A bipartisan group of lawmakers has been working to find a compromise between various interests, including horse tracks and tribal nations, on a sports betting bill that is set to be debated in the Minnesota House on Wednesday. Republican Rep. Pat Garofalo of Farmington, who is the bill’s Senate sponsor, has been pushing for the legalization of sports betting in Minnesota for years.
Garofalo likened the current situation to a “Hail Mary play in the endzone,” with legislators who oppose the bill trying to knock it down. Ultimately, the fight over the bill comes down to who will benefit financially from sports gambling in the state. The legislative session for 2024 must adjourn by Monday, leaving lawmakers with limited time to come to a decision.
The sports betting industry saw a record $11 billion in revenue in 2023, with 38 states already legalizing some form of sports betting since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal ban. Minnesota is in the minority as all of its neighboring states already have some form of sports betting legalized.
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