Minnesota lawmakers are taking some action on the long-debated legalized sports betting Thursday. It's another chapter in a long-running feud on how to legalize sports wagering in the state among disagreements between horse tracks, tribal casinos, and lawmakers.
A House state and local government committee just passed a bill that would ban “historical horse racing” machines that have recently been approved for the state’s two horse tracks by the Minnesota Racing Commission.
That bill will now head to the floor for a vote.
"Some claim that racetracks should have some part of the action, but racetracks are just a business like any other business," says Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman (DFL- Brooklyn Park). "So, I don't know that they have a special right to be present in this conversation."
The Minnesota Racing Commission voted April 1 to approve an additional form of gaming, historical horse racing, at Canterbury Park and Running Aces. This bill would be a quick rebuke of that decision.
Historical horse racing (HHR) is an electronic gambling product that allows players to bet on replays of horse races or dog races that have already been run, using terminals that typically resemble slot machines.
The horse tracks, owners and breeders have said they need these types of games to sustain the sport.
The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, which operates Mystic Lake Casino, both said they're against the proposal.
Running Aces recently filed a lawsuit against casino executives at three Minnesota tribal casinos claiming they’re offering card games not allowed by compacts between the state and tribes which was set in the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Those casinos are not allowed to offer card games beyond blackjack.