Minnesota Fails to Legalize Betting Amid Distractions

Lawmakers in Minnesota have quashed the hopes of sports betting enthusiasts as a measure that would have legalized the wagering on sports went unconsidered. Instead of sports betting talks, the legislative session was marked by the arrest of a senator and heated arguments between lawmakers.

The Senate’s failure to address the sports betting matter attracted critiques from proponents of the measure. Minority Leader Mark Johnson was not happy that lawmakers did not comment on the sports betting bill or consider the legalization.

Thus, Minnesota joined the ranks of the states that failed to legalize sports betting in 2024. For context, industry stakeholders were convinced that Minnesota, Missouri, Alabama and Georgia had serious chances of passing sports betting measures. Unfortunately, none of the states succeeded in getting a betting measure signed into law.

Missouri, for example, was unable to pass a measure, forcing professional clubs to resort to collecting signatures in order to put betting on the November ballot. Alabama lawmakers, on the other hand, failed to reach an agreement despite efforts to compromise. Georgia, meanwhile, a bill passed the Senate but got stuck in the House.

While Minnesota failed to legalize sports betting, it did introduce a ban on historic horse racing matches, limiting the local industry instead of expanding it.

Outstanding Conflicts Prevented the Legalization of Betting

In Minnesota, supporters of the commercial betting industry’s interests were opposed to a measure, which would have allowed the state’s 11 tribal nations to exclusively offer wagering on sports. Of note, the tribes already have the exclusive right to offer casino gaming.

To make matters worse, a variety of distractions, including HHR machine-related arguments, prevented Minnesota’s lawmakers from focusing on the legalization of sports.

Previous conflicts and the recent arrest of Sen. Nicole Mitchell also didn’t help. For reference, Mitchell was recently arrested in Detroit Lakes. The 49-year-old senator was found inside her stepmother’s property and arrested on suspicion of first-degree burglary.

As things stand currently, only Missouri and Washington DC still have a chance of legalizing betting in 2024.