Minnesota sports betting faces renewed opposition ahead of legislative session
The ongoing discussion about legalizing sports betting in Minnesota came back to the forefront during a Senate finance committee hearing led by Sen. John Marty, who has long been against the idea.
Just prior to the 2025 legislative session, the hearing examined the potential economic, health, and social risks associated with online sports betting.
During the hearing, according to local media sources, various witnesses expressed their concerns about the dangers of legalized sports betting, especially for those struggling with gambling addictions.
Les Bernal, the National Director of Stop Predatory Gambling, painted the industry as predatory, saying, “This is a business that is based on taking you down. It’s an adversarial relationship, and that’s true for all forms of commercialized gambling when it’s being done for profit. We call it ‘the big con.’ What it is at its core, what predatory gambling is, it’s taking a dangerous and addictive product and blending it with a fraudulent and manipulative financial scheme. It’s very potent.”
Despite these concerns, proponents of sports betting, including Sen. Nick Frentz, pointed to widespread public support for legalization in Minnesota.
Sen. Matt Klein echoed the call for regulation, stating that many Minnesotans already bet on sports through illegal platforms. Klein emphasized that legalization could provide safeguards against problem gambling and underage access while creating a trustworthy system.
Sen. Marty plans to reintroduce a sports betting bill during the upcoming session. His 2024 proposal, SF 5330, included a 40% tax on gross revenue and allocated 75% of tax revenues to problem gambling treatment and prevention programs.
The Sports Betting Alliance criticized the hearing, arguing that it excluded key stakeholders, including representatives from Minnesota’s tribal nations. The alliance contended that legalizing sports betting would protect consumers and regulate an already thriving illegal market in the state.
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