Minnesota State Sen. Jeremy Miller will once again introduce a sports betting bill that would involve both tribes and professional sports teams in the industry.
“Minnesota continues to miss out on what is now a $100 billion industry,“ Miller said. “So far, 38 other states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, DC, have already legalized sports betting. This updated proposal combines ideas from my original Minnesota Sports Betting Act along with provisions from other sports betting bills that were introduced last session. It also includes ideas brought forward by constituents and stakeholders. The goal of this proposal is to bring folks together to work toward a bipartisan solution to legalize sports betting in Minnesota. I strongly believe we can get it done this year,” Miller told the press.
Miller is terming his soon-to-be-introduced bill “Sports Betting Act 2.0” and he plans to file it when the state’s 2024 session begins on Feb. 12 minus language that would change pull-tab gaming in the state.
The bill draft is largely similar to his 2023 proposal which would allow both tribes and teams to participate in sports betting. It would grant mobile sports betting licenses to the 11 federally recognized tribes in the state and allow pro teams and card rooms to offer retail sports betting at their venues.
The venture would be taxed at 15%. The bill also includes prohibitions on risk-free language, college partnerships and the sale of customer data to another group.
Last year, Miller’s bill was one of a couple of sports betting bills, including a Democrat-backed tribal-only bill from Rep. Zack Stephenson. That bill gained the support of the sports leagues but failed to get to the finish line during the last session.
