Finally the year in Minnesota for the sports betting bill we’ve had time to perfect?

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Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: This could be the year we legalize sports wagering in Minnesota.

At the end of the 2024 legislative session, we reached the first all-party deal on sports betting. This deal included Minnesota’s two commercial horse racing tracks, all 11 Minnesota tribal nations, our professional sports teams, and a bipartisan group of legislators who share the goal of legalized, responsible sports wagering in Minnesota. I am ready to carry that deal into 2025 and get this bill across the finish line.

Minnesotans are already wagering on sports in big numbers, and large majorities of Minnesotans favor legalized sports wagering. Without legal options, an unregulated market has flourished through out-of-state platforms or bookies that provide no consumer protection, age verification or state revenue.

The bipartisan bill I have introduced this year establishes the most rigorous protections against problem and underage gambling in the nation and invests heavily in responsible gaming initiatives. It creates a Minnesota-based helpline for problem gambling overseen by the Commissioner of Public Safety and directs the commissioner to develop strategies for identifying individuals at risk for problem gambling. It also bans wagering apps from using push notifications that promote wagering activity. We know gambling losses can trigger impulsive wagering, so the legislation imposes a three-hour cooldown period after money is deposited in a wagering account before the funds can be used. It also protects collegiate athletes and ensures the integrity of their sports by banning college propositional bets.

We know right now that kids are using illicit and unregulated apps to wager on sports. This bill prohibits advertising in locations like schools and college campuses and bans advertisements that target minors or those identified as problem gamblers.

Along with these important protections, my bill would direct revenues from sports wagering to support youth sports and activities, particularly in underserved communities. Revenues would also be used to attract signature events to Minnesota like WrestleMania, the Super Bowl or the Olympic Trials, strengthening our local economies, boosting tourism and providing recreation for Minnesotans. Revenues would also be directed to support our local charities, such as VFW organizations and youth hockey clubs.

I remain committed to keeping equity at the center of this work. The 11 federally recognized tribes in Minnesota have proven that they can manage legal wagering safely and responsibly. In a tour of our tribal nations this summer, it was clear to me that they have used wagering proceeds to support housing, health care and education for their members. The bill I have authored maintains tribal ownership of sports wagering licenses.

There are many sports wagering proposals moving around the Capitol. My bill is the only one that brings together all stakeholders; tribes, tracks, sports teams, legislators and the public, to finally get this done for our state.

Minnesotans are ready to join 39 other states for legal, regulated sports wagering. I am hopeful that this is the year that we pass a bipartisan sports wagering law.

Matt Klein, DFL-Mendota Heights, is a member of the Minnesota Senate.