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It’s a great time to be a sports fan in Minnesota. The Vikings have a reputation for always being the bridesmaids and never the brides, with a few good playoff runs over the years, but this year they look the real deal and one of the strongest prospects in the NFC. Meanwhile, someone seems to have been feeding some raw meat to the Timberwolves, who are bounding up the standings in the NBA Western Conference thanks to a winning streak that stands at five on the spin at the time of writing.
The only thing that is missing is the opportunity for Vikings and Timberwolves fans, and indeed followers of the Minnesota Wild in the NHL, to be able to place a bet or two on their teams. Some bookies have the Vikings as long as 20-1 to win the Super Bowl this year, while the Timberwolves are a 50-1 shot for the NBA Championship.
The good news is that sports betting platforms stand a great chance of launching in Minnesota next year after legislation has made slow and perilous progress. The even better news is that punters can place a bet even sooner if they know where to look.
The story so far
Legalized sports betting took a significant step closer in May 2022 when the first obstacle was overcome. This was to get the required number of votes in the House of Representatives. The House voted in favor of 70-57, meaning the matter could pass to the State Senate.
State Senator Roger Chamberlain has been championing the cause of sports betting for the past three years. Specifically, he has been pushing for sports books at the state’s Tribal casinos and at its two horse racing tracks. Sports betting is, of course, a politically sensitive topic, and in Minnesota, the Native American tribes have significant sway. The tribes do not want to compete with the tracks and the topic has become bogged down.
A new face and a new approach
Ostensibly, Chamberlain’s loss to Heather Gustafson on election night looks like bad news for sports betting fans. But it could prove to be a blessing in disguise. Gustafson is as eager to see legalized sports betting as anyone, but is likely to be more flexible on terms. If she drops the racecourses from the equation, the tribes are likely to be on board and we could see real progress in 2023.
Placing a bet online
Legalizing sports betting will be good news for the everyone. Regulated sports betting outlets protect gamblers and generate valuable tax revenue. However, the laws as they stand now do not stop people from placing bets online. They only prohibit the operation of online betting sites. Anyone can visit a legal online casino in MN and as well as playing slots and card games, many of them offer sports betting with fast payout of winnings.
It is just a case of exercising caution and only using those out-of-state casinos that are independently verified and recommended.
