Minnesota Senator plans to introduce sports betting bill

State senator Jeremy Miller has unveiled details of its proposal. 

US.- After several attempts, state senator Jeremy Miller has said he will make another push to legalise sports betting in Minnesota. The last effort to legalise the activity failed last year because of differences between House and Senate proposals.

Miller said: “It’s time to authorise sports betting in Minnesota. As other states move to authorise sports betting, Minnesota is falling behind.” 

He said Minnesota was the only state in the region where it remains entirely illegal to bet on sports. Miller said residents travel across state borders or find “illegal workarounds” to place a bet. He says legalisation will make it “safe, structured, and regulated.”

Miller said he has bipartisan support but had not yet shown his proposal to others because he was finalising the wording of the bill.

“The Minnesota Sports Betting Act is a fair a responsible proposal to authorize sports betting here in Minnesota,” he said. “This proposal is good for the tribes, it’s good for the horse racing tracks, it’s good for the professional sports teams, and most importantly, it’s good for the folks who would like to bet on sports here in Minnesota. This is long overdue and it’s time to get it done!” 

Miller’s bill would allow in-person sports betting at casinos for Minnesota’s 11 Native American tribes. Each tribe would also have the option for online gaming.

The tribes “would also have the option to receive one partnership mobile licence, allowing them to partner with a Minnesota professional sports team or a horse racing track to conduct mobile sports betting. The tribes could utilise the primary mobile licence, the partnership mobile licence, or both,” according to the news release.

In person sports betting would be allowed at Minnesota’s two horse racing tracks: Canterbury Park in Shakopee and Running Aces in Columbus. The bill would also allow on-site betting for Minnesota sports teams and temporary licences for big sporting events, such as the Super Bowl, Final Four, Big Ten Championships, PGA events and WWE events.

Tax revenue from legalised sports betting would be divided as follows: 25 per cent for tax relief for charities, 25 per cent for mental health and problem gambling support, 25 per cent for major sporting events, and 25 per cent for grants to support youth sports throughout the state.