Sports betting in Minnesota runs into criticism by opposition
Critics note problem gambling concerns along with tribes extending operations outside of their jurisdiction.
On Tuesday, the critics of legalizing sports betting in Minnesota warned legislators about the negative effects the bill could have. The concerns ranged from problem gambling to tribes being favored over other gaming establishments.
Anne Krisnik, a member of the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition, told the House committee that before the bill goes forward, more needs to be done to educate Minnesotans.
In her statement, Krisnik said: “We know that operators are going to do a great job of talking about the entertainment value of gambling, but we need to make sure that Minnesotans understand what’s at risk.”
Sponsored by Democratic Rep. Zack Stephenson, of Coon Rapids, allows in-person sports betting at casinos while authorizing tribes to issue licenses to mobile gaming operators. The Minnesota State Senate version of the bill would also allow in-person sports betting at the state’s two horse-racing tracks.
Stephenson also noted that the tax rate on revenue from sports betting would be as low as possible. This would be done in an effort to sway bettors from illicit gambling. The bill would set the gambling age at 21 along with allocating revenue for youth sports and establish crimes for betting on sports illegally.
Executive Director of the Electronic Gaming Group, Sam Kreeger, said this regarding tribes issuing licenses: “To be clear, we are not against sports betting in general,” he continued. “But we are against bills that allow our chief competitors, the tribes, to vastly expand their operations outside of their existing jurisdictions without allowing the charities a reasonable path to compete and grow going forward.”
His statement that legislation “picks winners and losers in this industry” was in regards to his notion that charitable gambling operations are excluded.
Before crafting the bill, Stephenson stated he met with all 11 tribes, the state professional sports teams, sports betting companies, and the University of Minnesota.
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