Getting a sports betting bill through the North Star legislature may have hit a major roadblock this week.
Despite real optimism that this could be the year with the Minnesota Sports Betting Act 2.0, an amendment proposed by Sen. Jordan Rasmusson bans in-game wagering, a potential death knell to progress.
Rep. Pat Garofalo called the bill’s change “unworkable” in a Wednesday post on X.
“No state in the country has that type of ban,” Garofalo wrote. “If sports gambling is going to happen this session, this poison pill will need to be removed.”
The MN Senate change to sports gambling bill to eliminate in game wagering is unworkable.
— Representative Pat Garofalo 🇺🇸 (@PatGarofalo) March 6, 2024
No state in the country has that type of ban. If sports gambling is going to happen this session, this poison pill will need to be removed.
Walking a line
Rasmusson’s proposal is an attempt to strengthen responsible gambling in the sports betting bill.
“In-game betting is one of the most problematic for problem gamblers,” Rasmusson said, according to MinnPost.com. “It can take a single sporting event and turn it into hundreds of betting opportunities.”
The amendment was supported by sports betting proponent Sen. Matt Klein and passed by the Senate Commerce Committee.
It included other responsible gambling additions like funding a hotline and problem gambling behavior study, as well as allowing residents to place wagering limits.
A proposal to ban collegiate betting was not accepted by the committee.
Not allowing live wagering and in-game prop bets is not going to sit well with sportsbook operators looking to do business in the North Star State should this bill become law.
Sports Betting Alliance president Jeremy Kudon told MinnPost that 50% of bets placed come from in-game wagering, a number that could rise to 75% by 2030 based on European experiences.
Cause and effect
This could alter which sportsbooks and how many want to enter the market. Would it be enough to turn away the likes of FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, ESPN BET, and others?
That remains to be seen, but they’ll most certainly oppose the changes outlined.
The state is already facing several obstacles in passing a Minnesota sports betting law, including how to include tribal nations.
On one hand, it’s a good sign for North State sports betting proponents that a bill is moving along in the Senate, but the latest amendment could halt the progress with enough outside pushback.
The legislative session ends May 20.
