A second Minnesota senator introduced a bill to legalize sports betting last week, but a House impasse could prevent much action this session.
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Sen. Matt Klein filed SF 757 last week, a bill that would legalize Minnesota sports betting. Republican Sen. Jeremy Miller filed a bill last month that would also create a regulated sportsbook ecosystem in Minnesota.
The two bills do have plenty of similarities, signaling that there could be similar bipartisan cooperation as there was with a reported deal when the session expired in 2024. As the Senate toils away, however, the House is in the midst of a partisan battle preventing any work.
Minnesota sports betting push
Both the Republican and DFL bills would give the state’s 11 tribes sports betting exclusivity. Miller’s bill would levy a 20% tax on sports betting revenue.
Klein’s legislation would impose a 22% tax on online sports betting revenue. The bill would allocate 15% of the tax revenue to a fund to help tribes that do not contract with a sportsbook platform “that constitutes more than 10%” market share.
Klein’s bill also would limit advertising and prop bets and ban push notifications.
Horse racing relief
Both bills also provide financial relief for the state’s horse racing industry and charitable gaming organizations.
Klein’s bill would send 15% of tax revenue to a fund for the racing industry.
Miller’s legislation would send 50% of tax revenue to relieve charitable gambling organizations. Another 20% would go to the horse racing industry.
Legislative stalemate
Minnesota lawmakers have tried to legalize sports betting for at least four years, but partisan battle lines prevented final approval. Republicans long wanted to include horse racing in the industry, while the DFL desired tribal exclusivity.
Last year, a deal was reportedly reached, but time ran out before a vote. Still, strong opposition remains on both sides of the aisle.
In November, the House and Senate went from DFL majorities to relative stalemates. The DFL will soon regain a 34-33 Senate majority after Senator-elect Doron Clark is sworn in.
The House is in the midst of a four-week impasse. The Republicans hold a 67-66 advantage but could go to a tie after a special election for an empty seat.