With efforts since 2018, Minnesota lawmakers are set to try legalizing sports betting again in 2025.
Sen. Matt Klein (DFL) told the St. Paul Pioneer Press last week that he would work on the legislation this session. He joins Sen. Jeremy Miller (R) as lawmakers pledging to resolve the issue this year.
“A lot of Minnesotans are already betting on sports on their telephones, on their mobile devices, and they’re doing it illegally and through offshore platforms,” Klein told the Pioneer Press. “What this would do is bring that activity into the legal sphere. It would have protections around problem gambling and underage gambling. If you legalize it and bring it in-house, then we’re able to make it safer and trustworthy for Minnesotans.”
Minnesota sports betting has come close in recent years, including a reported deal at the end of last session that ran out of time. This session starts Jan. 14, but the Senate Finance Committee will hold an informational hearing on “economic, health, and social harms resulting from online sports betting” on Jan. 8.
Bipartisan Minnesota sports betting push
Sports betting is a bipartisan issue and will continue to be so in Minnesota. However, there is a key divide in how the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party approach the industry.
The DFL wants tribal exclusivity for the 11 Minnesota tribes. The Republicans want the horse racing tracks involved.
The past few years of negotiations and the fact that all parties are still at the table and willing to discuss the issue keep hopes alive in Minnesota. Rep. John Huot told LSR he would carry the bill if Rep. Zack Stephenson chooses not to keep his leadership on the issue alive in the House.
Is new legislative makeup positive?
The DFL controlled both chambers and the governor’s mansion in the past two sessions. The 2024 election changed things up, putting the House in a 67-67 tie. There is a one-senator advantage for the DFL in the upper chamber.
Because of detractors on both sides of the aisle, Klein believes the bipartisan nature of the chambers now might make sports betting more favorable.
“The only things that I think we’ll be able to really pass this year are bipartisan initiatives, given the state of the House and a very close division in the Senate, and sports wagering is one of the few things that from day one was a bipartisan issue,” Klein told the Pioneer Press. “I think that gives it a smoother pathway than other bills.”
Opposition on both sides, too
Sen. Erin Maye Quade told LSR this fall that sports betting opponents will not back down and that it is not a good move for Minnesota. Multiple lawmakers in both parties have objected to efforts in the past.
In November, May Quade, Sen. John Marty and Sen. Scott Dibbled issued a joint statement after the University of Oregon published a study linking sports betting to domestic violence.
The opponents might also be ready to negotiate, however, as Marty filed his own sports betting bill. His bill contains many responsible gambling provisions; however, some might go too far for the industry.
