Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman has said that there will not be enough time in the current legislative session to pass sports betting legislation.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday Hortman said:
“I think we’re probably out of time. In the House, it has two or three committees and we’re not going to be able to take people away from the floor to have that bill move through the committees that it would need to. I think that there’s a coalition of folks who are still really interested in making sure that that gets done. I just don’t think it will get done this session.”
The Minnesota legislative session ends on Monday, May 22nd, although there is a possibility that it could be adjourned ahead of that date.
The latest efforts to legalize sports betting in Minnesota centered on SF 1949 which was introduced by Sen. Matt Klein. Following discussion earlier this month, Klein proposed several amendments to his bill in an effort to push it through by the end of the session. However, despite a committee hearing testimony on the bill and its amendments, no further action was taken.
In March, Rep. Zack Stephenson’s sports betting bill, HF 2000, the Minnesota House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee voted in favor of the legislation. This would have given full control of both mobile and retail sports betting to the Minnesota tribes. However, lobbyists for the state’s racetracks opposed the bill stating that it would have a negative impact on the local horse racing industry. As a result, the bill failed to garner enough support to be put forward for a House vote.
While Hortman’s comments mean that sports betting is a non-runner for 2023, there are hopes that 2024 could see more positive results as lawmakers seek a plan that would placate both the tribes and the racetracks.
An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.