Minnesota Legislature Considers Legalizing Sports Betting
A new bill proposed in Minnesota would give Indigenous tribes control of retail and statewide remote betting, shutting out horse tracks and venues.
Sports betting legalization is back on the agenda of the Minnesota Legislature, as advocates express hope that they will find the votes to get a plan through the state Senate.
The proposed legislation would give Indigenous tribes control over retail and mobile wagering, with the state’s horse tracks and other venues shut out of the market. The bill has the support of a trade group for tribal casinos and six major league sports teams.
The state’s cut from the activity would be 10% of the net wagers online and on mobile devices, raising an estimated $10 million to $12 million for regulation and consumer protection.
The proposal still has a long way to go before becoming law, with several committees in both the House and Senate yet to review it. Republican Sen. Jeremy Miller has proposed an alternative approach that would allow the two tracks to operate sports betting, but he believes that there aren’t enough votes to pass the bill in the Senate without them.