it’s good for the people of Minnesota who want to bet on sports. This is long overdue, and the time to get it done is now.”
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