Ito called the Klein's payments little crumbs. After the initial infusion, the plan would have the tracks split $3 million annually. His bill included direct payments to the tracks, giving them a portion of sports gambling tax revenues through an economic development fund capped at $20 million. Klein said expanding gambling at the tracks is a 'non-starter with the tribes,' which have exclusive casino gambling rights in Minnesota and strong support from the DFL majority.īut the senator said he thinks they were close last year with a deal to help the two tracks. 'We're dealing with the exact same vendors, the exact same tote machines,' he said, referring to the equipment used to calculate odds and winnings and place bets. Running Aces CEO Taro Ito said a wager on horse racing is the same as a wager on a football game.

The tension in Minnesota over legalization comes from how to help the state's two horse-racing tracks, which say they deserve a share of the expanded betting action or their operations will be at risk.īoth Canterbury Park in Shakopee and Running Aces Casino in Columbus already allow sports betting on horses and say they're equipped to take more bets. Mobile and in-person betting is legal in Iowa, while Wisconsin and the Dakotas have legalized the activity only on tribal grounds. Sports betting is legal now to varying degrees in more than 30 states, including in Minnesota's four bordering neighbors. Online betting is the main game in sports gambling, though, and supporters here envision mobile betting to be legal statewide - meaning Vikings fans and anyone else can bet on their phones from just about anywhere. His late-session bill last session gave each of the state's 11 American Indian tribes the exclusive right to partner with one mobile sports betting platform such as FanDuel or DraftKings. 'If we don't legalize this now when we can get exclusive licenses for the tribes, it will be legalized some time,' he said. Matt Klein, DFL-Mendota Heights, said with Democrats still in charge in 2024, it makes sense to get it done. Supporters who sat on the symbolic sidelines are ready for 2024 with the legislative equivalent of 'Put me in, coach.' Tim Walz approved a long list of watershed changes to state law in the 2023 session, but they didn't make it legal to bet on sports in Minnesota. Lately, that end-of-football-season lament has also applied to legalized sports betting. Minnesota Vikings fans know the routine: Wait until next year.

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