Minnesota sports betting bill moves forward

The first Senate committee to review the sports betting bill has approved the proposal on a 5-2 vote.

US.- Sports betting continues to be the hot topic in the US industry and will remain as such, at least for the rest of 2019. The latest news regarding its expansion comes from Minnesota, which has seen a legalisation proposal clearing its first committee in the Senate on Thursday.

Bill 1894, introduced by a mostly Republican group of senators, sets specifics for the segment’s regulation, including taxation and zoning rules. It was approved by the Senate Tax Committee on a 5-2 vote and was sent to the Senate state government committee.

“For to long, Minnesotans wanting to place bets on sporting events have had to rely on an unregulated process. This legislation brings the sports gambling industry out of the shadows and ensures that consumers have the proper protections in place that allow for a fair and transparent experience,” representative Pat Garofalo had said earlier this week.

Thought it was passed by the committee, its future remains uncertain as the state’s 11 tribes oppose it as they believe that expanding off-reservation gambling would threaten essential revenues for the tribes.