Minnesota has a thousand lakes, a team in the major pro sport leagues and Bob Dylan. Some lineup. But what Minnesota doesn’t have is sports betting. States surrounding it do, and Minnesota is working towards sports wagering. But it’s a slow process.
State Rep. Pat Garofalo is doing his part to speed it up. Garofalo has co-sponsored bills to legalize sports wagering in Minnesota—the latest coming earlier this year—but they haven’t gained much traction.
“It’s very difficult to prioritize that over more important issues, and in the middle of a pandemic that’s entirely reasonable,” said Garofalo.
But the tribal coalition holds the power when it comes to gambling. The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association continues to oppose the expansion of off-reservation gambling, including the legalization of sports betting, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
But there is money to be made, which for leagues and teams comes in the form of an audience that becomes more engrossed with their product if they have money on the line. Is there less of a concern about the integrity of sports as gambling seeps in?
“I wouldn’t say it’s less of a concern, but I’d say it’s now viewed as the cost of doing business, so to speak,” Minnesota Twins President Dave St. Peter said of sports betting. “There’s also a level of engagement that comes from a younger demographic that I think we all recognize brings value, whether it be on outcomes of games or even in-game type prop betting, that’s something they’re seeking. I think there are trade-offs. But that integrity piece is still a major focus of the leagues.”
It feels like sports betting is coming to Minnesota, said Lester Bagley, the Vikings executive vice president of public affairs. “What we’ve communicated to both legislative leaders and the governor’s office as well as the tribal relationships we have is that when it does come time for debate, we want to be at the table.”
Bagley recognizes the tribal stake in these discussions. “We need to make sure this conversation goes forward in a way that works for them.”
Having so many stakeholders—politicians to local teams to charitable gaming to the tribal casinos and more—makes the conversation much more complicated.
Bagley says regulating the betting going on “in the shadows” is one reason to legalize sports wagering in Minnesota. Garofalo agreed, saying that offshore operators have been linked to money laundering. Still, he isn’t naive.
“In Minnesota, your father’s bookie was the kind of person who showed up at your first communion,” Garofalo said. “The big change is taking it from the underground to a regulated economy. As the government is stuck in the mud, people … do what they want regardless of what the government tells them.”
St. Peter said he considers legalized sports betting in Minnesota a question of when, not if, putting a timetable of sometime in the next three to five years, maybe sooner.
“I may be more optimistic that the conversation is coming sooner. It is complicated,” Bagley said. “Whatever we do will be our unique take on it that will fit Minnesota. If we are to see it come to fruition there’s a lot of conversations and collaboration that needs to happen.”
