A proposal in Minnesota aims to grant 11 sports betting licenses to tribal operators, alongside new legislation aimed at regulating prediction markets and sweepstakes casinos.
Lawmakers are currently evaluating Senate File 4139, which would empower state regulators to issue sports wagering licenses to tribal gaming entities. This initiative allows tribes to collaborate with commercial sportsbook operators to facilitate online sports betting.
Additionally, the proposal includes measures to prohibit prediction markets, restrict prop bets on college sports, and ban push notifications intended to prompt inactive users to place bets.
In parallel, legislators have introduced two other bills targeting unregulated online gaming formats. Senators Jordan Rasmusson, John Marty, Erin Maye Quade, and Matt Klein are among the sponsors of Senate File 4474 and Senate File 4511, both of which were submitted on Monday and assigned to various legislative committees.
Senate File 4511 seeks to criminalize the offering of markets for trading related to sports, casino games, politics, and other events. Meanwhile, Senate File 4474 focuses on sweepstakes-style platforms, making it a felony to operate or promote online dual-currency games that mimic casino gambling.
This legislation also proposes amendments to existing Minnesota laws concerning securities and futures commodities, creating exceptions for specific event-based contracts. It outlines restrictions on contracts tied to athletic events and other specified categories.
Furthermore, the bill addresses promotional practices for prediction markets, making it a felony to advertise these markets as legal in Minnesota. Advertising is restricted during specific hours and on platforms where a significant portion of the audience is under 21.
Operators, suppliers, and affiliate partners are all subject to these regulations. Entities that ignore cease-and-desist orders from the Minnesota Attorney General could face felony charges, and a conviction would bar them from obtaining a gaming license for a decade.
Senate File 4474 also targets online sweepstakes platforms using dual-currency systems, defining such games as online contests that simulate gambling. The proposal prohibits any operation or promotion of these games in Minnesota, with potential felony charges for various types of businesses involved.