Minnesota senator unveils bill to legalize sports betting

A Minnesota Republican senator says he plans to introduce a bill to legalize sports betting in the state.

Tuesday, Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) unveiled his plan, which would allow both on-site and mobile sports betting, with some restrictions.

“It’s time to authorize sports betting in Minnesota,” Miller said. “As other states move to authorize sports betting, Minnesota is falling behind. We are the only state in the region where it remains fully illegal to bet on sports. The Minnesota Sports Betting Act is a fair and responsible proposal to authorize sports betting here in Minnesota. This proposal is good for the tribes, it’s good for the horse racing tracks, it’s good for the professional sports teams, and most importantly, it’s good for the folks who would like to bet on sports here in Minnesota. This is long overdue and it’s time to get it done!”

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The push to legalize sports betting in Minnesota has been gaining momentum in recent years and even passed the Minnesota House last year before stalling in the Senate. With the DFL now in control of both parties, there has been a renewed sense of optimism that this could be the year a bill is passed, although there are still opponents on both sides of the aisle.

In a KSTP/SurveyUSA poll last April, 64% of Minnesotans surveyed said they support legalizing sports betting and 57% said they think mobile sports betting should also be allowed.

The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) has also opposed past versions of the bill. While the association didn’t immediately issue a statement regarding Miller’s proposal, it did release a statement at the start of the session saying:

“(MIGA) and its 10 member tribal nations support state efforts to authorize sports wagering both at tribal gaming properties and through online/mobile platforms. Tribes are best positioned to provide this new offering to the state’s consumers. MIGA and its members will be closely following the progress of state legislation and look forward to working with other stakeholders to develop an approach that benefits Minnesotans while protecting the Indian gaming operations that tribal and rural communities rely on for jobs and economic health.”

Under Miller’s plan, the tribes would be able to provide on-site betting, as would the state’s two horse racing tracks and each professional sports team. Tribes would also get the option to have a primary mobile license and a partnership mobile license to team up with a race track or sports team for mobile betting, and major events like the Super Bowl would be able to get a temporary license to offer on-site sports betting.

Miller also proposes that revenue from sports betting would be split equally between tax relief for charities, mental health and problem gambling support, major sporting events, and grants to youth sports.

It comes as revenues continue to skyrocket and more states, including those bordering Minnesota, rush to legalize sports betting. Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota already allow some form of sports betting, and North Dakota is also moving that way.

As of Tuesday, Miller hadn’t yet formally introduced the bill but is likely to do so in the coming days.