Although lawmakers have certainly expressed an interest in introducing legal sports betting in Minnesota for the past few years, unfortunately, sports gambling is still not allowed. Hope still runs high though.
Those most concerned about the bid to legalize sports betting are the 11 Indian tribes that own and operate the 19 state tribal casinos, who express concerns that legalized sports betting could have a negative effect on Michigan’s gaming industry. However, towards the end of 2021 and going into 2022, it seemed that the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association was having a change of heart – and moves could be made…
But, until tribes are convinced that legalized sports betting won’t damage their casinos, then sports wagering will remain off the table.
The Future of Sports Betting in Minnesota
Legalizing sports betting is a cause for concern within the Minnesota Indian gaming tribes – especially online and mobile sports wagering.
Tribes have invested a lot of time and money in building land-based casinos, and they rely on the revenue.
Tribes invested in building physical casinos, and a lot of people and programs depend on the revenue they produce. The Chief Executive of the Mille Band of Obijwe Indians believes that, given the small margin of MN sports betting, there wouldn’t be many benefits to them economically – and suggested they see what happens in other states that already legalize sports betting.
When Will Minnesota Launch Online Sports Betting?
The bill that was considered in the Minnesota Senate in 2020 included online sports betting, but the House bill limited sports wagering to Tribal casinos only… and even that wasn’t supported by the local tribes.
The new bill that is being put forward for 2022 seems to have a better chance of being passed – but this will only legalize sports betting in person. However, this is a step in the right direction and may pave the way for online sportsbooks in the future.
Minnesota Sports Betting Now
- March 2020: Minnesota tribes helped to kill a sports betting bill in the 2020 session – which was also disrupted by the pandemic.
- Spring 2021:Although five sports betting bills were filed in the legislative session, none received a hearing.
- November 2021: It was suggested that a new bill could be introduced for the 2022 legislative session that stood a good chance of passing, but would limit legalized sports betting to retail only.
- 6th January 2022: Rep. Zack Stephenson announced that he expected a good reaction to the new bill, although this would only include retail sports betting.
- 7th January 2022: Senator Roger Chamberlain, author of a 2021 bill, believes that mobile betting is a necessity and believes that they can work with tribes to legalize mobile wagering.
- 21st January 2022: The Minnesota Catholic Conference said it will make stopping legal sports betting its top priority this year – describing it as dangerous.
- 25th January 2022: It was announced that Governor Tony Evers and The St Croix Chippewa Tribe agreed on a new deal that would allow Turtle Lake Casino to open a new sportsbook 27 miles from Minneapolis.
- 1st February 2022: House Speaker said that the odds for a deal on sports betting was 50/50. It has the support from Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller.
- February 8, 2022 — The West Central Tribune updated readers on a variety of legislative issues, including sports betting. House Speaker Melissa Hortman said Rep. Zack Stephenson will be “‘all sin all the time’ in 2022.” Stephenson will champion sports betting this session, along with a few other controversial issues, but has not introduced a sports betting bill yet.
- 8th February 2022: Rep Zack Stephenson will champion sports betting in the 2022 session but hasn’t introduced a sports betting bill yet.
- 16th February 2022: Senator Roger Chamberlain detailed his intention to file a new bill to legalize retail and mobile sports betting in Minnesota – and this could lead to lice sports betting by fall 2023.
Current Legal Sports Betting Options in Minnesota
There are no legal sports betting options in Minnesota other than horse racing betting.
One option, although not legal, are the available offshore sportsbooks you can access. Remember, these offer sports gambling in Minnesota illegally!
As these websites haven’t been regulated by the state, they can’t be relied on to pay out your winnings and could just run off with your money.
The only way to gamble on sports safely is through a licensed operator, and that means crossing state borders right now.
Most Popular Sports to Bet on in Minnesota
Minnesota might not be great for sports betting, but it doesn’t lack for major league professional sports teams…
Minnesota NFL Betting
The NFL is the most popular sport to wager on in the entire US- and Minnesota residents and NFL betting fans will almost certainly follow the Minnesota Vikings.
Although the team has never won a Super Bowl – and haven’t enjoyed much success since the 1970s, they still garner lots of state support.
Minnesota MLB Betting
Fans of MLB betting in Minnesota will have a soft spot for the Minnesota Twins, which is the only professional sports team in the state that has ever won a championship title. Having moved to Minnesota in 1961, they have won the World Series in 1987 and 1991.
Minnesota NBA Betting
NBA betting fans have enjoyed a long history in the sports… let’s put it this way, the lA Lakers weren’t named after the many lakes of Los Angeles!
As the Minneapolis Lakers, they won 5 NBA championships before moving to LA in 1960. However, the current Minnesota team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, hasn’t enjoyed quite so much success since being founded in 1989. They have won just one division title, back in 2004. But things are looking better – with the Timberwolves now having some very exciting young players on the squad.
Minnesota NHL Betting
Fans of NHL betting in Minnesota would certainly be watching the form of the Minnesota Wild – the state’s most successful professional teams. Despite being reasonably new to the NHL, having been around since only 2000, they have quite the fan base!
Although they don’t have the history of the Twins or Vikings, they have reached the playoffs in six out of the last seven playoffs during 2019 and 2020.
Minnesota NCAA Betting
For those NCAA betting fans and followers, the state boasts the Minnesota Golden Gophers, a team with a history that dates back to 1882. To date, it has seven national titles – although they haven’t won anything now for over sixty years.
The newest coach, PJ Fleck, is shifting the team forwards though, with consecutive bowl wins – and despite the glory days being well and truly gone, this is a footie state and the Gophers will always be a popular bet.
Minnesota and Daily Fantasy Sports
Unfortunately, the attempts to legalize daily fantasy sports have gone the same way as attempts to legal sports betting in Minnesota.
However, there is still access to DFS sites such as DraftKings, Fantasy Draft, Yahoo! and FanDuel that you can find in operation.
Legal Horse Racing Betting in Minnesota
Minnesota has two horse racing tracks that are regulated by the Minnesota Racing Commission.
Firstly, there’s Canterbury Park, which opened in 1985 as a thoroughbred racetrack and offers bettors simulcast racing.
Then, in 2008, the state included a horse racing track at the Running Aces Casino and Racetrack. This also offers simulcast betting – as well as a spattering of table games.
In addition, residents of Minnesota can place online horse race bets on sites such as BetAmerica, TVG and TwinSpires.
Minnesota Sports Betting Timeline
2019
The start of efforts to legalize sports betting in Minnesota came in 2019 – when two bills were introduced in the House and Senate.
From Sen. Roger Chamberlain, came the Senate bill, which proposed sports betting at Indian casinos and the two Minnesota racetracks. This would also allow for mobile sports betting, but only if tethered to existing gambling properties. However, this bill was opposed by the Indian tribes.
The second bill, introduced by Rep. Pat Garofolo, was the House Bill. This attempted to get Indian tribal support by only allowing sports betting in Tribal owned brick and mortar casinos, but this was still met with tribal opposition.
2020
The bills introduced previously were carried over from the previous year and are still on the books.
Chamberlain attempted to garner support from the Tribes with the proposal of amending the bill so that it would require in-person registration for mobile wagering. However, the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association declared that all of the 11 tribes were still in opposition.
As such, the legislature adjourned in May, still with no movement on the proposed Minnesota sports betting legislation.
2021
This year saw five sports betting bills being introduced into the Minnesota legislative chambers. However, none received a hearing – with stakeholders still at odds.
Towards the end of the year, Rep. Zack Stephenson announced that he intended to introduce a bill in the 2022 session, which could actually go somewhere in the fight for legalization.
Minnesota Sports Betting FAQ
Is Sports Betting Legal in Minnesota?
No, at the moment, it is not legal to bet on sports in Minnesota. However, this could change soon as there is still a lot of interest.
Who Would Regulate Minnesota Sports Betting?
According to previous bills, the legislation would create a new entity – the Minnesota Sports Wagering Commission, which would be given the responsibility to oversee sports betting.
Is Mobile Sports Betting Legal?
Not yet, but this is also still being debated. A 2020 Senate bill proposed mobile sports betting with in-person registration. However, the House bill proposed land-based sports betting at Indian casinos only.
Who Would Be Allowed to Bet on Sports in Minnesota?
The sports betting legal minimum age would be 21 years old.
Are Offshore Sports Betting Sites Legal Options?
There are various ways sports betting has been accessed before state legalization – mainly through offshore sportsbooks. However, this is not a recommended option. Despite some sportsbooks stating that they are able to accept US bettors, no sportsbook can be licensed at federal level, only state level. So, these sites would be accepting US customers illegally. This means that they are not safe and could refuse to pay out winnings or take your money and run.
