Sports betting legislation was nearly a fait accompli last year, but legislators ran out of time and a deal could not be struck. However, this year, the same blueprint could be used to fast-track a gaming bill with the outside chance that mobile and retail sportsbooks could be ready to accept wagers before next year’s football season.
As Close as We’ve Ever Been
Three sports betting stakeholders must reach an accord before the national operators are summoned and begin setting up shop in North Star State. The state’s tribal nations, race tracks and gaming charities are all seeking a piece of the sports betting pie, but until the end of the last legislative session, they were unable to agree on who gets what.
Republican Senator Jeremy Miller has been involved in several pieces of sports betting legislation, and he believes the time is now to craft a deal.
“There’s one thing that’s certain: it is time to pass a sports betting bill here in Minnesota,” Miller said in a video posted on X. “Of course, the primary focus for the 2025 legislative session will be the budget, but I remain committed to working together to get a sports betting bill passed here in Minnesota as quickly as possible. We made tremendous progress last year; we almost got there, but we didn’t quite get across the finish line.”
Bipartisan Momentum
Although ballots are still being counted long after the election, it appears the lower chamber will likely see a narrower majority of Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) members while holding a 34-33 majority in the Senate. However, there appears to be bipartisan support for a gaming bill, which means it could be one of the earliest topics of discussion when the legislative session convenes next year.
The sticking point has been the opposing views of the parties as to how sports betting will be rolled out. The DFL wants to give the state’s 11 gaming tribes exclusive control of sports betting, while Republicans believe that the state’s two race tracks and several charitable organizations ought to enjoy their fair share of the profits.
Still, Stephenson believes the framework of a compromise bill that gained traction last year will be easily accepted by all concerned parties.
“I think there was a lot of skepticism that at the end of the day, you could find a deal that the tribes and the tracks could both support, and we believe we’re there,” Stephenson said. “It’s a major accomplishment… I think it sets the stage for future action. Now we know that the deal is there to be had.”
Peace Offering
One of the two race tracks, Running Aces, sent the following message to the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) on Election Day as a way to settle their differences and get behind a sports betting bill that will benefit everyone concerned.
The statement read, “Running Aces understands the importance of tribal gaming in Minnesota and the economic support that it provides to each of the sovereign tribal nations in this state. We also believe that racetracks, tribal casinos, and charitable gaming all provide important and distinct benefits to the communities we each serve and broad benefits to all Minnesotans.
“Minnesota has demonstrated that all three types of gaming can be successful. We believe it is possible to work through any disagreements and arrive at successful compromises. We are hopeful that legislators and the gaming industry can all work together to ensure passage of a bill that benefits all three of these entities and the communities they serve.”
