Minnesota sports betting bill faces setback in committee | FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
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Minnesota sports betting bill faces setback in committee

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Published  February 13, 2025 7:29pm CST
Gambling
FOX 9

The Brief

    • A bill that would bring mobile sports betting to Minnesota suffered a setback on Thursday.
    • The bill failed to get approved out of its first committee.
    • The bill had the backing of tribes, charities, sports teams, and racetracks.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A bill that would legalize mobile sports betting in Minnesota, which had the support of Minnesota tribes and sports teams, suffered a setback on Thursday as it failed to make it out of committee in the Minnesota Senate.

MN sports betting bill fails in committee

What we know:

The bill, Senate File 757, was a holdover from a bill from last session that nearly passed, which would allow tribes to run mobile sportsbetting in the state.

Sen. Matt Klein says the bill has the support of Minnesota tribes, tracks, charities, and local sports franchises.

The bill would tax gambling revenue by 22% and split that money among charities, tribes that don’t have gambling operations, horse tracks, sports tourism, and youth sports, while also sending 10% to support compulsive gambling.

In the Committee on State and Local Government on Thursday, the bill faced opposition from religious groups and advocates for gambling addicts.

The committee was ultimately split on the bill, 6-6, leaving the bill short of the votes to advance to the next committee.

What they're saying:

In a statement after the vote, Sen. Klein wrote:

"For the first time, we reached an agreement this year with all critical stakeholders to legalize and regulate sports wagering in Minnesota. Senate File 757 has the backing of our eleven tribal nations, allied charities, a commercial horse racing track, Minnesota’s professional sports teams, and a bipartisan group of Senators. After extensive negotiations and conversations with people on all sides of this issue, this bill delivers strong consumer protection, dedicated funding to address and prevent problem gambling, and essential revenue to support our charitable gambling organizations that serve communities across Minnesota.

"Today the committee missed an opportunity to advance legislation that Minnesotans have been demanding for years. Our constituents, tribes, and charities are more than ready for legal and responsible sports wagering—it’s time for lawmakers to catch up and get this done."

Another proposal on the table

The other side:

Another bill from Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville), Senate File 978, was also up for consideration at the meeting.

The senator is not a fan of mobile sports betting and believes if the state moves forward with it, they need to have guardrails. Sen. Marty's bill would provide that, laying out more regulations and safeguards to prevent gambling addiction.

Like Sen. Klein's bill, Sen. Marty says his bill respects tribal compacts and exclusivity.

"The thing that some may not like," Sen. Klein explained, "it won't be as profitable because we have more restrictions."

Restrictions outlined by Sen. Marty includes:

  • Liability for sportsbooks that encourage addictive behavior.
  • Restrictions on where sportsbooks can advertise, with restrictions for mediums where there are a lot of young people.
  • No advertising on public property, including sports stadiums.
  • Increase funding for gambling addiction resources and mental health in schools.

Sen. Marty didn't ask senators to move forward with his bill on Thursday but said – if the legislature ultimately decides to move forward with sports betting legislation – he hopes they use his bill as a guide. The bill was tabled during Thursday's hearing, as Sen. Marty asked.

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