Minnesota Sports Betting Legalization Thrown a Lifeline Friday

Legal sports betting in Minnesota for 2024 is quickly approaching a deadline. Despite recent doubts, lawmakers have given the possibility a chance with 10 days left in the legislative session. Unfortunately, residents of the North Star State are still unable to use our top sports betting sites.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman now believes there is a 60% chance of a legal sports betting bill passing, despite previous doubts from the House of Representatives that any progress would be made before the session ends on May 20th.

“At a recent meeting, Rep. Greg Davids stated that while it may be approved by the House, it is unlikely to pass the Senate.”

Minnesota is racing to be the first, and potentially only, state in America to legalize sports betting by 2024.

What changed?

During Friday’s session, the House Ways & Means Committee of the Minnesota legislature transferred the sports betting language originally in House File 2000 (HF 2000) to House File 5274, effectively banning historical horse racing (HHR) in the state.

Removing HHR language would prevent any potential bill from encroaching on the gambling exclusivity held by the state’s tribes, avoiding unnecessary controversy. This also means that even if the bill is passed, residents will not be able to use our top horse racing betting sites.

After being moved, the legislation will now go to the House Floor for debate, where it is expected to pass as it has done in the past.

The Senate, previously seen as a major hurdle, now holds the decision on the legal sports betting bill. It remains uncertain if the senior body will obstruct or seriously consider the bill without including traditional horse racing. If approved, some of the top sports betting apps could soon launch in the state.

In any case, the Bill will require support from both parties in order to be passed.

As previously stated, the initial pessimism surrounding the legalization of sports betting has shifted towards a more optimistic outlook. Initially, Rep. Zack Stephenson believed there was a 50% chance of the bill passing, while Senate sponsor Sen. Matt Klein thought it was only a 20% chance. However, as of Friday, the Speaker of the House now believes there is a 60-40 chance of the bill succeeding.

What HF 2000 says

If HF 2000 is approved by the Senate, Minnesota residents will have access to sports betting apps. Rep. Stephenson’s proposal would grant exclusive retail and mobile sports betting rights to 11 state tribes.

The exclusive rights to casino gaming in the state are currently held by tribes.

In order to strengthen the finances of struggling state and local governments, a 20% tax would be imposed on all sports betting transactions within the state.

Minnesota’s professional sports teams have endorsed a sports betting platform for the state.

Proponents of legal sports betting may have a shot at success in 2024 after all. Lawmakers have two weeks left in the current legislative session to pass a meaningful sports wagering platform for their citizens. We will soon find out if they can get the job done.