The 2024 Minnesota legislative session has ended, and the state betting restriction is still in place. Apparently, the gambling advocates and supporters could not build a compelling case to make Minnesota the 39th US state to legalize sports betting.
Many state conservatives would be happy with the development, as most believe legalizing sportsbooks would be more harmful than helpful.
Minnesota Conservatives Maintain Stance Against Sports Betting Legalization
The biggest challengers to gambling legalization in Minnesota often back their stance by citing unpleasant betting effects in gaming countries and states. Just recently, a Bloomberg report confirmed that “20% of the money the (Brazilian) government handed out for its flagship social program in August was spent at online gambling sites.” Also, there are confirmations that the number of gamblers in Brazil has doubled in the past six months. Many opposers of Minnetosa betting legalization fear this could be the destiny of the state.
Additionally, current events in the US have done little to assuage state lawmakers’ concerns. A UCLA Anderson School of Management professor and two colleagues that legal online gambling led to “a roughly 28% increase in bankruptcy likelihood and an 8% increase in debt collection amounts… We find a pattern suggesting that effects are strongest for low-income younger men.”
Another that sampled 230,000 households indicated that legal online sports betting caused “heightened financial instability as households run-up credit card balances and more frequently overdraw their bank accounts.” The researchers also stated, “The causal effect of $1 of online sports deposits is a reduction in net investment of just under $1.”
Minnetosa Current Gambling Situation Even Without Official Legalization
Even with gambling restrictions in place, many Minnesotans still access offshore offerings, and the report has been quite astonishing.
A recent by Wilder Research found that approximately 56,000 adults in Minnesota—roughly 1.3% of the state’s population—are problem gamblers, while 162,000 are at risk. The research also revealed that more than a quarter of Minnesota adults “know someone whose gambling may be causing them financial difficulties; impacting their health; or damaging their personal, family or work relationships.”
In 2022, Minnesotans spent roughly $6.5 billion gambling at tribal casinos and engaging in lottery tickets, pull tabs, and charitable gambling. Obviously, there is evidence that residents love to gamble. However, the state is concerned about the negative effects that may come with legalization. Maybe legalization will be a reality in the future, but gambling supporters will have to build a strong case.