Minnesota Closes in on Passing on Sports Betting Legislation

In the preceding months, there were doubts about whether or not Minnesota residents would get the right to bet on sports in the immediate future. At issue has been a revenue-splitting plan between the state's Indian Tribes and the Minnesota horse racing industry. According to many sources, a deal might have gotten done if not for other politically charged issues.

The current legislative session officially closed on Monday, May 20, 2024. Unfortunately, chaos erupted on the House floor as partisan interests took after each other. This led to the proposed sports betting consideration getting tabled until maybe next year. If the mix in the House remains the same after the November election, there is every reason to believe something will get done in 2025.

The Minnesota House Goes Ablaze

After being considered one of four states that could legitimately pass sports betting legislation in 2024, the current legislation never made it to a vote. The issues that were addressed in a heated debate were a paid family leave law and a bill about equal rights and abortion.

The paid family leave law was filibustered for 8 hours, eventually folding due to technical issues within the law. Next up was SF37, the equal rights and abortion legislation. While the GOP was trying to delay hearing these issues, it was House Speaker Melissa Hortman who eventually cut off the discussion by forcing a vote.

All of this was complicated by the fact a Democrat Senator was arrested. It was Sen. Nicole Mitchell who was arrested under suspicion of a domestic-related burglary. With the Senate holding a slim one-seat advantage in the Senate, it threw everything into total chaos.

It's noteworthy that legislation was introduced in the form of a prohibition against the horse racing industry offering historical horse racing (HHR) betting. The amendment was attached to Bill SF2219. However, it was attached as a clean amendment that could be voted on separately. That is exactly what happened as the HHRs were officially banned.

The Sports Betting Prospects in 2025

This is as close as the Minnesota legislature has gotten to getting sports betting legislation to a vote. While there are no assurances the results will be any different in 2025, hopes are running high.

The fact the Tribes and horse racing industry are very close to reaching an agreement bodes well for sports betting in the state. However, partisan politics will also be a threat related to any bill that might be considered controversial.

If there is one thing that will motivate both sides to come together on this issue, it might be language related to charitable gaming tax breaks. This is a major consideration for Democrats and Republicans who strongly support Minnesota's charity community. Based on the popularity of this issue, it's reasonable to believe some form of sports betting legislation will be passed next year.

The next floor session is currently scheduled for January 14, 2025.