MN House Passes Bill Legalizing Mobile, In-Person Sports Betting

ST. PAUL, MN — The Minnesota House of Representatives Thursday passed a bill that would legalize in-person and mobile sports betting in the state.

The bill was authored by Democratic Rep. Zack Stephenson, of Coon Rapids. Under the measure, Minnesota's Native American tribes would oversee sports gambling in the state. The tribes currently run all 11 of the state's casinos.

In Stephenson's bill, the tribes would keep all profits from in-person betting and 5 percent of revenue from mobile betting.

The current version of the bill is unlikely to pass in the Senate, however. Republican Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, of Winona, said the bill doesn't give enough of a cut to other stakeholders besides the tribes.

"Today’s vote is an important step forward in bringing legalized sports betting to Minnesota,” said Rep. Pat Garofalo, an avid supporter of sports gambling, in a statement.

"However, it is clear that the current version of the bill does not have the support needed to pass in the Senate. Now is the time to bring stakeholders together to work on legislation that can pass with broad, bipartisan support in both legislative chambers. Through compromise and working together, we can put a bill on the Governor’s desk that satisfies the concerns of stakeholders and lawmakers."

In 2018, the United States Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting. Now, states can choose to legalize the practice or prohibit it.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this report.