Minnesota sports betting bill advances as budget items stall
Associated PressST. PAUL, Minn. — A proposal to legalize sports betting survived a test Thursday amid lawmakers’ efforts to pull together the pieces of a package to spend Minnesota’s enormous budget surplus with just days remaining in the legislative session. The bill, authored by Republican Sen. Roger Chamberlain, of Lino Lakes, would allow tribal casinos and the state’s two horse racing tracks to offer sports betting on mobile devices and in-person. Agreement on a final bill may prove difficult as the 10 of the state’s 11 Native American tribes represented by the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association oppose the Senate version, while Chamberlain maintains that leaving the horse racing tracks out of the action is a “non-starter.” “We’re very happy to help protect the tribes’ business model, I always have been willing to do that, but we cannot allow exclusivity in this case simply because it won’t be a good product,” he said. House Democrats tabled discussion on law enforcement and community-based public safety budget items Wednesday, hoping to reach agreement first on items where both sides were closer to a deal.
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Minnesota sports betting bill runs afoul of partisan rancor over state senator’s burglary arrest
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Sports betting is back on agenda at Minnesota Legislature
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Minnesota lawmakers take another shot at sports betting bill
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