Minnesota Betting Bill Amendment Creates Obstacles
Amendments to Prohibit In-Game Wagering Could Derail Bill
Some Minnesota lawmakers have been trying to get a sports betting measure ed for several years now. However, every time there looks to be progress, something else seems to pop up.
The latest occurred during a hearing before the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protections Committee approved an amendment by Jordan Rasmusson that effectively kills in-game wagering. The Minnesota betting bill amendment also requires bettors to set self-imposed betting limits before wagering and increases problem gambling awareness.
It was the in-game betting ban, however, that drew the most attention on the gambling news front.
“The MN Senate change to sports gambling bill to eliminate in-game wagering is unworkable,” Rep. Pat Garofalo posted on social media. “No state in the country has this type of ban. If sports gambling is going to happen this session, this poison pill will need to be removed.”
When media outlets were reporting sportsbooks news and referring to the in-game wagering ban as “prop bets,” Garofalo was asked to clarify and he stated the amendment allows “no new bets whistle to whistle during a contest.”
Sen. Matt Klein ed the amendment. Klein is the chief sponsor of Minnesota’s sports betting bill, and Klein’s of the amendment could appease legislators who are unsure.
The latest count still shows not quite enough in the Senate to . The Minnesota betting bill amendment could help sway another vote or two.
Ban on Betting College Sports Fails
Rasmusson also tried for an amendment to ban betting on college sports altogether. He offered up a letter from Public Health Advocacy Institute Executive Director Mark Gottlieb as for his amendments.
“Two amendments to the proposed bill address areas where the Legislature can take immediate action to prevent harm from occurring,” the letter stated. “The first is by acting to exclude in-game micro betting from the products offered in Minnesota. The second is not to allow gambling on collegiate sports.”
The amendment to exclude betting on college sports did not . That will allow college football odds in addition to NFL gambling lines in the football-friendly state.
Sports Betting Alliance Speaks Up
Jeremy Kudon, president of the Sports Betting Alliance, was on hand to urge the Minnesota betting bill amendment be defeated. He said in-game betting s for roughly half of the bets made in the U.S. Without them, the state could see a large decrease in actual tax revenue compared to projections used in of the bill.
Kudon, whose organization can count FanDuel and DraftKings among its , said the ban could drive bettors back to illegal offshore sportsbooks.
“Rather than drive these illegal operators out of the state, which would have been true prior to the amendment of the bill, it will make these sites more popular than ever,” Kudon said to MinnPost.
Andy Platto, of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, also expressed dissatisfaction with the amendment. He did ask that the bill be ed, however, just to keep it moving forward.
For Gambling news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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