States / Minnesota
Minnesota
- Gambling centers on 18 tribal casinos, two card clubs, horse racing, a state lottery and charitable gambling.
- Sports betting is illegal, and bills to legalize it have failed every session from 2022 through 2026.
- There are no commercial casinos or iGaming, and a first-in-nation ban on prediction-market contracts is currently enjoined.
More detail
- Tribal gaming. 18 tribal Class III casinos are run by 11 federally recognized tribes under IGRA compacts.
- Card clubs. Two non-tribal "card clubs", Canterbury Park and Running Aces, host unbanked poker under a 1999 law.
- Racing. Pari-mutuel horse racing is legal. Historical horse racing (HHR) machines were briefly approved by the Racing Commission in 2024 before that approval was reversed.
- Lottery. The state lottery (est. 1990) funds an environment and natural-resources trust fund plus the general fund.
- Charitable gambling. An extensive charitable-gambling system covers pull-tabs, bingo, raffles, and tipboards. The Gambling Control Board regulates it, and it is taxed under a tiered rate up to 33.5%.
- Sports betting. Minnesota has no legal sports wagering of any kind. Sports bookmaking is a defined crime under Minn. Stat. § 609.75. The legislature has repeatedly failed to pass legalization bills, largely over a dispute between tribes (who want exclusivity) and card clubs and racetracks (who want to be included). Sports-betting bills have failed in every session from 2022 through the 2026 session (adjourned May 18, 2026), chiefly over that same dispute.
- Casinos and online gaming. The state has no commercial casinos and no iGaming.
- Taxes. Unusually, a standing 6% excise tax applies to illegal sports-bookmaking handle. Operators of illegal books are nominally required to self-report it.
- Prediction markets. On the same day the 2026 session adjourned, Gov. Walz signed a first-in-nation ban on prediction-market event contracts, effective Aug. 1, 2026. A federal court has since enjoined it pending litigation brought by Kalshi, Polymarket, and the CFTC.
Reviewed Oct 11, 2026 · 32 sources
Legal status
LiveLegal, not launchedLimitedContestedProhibitedNot authorizedRepealedNA
| Vertical | Status | Launched | Model | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports (online) | Not authorized | Same statutory basis as sports_retail; no mobile/online sports wagering statute exists. As of this research date no operator holds a Minnesota sports-wagering license and the 2026 legislative session closed without passing a bill.[1],[2],[3] | ||
| Sports (retail) | Not authorized | No statute authorizes licensed sports wagering. "Sports bookmaking" (accepting more than five sports bets totaling over $2,500 in 30 days) is a defined, prohibited activity under Minn. Stat. § 609.75; the Department of Revenue nonetheless imposes a 6% tax on the value of such (illegal) bets under § 297E.03. Sports-betting legalization bills have failed repeatedly: in 2022 the House favored a tribal-exclusive model while the Senate added racetracks, and the chambers could not reconcile; a 2023 bill (HF 2000) failed; in 2024 a horse-track revenue-sharing dispute led Gov. Walz to condition his signature on tribal support (a separate bill banning historical horse racing did pass that year); in 2025 a bill by Sen. Matt Klein failed 6-6 in a Senate committee vote in February while a competing bill from Sen. John Marty was laid over; a bipartisan Senate bill introduced in March 2026 again failed to advance, and the 2026 regular session adjourned May 18, 2026 without a sports-betting law, leaving the chief obstacles (tribal exclusivity vs. card-club/racetrack inclusion, and charitable-gaming concerns) unresolved.[1],[2],[4],[5] | ||
| Online casino | Not authorized | No statute authorizes online casino games; "gambling device"/"video game of chance" definitions in § 609.75 apply outside licensed charitable or tribal contexts.[1] | ||
| Online poker | Not authorized | No licensing statute for real-money online poker.[1] | ||
| Commercial casinos | Not authorized | Minnesota has no commercial (non-tribal) casinos; the two "card clubs" (Canterbury Park, Running Aces) offer only unbanked card games, not slots or banked table games.[6],[7] | ||
| Tribal casinos | Live | Monopoly Tribal | 18 Class III tribal casinos operated by 11 federally recognized tribes/bands under individually negotiated compacts with the governor. Minn. Stat. § 3.9221 (tribal-state compacting); 25 U.S.C. § 2701 et seq. (IGRA) [6],[8] | |
| Lottery | Live | Apr 17, 1990 | Monopoly State | Created by a 1988 constitutional amendment (~59% approval); first ticket sales April 17, 1990. A 1990 companion amendment dedicates 40% of net proceeds to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, with the remainder to the general fund. Minn. Stat. ch. 349A [9] |
| iLottery | Not authorized | No statute authorizes online sale of lottery draw tickets/e-instants.[9] | ||
| Daily fantasy | Contested | No Minnesota statute specifically licenses or prohibits daily fantasy sports. In 2016 a state regulator stated there was "no prohibition" on DFS and that it should "follow federal law" pending legislative action; a 2016 DFS regulation bill passed the House but not the Senate, and a later bill (HF 1415) failed 74-48. A federal court separately declined to resolve DFS's legality in Minnesota in litigation it heard. No definitive 2025-2026 statutory change was confirmed as of this research date, so DFS operates in an unresolved gray area rather than under clear authorization.[10] | ||
| VGTs / VLTs | Not authorized | No freestanding video-lottery-terminal program exists outside the Gambling Control Board's licensed charitable electronic pull-tab/linked-bingo devices.[11] | ||
| Historical horse racing | Prohibited | Minn. Stat. § 240.01 explicitly excludes "historical horse racing" from the definitions of horse racing, pari-mutuel betting, and advance deposit wagering. The Racing Commission approved HHR terminals for Canterbury Park in April 2024, but that approval was subsequently overturned.[12],[7] | ||
| Sweepstakes casinos | Not authorized | 2026 legislation that would have banned dual-currency sweepstakes casinos did not advance, so sweepstakes casinos remain unregulated by a specific statute; however, they would likely fall under the general gambling-device/gambling prohibitions in Minn. Stat. § 609.75 absent a sweepstakes-specific exemption, and no court or AG opinion confirming their legality was found as of this research date.[13] | ||
| Prediction markets | Contested | Minnesota became the first state to enact a specific statutory ban on prediction markets: Gov. Walz signed a public-safety bill (House 100-32, Senate 57-9) on May 18, 2026 making it a felony to operate or promote a prediction-market platform offering event contracts (including sports-related contracts) to Minnesotans, effective Aug. 1, 2026. Kalshi, Polymarket and the CFTC sued on federal-preemption grounds; U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez (D. Minn.) issued a preliminary injunction on 2026-07-27 blocking enforcement against CFTC-registered designated contract markets, finding the ban likely preempted in many (not all) applications, days before the Aug. 1 effective date. Minnesota AG Keith Ellison maintains prediction markets are gambling and is continuing to defend the law; implied-preemption and First Amendment claims remain unresolved. Status changed from `prohibited` to `contested` on audit (2026-10-10): the statutory ban remains on the books but is enjoined and not currently enforceable against the plaintiffs. Minnesota sits in the 8th Circuit, which has not yet ruled on prediction-market preemption; the 6th Cir. (KalshiEX v. Schuler/Orgel, decided 2026-09-25, against Kalshi) and 9th Cir. (NV, decided 2026-08-28, against Kalshi) and 3rd Cir. (NJ, decided 2026-04-06, for Kalshi) splits do not bind Minnesota.[13] | ||
| Skill games | Not authorized | Minn. Stat. § 609.75 subd. 4 defines "gambling device" as a contrivance affording a player the chance to win something of value "determined principally by chance," and expressly includes a "video game of chance" (subd. 8). Subd. 8(2) sweeps in any video game that "awards game credits or replays and contains a meter or device that records unplayed credits or replays," regardless of how much skill is involved, and subd. 2 confirms a wager stays a "bet" even when "the chance is accompanied by some element of skill." Minn. Stat. § 609.76 subd. 1(4)-(5) makes it a gross misdemeanor to set up a gambling device for gambling use or to manufacture/sell/supply one, with the only licensing exception running through section 299L.07 (the Ch. 299L/349 charitable-gambling and tribal licensing system). No statute carves out Pennsylvania/Georgia-style cash-payout "skill game" terminals in bars or convenience stores outside that licensed system, and a genuine search found no Minnesota AGED enforcement action, AG opinion, court ruling, or bill specifically addressing such grey machines.[1],[14],[15] | ||
| Card rooms | Live | Legalized Jan 1, 1999 | Competitive | 1999 law authorized a card room with unbanked poker at Canterbury Park (and, per the Canterbury history, concurrently allowed poker tables at tribal casinos); Running Aces later opened with a similar card room. Games are unbanked (player-pool) only; the house may not bank games. Minn. Stat. ch. 240 (card clubs) [7],[12] |
| Lottery couriers | Limited | Not separately licensed, but tolerated under an existing statutory category. The Minnesota Lottery takes the position that couriers (Jackpocket, since 2018) qualify as a "lottery service business" -- an entity that, for a fee or commission, buys tickets on a customer's behalf -- and operates Jackpocket under a memorandum of understanding requiring age verification (18+), while stating it has "no regulatory authority over their operations" and disclaiming any formal affiliation. Legislators disputed this reading at the time (arguing tickets must be sold on a licensed retailer's premises without a buyer-side fee, and that a 2015 law bars the Lottery itself from online/unconventional sales without legislative approval), but no statute, court ruling, or Lottery policy change since 2018 was identified that resolves the dispute or bans couriers outright.[16],[17] | ||
| Pick'em fantasy | Not authorized | Mirrors the `dfs` vertical's gray-area status: no Minnesota statute specifically licenses or prohibits pick'em-style fantasy products. PrizePicks is listed as operating in Minnesota by multiple trackers, with its Pick'em product offered to residents 19+. Underdog Fantasy operates generally in the state, but sources flag that its Pick'em/College Pick'em availability varies by state based on local DFS rules and do not confirm current Minnesota availability. No Minnesota AG or regulator cease-and-desist action against pick'em-style products (of the kind seen in KS, MD, WV, WY) was identified this session.[18],[19] | ||
| Pari-mutuel | Live | Jun 26, 1985 | Competitive | Voters approved pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing in a 1982 constitutional amendment; Canterbury Downs (now Canterbury Park) held its first race June 26, 1985. Live racing also occurs at Running Aces. Minn. Stat. ch. 240 [7],[12] |
| Advance deposit wagering | Limited | Competitive | Chapter 240 defines account-based advance deposit wagering on out-of-state races as a distinct, Racing-Commission-regulated activity, explicitly excluding historical horse racing. Minn. Stat. ch. 240 [12] | |
| Charitable gaming | Live | Gambling Control Board licenses nonprofit organizations, gambling managers, distributors, manufacturers and linked-bingo providers for paper/electronic pull-tabs, bingo (bar bingo, break-open, non-linked), raffles, tipboards (including sports tipboards) and paddlewheels. Proceeds must go to defined "lawful purposes." Minn. Stat. ch. 349; Minn. Stat. ch. 297E (gambling taxes) [11],[20] | ||
| Esports betting | Not authorized | Minnesota has not legalized sports wagering of any kind (see `sports_retail`/`sports_online`), so esports betting is likewise not authorized. "Sports bookmaking" remains a defined, prohibited activity. 2025-2026 legislative efforts to legalize statewide mobile sports wagering (e.g., SF 3414 in 2025; a bipartisan SF 4139, introduced March 2026, allowing up to 11 mobile sportsbooks at a 22% tax) have included esports in their proposed definitions -- the Dept. of Revenue's analysis of SF 3414 described wagering on "athletic events, esports events, college sports events, a fantasy sports contest, or other approved events" for 21-plus bettors -- but no such bill has been enacted as of this research pass.[21],[22] | ||
| Social casino | Live | No Minnesota-specific statute or enforcement action was identified targeting pure free-to-play, no-cash-prize social casino apps, consistent with the general pattern across states of excluding no-purchase, no-cash-redemption sweepstakes-style play from gambling definitions; Minnesota's own sweepstakes-casino vertical notes the state has not enacted sweepstakes-specific legislation either way.[13] |
Sports betting in Minnesota: status, tax rate, sportsbooks and bills →
Tax rates
| Vertical | Channel | Rate | Base | Tier | Promos deductible | Since | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card rooms | retail | 0% No state tax on card club gambling activity itself. The card club operator pays a flat $10,000/year operating fee to the Racing Commission, and instead of a revenue tax, chapter 240 requires a mandatory purse set-aside from card club income (seat charges and the rake): not less than 10% of the first $6,000,000 and not less than 14% of amounts above that, deposited for Thoroughbred/greyhound purses (10% of the set-aside further goes to the Minnesota Breeders Fund). | OTHER | Jan 1, 2000 | Minn. Stat. § 240.30; § 240.135 Confirmed directly from current revisor.mn.gov text of § 240.135(a): "the licensee shall set aside not less than ten percent" for amounts up to $6,000,000 and "not less than 14 percent" above that, to be used as purses. A 2004 Minnesota Department of Revenue fiscal analysis of a proposed franchise fee stated plainly that "there is no tax on legal gambling activities at the card club at Canterbury Park," and repeated legislative proposals to add a revenue tax (6% of wagers in 2004 SF2978, 5% of gross revenue in 2004 HF3177, 15% of gross revenue in the 2005 House omnibus bill) were not enacted based on the sources reviewed; a definitive post-2005 negative (i.e., that no tax has since been enacted) could not be confirmed, so this should be re-checked against the current session laws. effective_from approximates the chapter 297E-era statutory baseline; the exact date these specific percentages took effect was not independently confirmed. [24],[25] | ||
| Charitable gaming | retail | 8.5% 8.5% Net Receipts Tax on non-linked bingo, raffles, and paddletickets. | NET_REVENUE | Jan 1, 2000 | Minn. Stat. § 297E.02 effective_from is the chapter 297E gambling-tax recodification date; exact date this specific bracket took effect not independently confirmed this session. [26],[27] | ||
| Charitable gaming | retail | 8% Combined Net Receipts Tax tier 1 (fiscal year July 1-June 30): $0-$87,500 net receipts, 8%. Applies to pull-tabs (paper & electronic), electronic linked bingo, and tipboards. | NET_REVENUE | $0–$87.5K | Jan 1, 2000 | Minn. Stat. § 297E.02, subd. 4 effective_from is the chapter 297E gambling-tax recodification date; exact date this bracket's current dollar thresholds took effect not independently confirmed this session. [28],[27] | |
| Charitable gaming | retail | 17% Combined Net Receipts Tax tier 2: over $87,500 to under $122,500, 17%. | NET_REVENUE | $87.5K–$123K | Jan 1, 2000 | Minn. Stat. § 297E.02, subd. 4[28],[27] | |
| Charitable gaming | retail | 25% Combined Net Receipts Tax tier 3: over $122,500 to under $157,500, 25%. | NET_REVENUE | $123K–$158K | Jan 1, 2000 | Minn. Stat. § 297E.02, subd. 4[28],[27] | |
| Charitable gaming | retail | 33.5% Combined Net Receipts Tax tier 4: $157,500 and above, 33.5%. | NET_REVENUE | $158K–∞ | Jan 1, 2000 | Minn. Stat. § 297E.02, subd. 4[28],[27] | |
| Sports (retail) | total | 6% 6% 'sports bookmaking tax' on the value of illegal sports bets, self-reported via Form SBT; applies to an activity that remains criminally prohibited rather than a legal market tax. | HANDLE | Jan 1, 1994 | Minn. Stat. § 297E.03 Confirmed on audit (2026-10-10) directly against primary text via revisor.mn.gov: "An excise tax of six percent is imposed on the value of all bets received by, recorded by, accepted by, forwarded by, or placed with a person engaged in sports bookmaking" (subd. 1); "bet" and "sports bookmaking" are defined by cross-reference to Minn. Stat. § 609.75, subds. 2 and 7. The Revisor's history table shows this section was enacted new in 1994 (1994 c 633 art 2 s 3) and has not been amended since; effective_from corrected from the 2000 chapter-297E recodification guess to the 1994 enactment date. [2],[29] |
Rules and requirements
Casinos
Legislation
- Summary of significant pending gambling legislation this session
- Sports-betting legalization bills failed again in the 2026 regular session (adjourned May 18, 2026 without a bill), continuing a pattern of failures since at least 2022 over tribal-exclusivity vs. card-club/racetrack-inclusion disputes. Minnesota's new prediction-market ban (signed May 18, 2026, effective Aug. 1, 2026) is currently enjoined by a federal court pending further litigation. 2026 sweepstakes-casino ban legislation did not advance.[5],[13]
Lottery
Minimum age
- Minimum age to purchase lottery
- 18Confirmed on audit (2026-10-10) directly against primary text: Minn. Stat. § 349A.12, subd. 1 ("A person under the age of 18 years may not buy or redeem for a prize a ticket in the state lottery.") and subd. 2 (retailer sale to a person under 18 also barred), fetched via revisor.mn.gov.[23]
Notes
- Free-text notes that fit no other field
- Minnesota imposes a 6% "sports bookmaking tax" (Minn. Stat. § 297E.03; Form SBT) on the value of illegal sports bets accepted/placed/forwarded/recorded by a bookmaker exceeding five bets and $2,500 in a 30-day period, payable anonymously; this is a tax on an activity that remains criminally prohibited, not a legalization mechanism.[2]
Prediction markets
- Summary of the state's action against sports event contracts (C&D
- First-in-nation statutory ban on prediction-market event contracts, signed May 18, 2026 (effective Aug. 1, 2026), currently blocked by a federal preliminary injunction (Kalshi v. Minnesota) on federal-preemption grounds; the state AG's office says it will continue defending the law.[13]
Tax revenue
Tribal gaming
- Compact notices in the Federal Register
- 15 · first notice Jul 2, 2021, latest Dec 15, 2025
Tribal gaming revenue in the NIGC St. Paul Region
NIGC St. Paul RegionFederal fiscal years
$2.0B$4.0B$6.0BFY2019FY2021FY2023FY2025$5.3B
The National Indian Gaming Commission reports revenue only by region. This region also includes Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin.[30]
Compact notices
| Published | Tribe | Notice | Federal Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 15, 2025 | Lower Sioux Community | Amendment took effect without action | 90 FR 58049 |
| Oct 17, 2024 | Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa | Compact approved | 89 FR 83698 |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Bois Forte Band of Chippewa | Compact approved | 89 FR 77170 |
| Sep 5, 2024 | Upper Sioux Community | Compact approved | 89 FR 72419 |
| Aug 22, 2024 | Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe | Compact approved | 89 FR 67958 |
| Aug 14, 2024 | White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians | Compact approved | 89 FR 66136 |
| Mar 13, 2024 | Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota | Compact approved | 89 FR 18427 |
| Dec 22, 2023 | Minnesota Chippewa Tribe | Amendment approved | 88 FR 88639 |
| Dec 22, 2023 | Minnesota-Leech Lake Band | Amendment approved | 88 FR 88639 |
| Oct 4, 2023 | Lower Sioux Indian Community | Amendment approved | 88 FR 68663 |
| Oct 4, 2023 | Prairie Island Indian Community | Amendment approved | 88 FR 68663 |
| Aug 2, 2022 | Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota | Amendment approved | 87 FR 47229 |
| Apr 12, 2022 | Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota | Amendment approved | 87 FR 21668 |
| Oct 1, 2021 | Technical Standards in [the] | Amendment approved | 86 FR 54469 |
| Jul 2, 2021 | Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota | Compact approved | 86 FR 35326 |
The Interior Department publishes a notice when a compact or amendment is approved or takes effect. Older compacts published before 1994 are not included.
Problem gambling
Public funding for problem-gambling services
$1.1M in FY2021 · $0.20 per resident
| Fiscal year | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FY2021 | $1.1M | Statutory allocation, split between the Department of Human Services and the Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance. Excludes a separate $225,000 lottery grant to Northstar.[31] |
Helpline contacts
Economy
- Adults 21 and over
- 4.3M (2024; 5.8M residents)
- Gambling taxes collected
- $227M in FY2025 · 0.61% of all state taxes
- Gambling jobs
- 9,713 in 2025 · $50,439 average annual payUndercount: the Bureau of Labor Statistics withholds some figures to protect individual employers.
Gambling taxes collectedState fiscal years
$100M$200M$300MFY2013FY2016FY2019FY2022FY2025$227M
Census Bureau tax collections on amusements and pari-mutuel wagering. Most states book casino, sports betting and video gaming taxes here; amusement taxes can also include admissions taxes unrelated to gambling.
Gambling jobsAnnual average
5,00010.0K2015201720192021202320259,713
Casinos, casino hotels, card rooms, bingo halls, off-track betting and slot-route operators, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Racetracks are not included. Jobs at tribal casinos are counted as government jobs.
Gambling jobs by industry, 2025
| Industry | Ownership | Employers | Jobs | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gambling industries | tribal and other government-owned | 12 | 3,458 | $48,992 |
| Gambling industries | privately owned | 81 | 478 | $35,389 |
| Casino hotels | tribal and other government-owned | 8 | 5,777 | $52,547 |
| Casino hotels | privately owned | withheld |
Taxes by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Amusement taxes | Pari-mutuel taxes | Share of state taxes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $226M | $1.3M | 0.61% |
| FY2024 | $225M | $1.4M | 0.63% |
| FY2023 | $227M | $1.5M | 0.66% |
| FY2022 | $210M | $1.9M | 0.61% |
| FY2021 | $138M | $2.5M | 0.44% |
| FY2020 | $80.3M | $1.4M | 0.30% |
| FY2019 | $90.8M | $1.2M | 0.33% |
| FY2018 | $76.7M | $1.2M | 0.29% |
| FY2017 | $65.1M | $863K | 0.26% |
| FY2016 | $57.5M | $522K | 0.23% |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, States (NST-EST2025-ALLDATA); U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC): Historical Dataset; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages, NAICS 7132 (Gambling industries)
Timeline
- Jul 15, 2026 · Court Ruling · Prediction marketsU.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez issues a preliminary injunction blocking Minnesota's prediction-market ban before its Aug. 1, 2026 effective date, on federal-preemption grounds (exact date approximate)[13]
- May 18, 2026 · Other · Sports (online)2026 regular legislative session adjourns without passing a sports-betting bill[3]
- May 18, 2026 · Prohibited · Prediction marketsGov. Walz signs a public-safety bill (House 100-32, Senate 57-9) making it a felony to operate or promote a prediction-market platform offering event contracts to Minnesotans, effective Aug. 1, 2026[13]
- May 1, 2026 · Other · Sweepstakes casinos2026 legislation to ban dual-currency sweepstakes casinos does not advance[13]
- Mar 1, 2026 · Other · Sports (online)A bipartisan Senate bill to legalize statewide mobile sports betting through the tribes is introduced but fails to advance[5]
- Feb 1, 2025 · Other · Sports (online)Sen. Matt Klein's sports-betting bill fails on a 6-6 Senate committee vote; a competing bill from Sen. John Marty is laid over[4]
- Jun 1, 2024 · Other · Historical horse racingState action reverses/overturns the Racing Commission's HHR approval (exact date/mechanism not independently confirmed this session)[7]
- Apr 1, 2024 · Regulation Adopted · Historical horse racingMinnesota Racing Commission approves historical horse racing (HHR) terminals for Canterbury Park[7]
- Jan 1, 2024 · Other · Sports (online)2024 sports-betting bill stalls over a horse-track revenue-sharing dispute; Gov. Walz conditions his signature on tribal support[4]
- Jan 1, 2023 · Other · Sports (online)Sports-betting bill HF 2000 fails to pass in the 2023 session[4]
- Dec 31, 2022 · Other · Tribal casinosCanterbury Park / Mystic Lake marketing and purse agreement expires and is not renewed[7]
- Jan 1, 2022 · Other · Sports (online)2022 sports-betting legalization effort fails after the House favors a tribal-exclusive model and the Senate adds racetracks, and the chambers cannot reconcile the bills[4]
- Jan 1, 2021 · Other · LotteryMinnesota Lottery discontinues participation in the Lucky for Life multistate game[9]
- Jun 1, 2012 · Other · Tribal casinosCanterbury Park and Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (Mystic Lake) announce 10-year cooperative marketing/purse agreement[7]
- Jan 1, 1999 · Legalized · Card roomsLegislature authorizes a card room (unbanked poker) at Canterbury Park and poker tables at tribal casinos[7]
- Jan 1, 1994 · Launched · Pari-mutuelLive racing resumes at Canterbury Park under new ownership (Sampson family, 1993 purchase)[7]
- Dec 1, 1992 · Other · Pari-mutuelCanterbury Downs closes under Ladbroke Racing ownership[7]
- Jan 1, 1992 · Expanded · LotteryMinnesota's Lotto America multistate game transitions to Powerball[9]
- Apr 17, 1990 · Launched · LotteryMinnesota State Lottery begins instant scratch-off ticket sales[9]
- Jan 1, 1990 · Tax Change · LotteryConstitutional amendment dedicates 40% of lottery net proceeds to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund[9]
- Nov 8, 1988 · Legalized · LotteryVoters approve constitutional amendment authorizing a state lottery (~59% in favor)[9]
- Jun 26, 1985 · Launched · Pari-mutuelCanterbury Downs (now Canterbury Park) holds first race under Minnesota's first racetrack license[7]
- Nov 2, 1982 · Legalized · Pari-mutuelVoters approve constitutional amendment authorizing pari-mutuel horse race wagering[7]
Regulators
- Minnesota Gambling Control Board — Charitable gaming
- Minnesota State Lottery — Lottery
- Minnesota Racing Commission — Pari-mutuel, Card rooms, Historical horse racing, Advance deposit wagering
- Minnesota Department of Revenue (Gambling Taxes Division) — Charitable gaming, Sports (retail), Sports (online)
Sources
- Minn. Stat. § 609.75 — Gambling; Definitions · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“"Gambling device" also includes a video game of chance... The term also includes any video game having one or more of the following characteristics: (1) it is primarily a game of chance, and has no substantial elements of skill involved; (2) it awards game credits or replays and contains a meter ... that records unplayed credits or replays.”
- Sports Bookmaking Tax · Minnesota Department of Revenue · government other · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“illegal in Minnesota”
- Minnesota Sports Betting 2026: Is It Legal Yet? · Tech Insider · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Minnesota Sports Betting · Legal Sports Report · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Minnesota Sports Betting Legalization Efforts Regressed In 2025 · SportsBettingDime · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- List of casinos in Minnesota · Wikipedia (secondary) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Canterbury Park · Wikipedia (secondary) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Minnesota Statutes § 3.9221 — Indian Tribes; Compacts to Be Negotiated · Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“negotiate in good faith a tribal-state compact regulating the conduct of class III gambling”
- Minnesota State Lottery · Wikipedia (secondary) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Minnesota Daily Fantasy Sports · Legal Sports Report · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Minnesota Gambling Control Board · State of Minnesota · regulator page · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“1711 West County Road B, Suite 300 South, Roseville, MN 55113”
- Minnesota Statutes § 240.01 — Definitions · Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Horse racing shall not include any form that has happened in the past or is considered historical horse racing”
- U.S. Prediction Market Legal Status, State By State · Lines.com · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Minn. Stat. § 609.76 — Gambling; Crime · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Subdivision 1. Gross misdemeanors. Whoever does any of the following ... (4) sets up for use for the purpose of gambling, or collects the proceeds of, any gambling device or bucket shop; (5) except as provided in section 299L.07, manufactures, sells, offers for sale, or otherwise provides, in whole or any part thereof, any gambling device including those defined in section 349.30, subdivision 2;”
- Briefing Book 2026: Gray Machines · Kansas Legislative Research Department · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Minnesotans can now buy lottery tickets on their phones · MPR News · press · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“They essentially operate as a courier service”
- Lawmakers: Minnesota Lottery App Illegal · GGB News · press · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- PrizePicks Legal States · ATS.io · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Minnesota Sports Betting · Action Network · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Gambling Taxes · Minnesota Department of Revenue · government other · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Licensed lawful gambling organizations pay gambling taxes and/or fees on non-linked bingo”
- Minnesota Attempts To Legalize Sports Betting Again With New State Bill · esports.gg · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Minnesota Senate to Discuss New Bipartisan Sports Betting Bill · Covers.com · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Minnesota Statutes § 349A.12 — Prohibited Acts (lottery minimum age) · Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“A person under the age of 18 years may not buy or redeem for a prize a ticket in the state lottery.”
- Minn. Stat. § 240.135 — Purses; breeders fund · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“For amounts between zero and $6,000,000, the licensee shall set aside not less than ten percent to be used as purses... For amounts in excess of $6,000,000, the licensee shall set aside not less than 14 percent to be used as purses.”
- Revenue Analysis — HF 3177 (card club franchise fee proposal) · Minnesota Department of Revenue · government other · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Lawful Gambling Tax Requirements · Minnesota Department of Revenue · government other · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Minnesota Statutes § 297E.02 — Taxes Imposed · Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Not over $87,500 eight percent / Over $87,500, but not over $122,500 $7,000 plus 17 percent of the amount over $87,500 / Over $122,500, but not over $157,500 $12,950 plus 25 percent of the amount over $122,500 / Over $157,500 $21,700 plus 33.5 percent of the amount over $157,500”
- Combined Net Receipts Tax · Minnesota Department of Revenue · government other · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Minnesota Statutes § 297E.03 — Sports Bookmaking Tax · Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“An excise tax of six percent is imposed on the value of all bets received by, recorded by, accepted by, forwarded by, or placed with a person engaged in sports bookmaking.”
- NIGC FY 2025 Gross Gaming Revenue Report · National Indian Gaming Commission · regulator report · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“FY 2025’s GGR of $46.2 billion marks the highest ever GGR for the Indian gaming industry.”
- Problem Gambling Annual Reconciliation, State Fiscal Year 2021 · Minnesota Department of Human Services, Behavioral Health Division · government other · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Problem Gambling: A Report on the State's Progress in Addressing the Problem of Compulsive Gambling · Minnesota Department of Human Services · government other · retrieved Oct 11, 2026