Minnesota Sports Betting

The midwestern state of Minnesota is not only home to the Twin Cities, it also has a significant history with Native American tribes. In the past, several of these tribes used Minnesota as a trading route to help connect with other tribes. This history is reflected in Minnesota’s current gambling regulation through the compacts between the state and Native American tribes, under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (IGRA). These compacts have meant Minnesota’s journey to the legalization of sports betting is a little different to that of other states. But where exactly does the state stand on legal sports betting in Minnesota? Compare.bet has everything you need to know.

Is it legal to bet on sports in Minnesota?

Betting on sports, be that professional or amateur, is not yet legal in Minnesota. Minnesota residents and visitors may currently only place pari-mutuel wagers on horse racing events at two different race tracks in the state, but recently drafted sports betting legislation could change this. In 2017, Representative Pat Garofalo said that lawmakers could take steps to legalize sports betting if the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) were repealed.

Following the PASPA repeal in June 2018, Garofalo introduced the Safe and Regulated Sports Gambling Act of 2019. Introduced in February 2019, the bill would grant tribal gambling venues the exclusive right to offer sports betting on any professional or NCAA sporting event. The bill would also authorize on-site mobile sports betting, meaning punters will only be able to wager on mobile devices whilst on casino property. If the bill were successful, the state would form a five-person Minnesota Sports Wagering Commission, responsible for overseeing sports betting in the state.

Where will I be able to place bets on sporting events in Minnesota?

The current proposed legislation would allow sports betting exclusively at tribal gambling venues. There are 19 tribal venues that could launch sports betting operations in Minnesota if the bill is successful.

What sports will I be able to bet on?

The legislation would allow for wagering on all professional and collegiate sporting events.

What else can I bet on in Minnesota?

Minnesota residents can partake in a number of different gambling activities, from the state lottery, bingo and live poker games, to a range of different casino games at the state’s tribal casinos. These games offer something for everyone, from poker and blackjack to slots and baccarat.

Due to the state-tribal compacts, the only casinos in Minnesota are tribal-owned. Minnesota residents and visitors may play casino games at these tribal establishments:

Minnesota gamblers may also bet on a selection of card games at the state’s two racetracks.

Is online gambling legal in Minnesota?

Just like many other US states, Minnesota does not permit online gambling. Daily fantasy sports games are also illegal in the state, including games offered by fantasy sports giants DraftKings and FanDuel. As an alternative to online gambling, residents can play a variety of social casino games online, such as Slotomania, Big Fish and Zynga, offered by several tribal casinos in the state.

Are offshore gambling sites legal in Minnesota?

No. Offshore gambling sites are not subject to Minnesota gambling regulation and are therefore illegal in the state. This lack of regulation means that offshore gambling sites may not be secure and may not have sufficient measures in place to protect vulnerable players. You also have no way of knowing who is handling the money you deposit into these online accounts.

Domain names ending in .EU or .AG don’t hold a license to operate in Minnesota and are not legal in the state.

Will it be safe to bet on sports in Minnesota?

Minnesota’s current strict gambling laws and regulations ensure that all gambling in the state is both fair and safe. This, along with the creation of a state gambling commission if gambling legislation is approved, suggests that regulation would be designed to ensure sports betting in Minnesota is just as safe and fair as any other gambling activity in the state, if it were legal.

However, for gambling to remain fun, it’s also important that individuals take steps to gamble responsibly, never betting more than you can afford to lose. If you have any concerns that you, or a loved one, may have a problematic relationship with gambling, the National Council on Problem Gambling, a nationwide organization, has a number of resources to help identify signs of problem gambling and help you take steps to recovery.  Minnesota residents can also contact the Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance for several resources to help combat problem gambling.

You can contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline via:

Tel: 1 800-522-4700

Text: 1 800-522-4700

Live chat

You can contact the Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance via:

Tel: 1 612-424-8595

Fax: 1 651-636-6757

Email: [email protected]

Helpline: 1 800-333-4673

Who regulates gambling in Minnesota?

The Minnesota Gambling Control Board (MGCB) is responsible for ensuring that gambling is conducted lawfully and with integrity. However, because a vast majority of the state’s gambling venues are owned and operated by federally recognized tribal groups, these are regulated by multiple entities. These governing bodies include the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA), their respective tribal gaming commissions, internal compliance departments and independent testing labs. The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGC), an independent and federal regulatory agency, oversees gambling activity at tribal casinos across the country.

What is the legal gambling age in Minnesota??

You must be 18 years old to play the Minnesota lottery, play bingo or bet on horses. The legal age for casino gambling varies from 18-21, depending on the casino in question.

The journey to legal and regulated sports betting in Minnesota

1945 – Minnesota introduced charity bingo laws.

1947 – Mechanical slot machines were outlawed by Governor Luther Youngdahl.

1972 – Minnesota launched its state lottery.

1981 – Native American tribes began opening bingo parlors on their land. This marked the start of legal disputes between the state of Minnesota and the native American tribes that wished to operate gambling venues on their land.

1983 – Pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing was legalized by the state of Minnesota. It took more than five years for the state to authorize wagering on horse racing.

1985 – Canterbury Park, the first racecourse in the state of Minnesota, opened its doors for business.

1986 – Video betting machines were installed in tribal casinos across the state.

1987 – The US Supreme Court officially recognized the legitimacy of Indian gaming in 1987. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians in their court case against the state of California. The ruling made it clear that tribal gaming operations do not fall within the jurisdiction of the state, due to the fact that tribal communities are considered sovereign entities and are therefore entitled to conduct gambling operations without interference from a state. This led to the creation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

1988 – The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act 1988 was signed into law.

1989 – After several legal disputes on the topic of gambling, the state entered into compacts with seven tribes. These compacts allowed the tribes to offer video gambling. Simulcast live betting began to take off this year, meaning that Minnesota residents could bet on horse racing events that took place in other states.

1991 – The state expanded the coverage of tribal-state compacts to include blackjack.

1992 – Congress passed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), prohibiting sports betting across US states. Four states were made exempt from the law: Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana. These states had legal sports betting regulations in place.

1999 – The state granted Canterbury Park permission to offer ‘unbanked’ card games at the venue.

2000 – Canterbury Park opened a card room, offering small scale card games.

2012 – The state authorized football stadiums to offer electronic gambling devices. These fell within the boundaries of charitable gambling.

2013 – Minnesota lawmakers authorized the sale of lottery tickets online.

2015 – After an underwhelming response to the sale of lottery tickets online, the program was cancelled by the state.

2018 – On 14 May, the Supreme Court reached a decision in the legal battle between New Jersey and the US sports leagues. In a 7 – 2 vote, it was agreed that one of the clauses in PASPA violated the Tenth Amendment, as it commandeered power from states to regulate their own gambling industries. This paved the way for all US states to decide whether or not to legalize sports betting. In the weeks after the repeal of PASPA a number of US betting sites launched across the country.

2019 – In January, the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) sent a letter to state lawmakers, stating that the tribes are opposed to the legalization of sports betting in Minnesota, citing the topic exclusivity that is outlined in the state-tribal compacts.

On 13 February, Minnesota Representative Pat Garofalo introduced the Safe and Regulated  Sports Gambling Act of 2019. If successful, the bill will grant the tribal groups that operate casinos in the state the exclusive right to offer sports betting.

It is now up to the state to negotiate with the tribal stakeholders in Minnesota to determine whether or not the sports betting will become legal and regulated in Minnesota.

For more updates on legal sports betting in Minnesota, Compare.bet has got you covered.