One of the leading Minnesota sports betting proponents has unveiled his new piece of legislation.
Republican Sen. Jeremy Miller released his Minnesota Sports Betting Act 3.0 last week, a Minnesota sports betting bill that “builds on the bipartisan cooperation and momentum from last session.” Miller’s legislation would allow the state’s 11 tribes to operate in-person or online sportsbooks.
Last year, there was a reported agreement to legalize sportsbooks, but it ran out of time before the session ended.
“This updated proposal combines ideas from the last two versions of my Minnesota Sports Betting Act along with proposals from other sports betting bills that have made progress in the legislature,” Miller said in a statement. “It also includes ideas brought forward by constituents and stakeholders. The goal of this proposal is to bring folks together to work toward a bipartisan solution to legalize sports betting in Minnesota.”
More Minnesota sports betting details
Miller’s proposal is notable as the Republican proponents have wanted to include licenses for the state’s horse racing tracks. He looks to satisfy the tracks’ desires by allocating tax dollars to the industry.
Miller estimates Minnesota could generate $80 million a year in tax dollars with a 20% tax on sports betting revenue.
From the tax haul, he proposes 50% go toward tax relief for charitable gambling and 20% to the horse racing industry. An additional 25% would be sent to help attract major sporting events to Minnesota, and 2.5% each for mental health and problem gambling support and grants to support youth sports.
New dynamics in Minnesota
In previous years, Minnesota has pushed to legalize sports betting but ran into partisan politics. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party controlled both chambers and the governor’s mansion. Now, the chambers are split, but Republicans appear to be on board with the DFL in giving the politically powerful tribes exclusivity.
That will also hinge on how the charitable gambling organization and horse racing industry respond this session.
But now, the opposition to sports betting is also growing more vocal. Sen. John Marty held a hearing earlier this month about the harms of sports betting. Marty introduced a bill focused on responsible gambling measures this session, a piece of legislation carrying multiple items unfriendly to the industry, including a 40% tax rate.
There are members on both sides of the aisle adamantly against gambling expansion.
Collaboration needed
Before this session, DFL Sen. Matt Klein committed to working on sports betting.
Klein told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he believes the split legislative chambers could benefit issues that require bipartisan support, like sports betting.
“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.”
Minnesota sports betting attempts grow
Earlier this month, GeoComply released new data showcasing the growth of residents in unregulated states attempting to access legal sportsbooks.
The report looked at seven states during the NFL regular season, including Minnesota.
The geolocation company recorded 1.3 million checks from more than 86,000 accounts, a nearly 60% increase in active accounts year over year.
