Minnesota Sports Betting May Be Coming Next Year

Legislators in Minnesota are looking to launch Minnesota sports betting next year in 2022. However, it does come with a caveat. It may be launching without a mobile option.

The push to legalize Minnesota sports betting will be made during the 2022 legislative session. A few days ago, state Representative Zack Stephenson made an announcement that he will be leading the push. However, Representative Stephenson has not yet written a Minnesota sports betting bill. But, he does intend to engage with other sports betting proponents to introduce a Minnesota sports betting bill for the legislative session, which begins on January 31st, 2022.

Representative Stephenson is currently the chair of the House Commerce Committee. The House Commerce Committee could be the key to getting a sports betting bill in the state passed. Rep. Stephenson has pointed to the national adoption of sports betting throughout the United States as a major factor in his decision.

He feels that it is the right time to start the public conversation about sports betting in the state. And, he states that there are legislators of both parties in both chambers of state government that support the idea. He also points to support from key stakeholders in the community as well as an openness to Minnesota sports betting from the state’s independent tribal nations.

He did mention that there are more conversations that need to be held with the tribes, however. But, he does feel that a Minnesota sports betting bill would stand a good chance in the state. He has mentioned that a MN sports betting bill should not be expected until the start of next year’s legislative session. In the next few months, he hopes to lead legislators through an extensive examination of the options that are available to them.

If passed, this would be the largest change that the Minnesota gaming law has seen in a decade. In fact, Minnesota mobile sports betting would be the largest change to Minnesota gaming since tribal compacts were signed back in 1991. Representative Stephenson has cautioned that he feels it is important that legislators do a thorough job of examining their options before moving forward. He wants to move forward cautiously without closing any doors prematurely.

The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association will be an integral piece in the discussions about the Minnesota gaming landscape. Currently, in Minnesota, there are eleven tribes that operate nineteen casinos in the state. However, it does appear that the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association is open to cooperation on this issue.

The Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, Andy Platto, has indicated that the tribal governments that make up the association have been looking into the ways that sports betting has been enacted in other states. And, he states that the tribes are ready to share what they have learned with legislators when it comes to the future of Minnesota sports betting.

At this time, the state is missing out on sports betting revenue to states like Iowa, which has legal sports betting. So, that could be a big reason why Minnesota legislators appear more open to legalizing sports betting in the state than ever before. Last year, Minnesota governor Tim Walz indicated that he was open to the legalization of sports betting in the state as long as the tribes were on board.

Written by Allie Nelson, our US Sports Betting Industry expert. You can learn more about our author's expertise here.