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A long-anticipated bill that would legalize sports betting in Minnesota has fallen at the final hurdle. Despite having navigated the challenging waters of the House, House Bill 2000 failed to secure enough support in the Senate. This means that Minnesotans passionate about sports betting will have to postpone their hopes until at least 2024.
The journey of HB 2000 in Minnesota’s legislative chambers is fraught with opposition. Those rallying against the bill raised red flags around the potential negative consequences for low-income families and communities of color. Among the naysayers was Sen. Scott Dibble, who made his stance abundantly clear to the MinnPost earlier this month.
The bill aimed to pave the way for regulated sports betting in the state, allowing the 19 tribal casinos to host retail wagering and online betting sites. Throughout the year, HB 2000 received nods of approval from various House committees, however, without a unanimous consensus, its journey has come to a standstill.
Minnesota’s lawmakers have been wrestling with sports betting legislation for years, but these initiatives keep stalling in the Senate. A similar fate met House Bill 778 in 2022 when a proposed amendment to grant betting licenses to the state’s two horse racing tracks led to a withdrawal of support by the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association.
Taking a fresh angle, HB 2000 suggested that the 11 tribes in the state could launch their sportsbooks or join hands with established operators like FanDuel and DraftKings. Notably, all bets placed on tribal land would be exempt from taxes, while a 10% tax on net revenue would apply to online wagers.
The proposed bill also earmarked the first $2.7 million in wagering revenue for the state’s Commission of Public Safety, and an additional $1.35 million would be set aside for the Commission of Revenue. The rest would be split between the Commission of Human Services and the Amateur Sports Integrity and Participation account.
Despite the well-thought-out revenue distribution plan, the failure of HB 2000 to pass means that it’s back to the drawing board for Minnesota’s sports betting enthusiasts and policymakers in the next legislative session.