Governor of Minnesota Vetoes Legislation Prohibiting Online Lotteries
When the Minnesota legislature made a decision to ban online lottery games and ticket sales at gas stations and ATMs in the state, people assumed that would be the end of this story. However, Governor Mark Dayton has saved these games from the brink of extinction – but only temporarily.
After deeply contemplating the situation, Governor Dayton vetoed the bill which barred many of the new services that the Minnesota Lottery had introduced over the past few years. This bill, which received overwhelming bipartisan support, is now being put on hold until the next legislative session. Because this bill was passed on the last day of the previous session, the legislature has dissolved, making it impossible for them to try to counter the veto at the moment.
Lawmakers Confident of Future Approval
If the legislature was still in session, it's likely that lawmakers would have enough votes to pass the bill without the governor's support. The Senate passed their version of the bill (SF2642) with a 126-2 vote, while the House approved it by a 56-5 margin. These are both veto-proof majorities, and would still hold true if some legislators were uncomfortable overturning the governor's decision.
Some legislators are now confident that when the legislature meets again, they will pass an even stronger anti-lottery bill, and ensure they have enough time and votes to override any possible veto. The current bill prohibits online scratch card games, but still permits standard lottery ticket sales over the internet, and allows the lottery until late October to cease its other interactive games and sales channels.
"We were more moderate and measured, and now the governor has thrown all that out the window," said Representative Joe Hoppe (R-Chanhassen).
Governor Believes Lottery Operating Legitimately
Governor Dayton, a Democrat, acknowledged he was in a difficult position because the legislature's message was so strong, but also because other gambling interests appeared to be pushing for the state lottery to be removed as a competitor. In his veto letter, Dayton stated that the laws governing the lottery gave the organization significant autonomy to generate revenue.
"The authorization for the Lottery originates from the people of Minnesota," wrote Dayton, alluding to the 1988 referendum that established the lottery. "It seems to me that the Executive Director is operating within the parameters of the powers granted by the legislature."
Despite this, Governor Dayton urged the Minnesota Lottery to work more closely with the state legislature to avoid such conflicts in the future.
"Legislatures have expressed concerns that they should be kept more informed of the lottery's actions," Dayton wrote. "These constructive professional relationships are crucial to the success of any enterprise in the Executive Branch, and I urge the lottery director to re-establish them with legislators prior to the next legislative session."
The governor also noted that at least one lottery vendor was considering suing the state for breach of contract if these games were banned.
Nevertheless, legislators claim that the new access provided by these games was too much for the lottery to deal with without the support or consent of the legislature.
"Essentially, what the governor is saying is it's fine for his lottery director, without approval from the legislature, to sell lottery tickets anywhere, anytime in the state of Minnesota," Hoppe said. "I don't think that's right, and I believe a large majority of the Legislature agrees with me, and this won't stand."
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