Minnesota sports betting bill fails to pass out of Senate committee

The bill would have given Minnesota’s 11 Native American tribes the authority to issue sports gambling licences.

US.- A bill that would have legalised mobile sports betting in Minnesota has failed to pass out of committee in the Minnesota Senate. The committee voted 6-6, leaving the bill, SF 757, short of votes to advance to the next committee.

Senator Matt D. Klein‘s SF 757 aimed to authorise sports betting and fantasy contests. It would have given Minnesota’s 11 Native American tribes the authority to issue sports gambling licences.

Klein said the bill had the backing of the eleven tribal nations, allied charities, a commercial horse racing track, Minnesota’s professional sports teams, and a bipartisan group of Senators. “After extensive negotiations and conversations with people on all sides of this issue, this bill delivers strong consumer protection, dedicated funding to address and prevent problem gambling, and essential revenue to support our charitable gambling organizations that serve communities across Minnesota, ” he said.

“Today the committee missed an opportunity to advance legislation that Minnesotans have been demanding for years. Our constituents, tribes, and charities are more than ready for legal and responsible sports wagering—it’s time for lawmakers to catch up and get this done.”

SB 757 would have allowed for up to 11 online sports betting licences, each valid for 20 years. The legislation proposed a 22 per cent tax rate on sports betting net revenue. Wagers placed on tribal land would not be subject to the tax rate.