Despite a rumoured agreement, Minnesota’s 2025 legislative session ended without legalizing sports betting. Early opposition thwarted the initiative, frustrating proponents and tribal nations that view regulation as a top priority.
After entering 2025 with a contract supposedly in place, Minnesota sports betting legislation failed to gain much traction.
The Minnesota Legislature adjourned on Monday without authorizing Minnesota sports betting. A bill that would have investigated the sector was also rejected.
Lawmakers concluded the 2024 session with a reported arrangement ready for passage in 2025. Instead, resistance emerged and killed the measure from the start of the session. A measure in the House that has previously approved sports betting legislation failed to find traction this year.
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No Minnesota sports betting, again
Sen. Matt Klein submitted a bill early this year that looked to meet all of the elements required for an agreement to allow sports betting. However, resistance prevented the bill from moving through the original committee.
The Senate Taxation Committee rejected a request last week to “study, evaluate, provide recommendations, and issue a report on the legalization of sports betting.”
The idea for the research was included in an omnibus tax spending measure. Sen. Ann Rest, the committee chair, stated the sports gambling legislation was “too preliminary” to warrant a review.
Abandoning Minnesota tribes
Klein is the tax committee’s deputy chair. During the committee hearing, Klein stated that the legislature is “abandoning” Minnesotans and the state’s 11 tribal nations, which have proclaimed sports betting a major priority.
“Once again, this year we are going to abandon Minnesotans who feel they have a legitimate right to sports wager on their mobile devices and are doing so already in abundant numbers on platforms that are unregulated, unsafe and predatory,” according to Klein.
Klein also stated that he did not believe it was necessarily dead this year. There will be a special session to finalize the budget.
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