The effort is on once more to bring sports gambling to Minnesota. A group of bipartisan lawmakers says it's time for the state to cash-in by legalizing sports betting.
Republican senator Roger Chamberlain announced his sports wagering proposal Thursday.
“We’re rewriting it and will amend new language into that,” Chamberlain says. “In part that new language will contain brick and mortar for the tribes, and for the two racetracks, Canterbury and Running Aces. It will also contain a minimum of at least two mobile licenses. So they’ll be online and mobile.”
Chamberlain says he has spoken with the state's Native American tribes "indirectly”, but he also says he does not expect sports betting to be a big money-maker for the state. Chamberlain does say it would put Minnesota “in the game” alongside other nearby states where it's already legal.
“It’s good for tribes, it’s good for tracks and it’s good for consumers,” says Chamberlain.
Chamberlain adds that the revenue should be enough to cover administrative costs and fund gambling addiction programs.
Republican Senator Karin Housely says she supports a sports wagering bill because "it's fun".
“I was just at a luncheon in Cottage Grove to a group of 70 or 80-year old guys,” Housley says. “And I was talking to them about what we’re doing here at the Capitol and I said yeah, we want to legalize sports betting here in Minnesota. Got the biggest cheer from 70, 80-year old guys.”
Sports betting is already legal in neighboring Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota. It is imminent in Wisconsin where sports betting has been granted for a couple of tribal casinos including Turtle Lake, about 90 minutes from the Twin Cities.
It's not the first time it has been brought up in the state legislature. In 2021 many were pushing for a vote to legalize gambling but it was eventually pushed aside.
Related
