The likelihood of legalizing sports betting in Minnesota by 2025 has increased.
Minnesota's attempts to legalize sports betting have once again fallen flat, failing for the sixth consecutive year. Following May 2018's landmark Supreme Court decision overturning a federal law restricting single-game sports wagering to Nevada, Minnesota Democrats introduced the 2024 bill which they believed would finally make sports gambling a reality.
Yet, however, the licenses for sports betting fell just short of passing the House chamber due to political squabbles in the State Capitol. Both parties managed to find general agreements about retail and online sports betting, with the Native American tribes, horse racetracks, professional sports teams, and charities all cooperating under House File 2000.
Despite this compromise, partisan politics managed to thwart progress, leaving the prospect of legal sports gambling in the state in limbo.
Next Time's the Charm?
Despite the latest setback, Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL), bill sponsor, holds out hope that 2025 will mark the long-awaited green light for sports betting. On Twitter, he stated: "We're going to come up just short on the sports betting bill this year. But in the last few days, we proved that we could find a deal that all the major stakeholders could live with." Amid this optimism, Stephenson sees progress that could serve as a stepping stone into the future.
The 2024 sports betting agreement would have assigned tribal nations the exclusive right to online sports betting, with the state receiving 22% of the net win. The allotted funds were intended to deliver benefits for various groups:
- 45% allocated to charitable gaming
- 15% distributed between the two horse racetracks
- 10% devoted to drawing in major sporting events to Minnesota
- 10% dedicated to problem gambling programs
- 5% earmarked for youth sports
- 15% deposited into a tribal equalization fund, which would have been disbursed among smaller tribes or those with partnered online sportsbooks not securing adequate market share
This provision aimed to inhibit the dominance of powerful tribes operating large tribal casinos from capturing significant portions of the sports betting market.
HHR Showdown
In contrast to sports betting, legislation dealing with Historical Horse Racing (HHR) machines that emulate previously run horse races was more successful, eventually passing through the legislature. The designer of Senate File 2219, which outlawed these machines in Minnesota, argued for their abolition, citing potential harm to the interests of the tribes.
“We are disappointed that only this gambling bill passed this year, preventing our racetracks from increasing purses by using Historical Horse Racing,” commented Randy Sampson, CEO of Canterbury Park. Only time will tell if this ban will stand or if any compromise can reverse its fate.
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Source: www.casino.org
