Despite state politicians pushing for a deal to legalize sports betting in the final hours of Minnesota's 2024 legislative session, the effort came up short. Minnesota won't legalize betting apps in 2024.
“We’re going to come up just short on the sports betting bill this year,” Rep. Zack Stephenson posted late Sunday night on social media. “But in the last few days we proved that we could find a deal that all the major stakeholders could live with. Tribes, tracks, charities… That’s meaningful progress that can be a foundation for the future.”
Stephenson spearheaded efforts to legalize sports betting in the state. A bill filed by Stephenson earlier this year would've given the state's 11 tribes exclusive access to online sports betting licenses. Sports betting would've been taxed at 20%, and the legal betting age in the state would've been 21 years old.
While Stephenson said progress was made in an effort to bring numerous stakeholders together to support a bill, that's not much solace to state residents eager to place wagers. The news of the effort's failure came shortly after the Minnesota Timberwolves advanced to the Western Conference Finals with a win over the Denver Nuggets.