Minnesota lawmakers have introduced another proposal to legalize mobile sports betting, continuing an effort that has stalled for several years as legislators attempt to reach agreement among the state’s gambling stakeholders.
Senate File 4139, introduced by Democratic-Farmer-Labor Sen. Nick Frentz and co-sponsored by Republican senators Jeremy Miller, Eric Pratt, and Julia Coleman, received its first reading in the Minnesota Senate on March 4. Lawmakers referred the measure to the Consumer and Commerce Protection Committee and later to the Rules and Administration Committee.
The proposal places tribal casinos at the center of the state’s potential sports wagering market. Supporters say the framework reflects years of discussions involving tribes, charitable gaming operators, racetracks, and commercial companies.
“Members of the MN Indian Gaming Association continue to support legal sports wagering legislation, including the recent version introduced by a bipartisan coalition of Senators,” said Minnesota Indian Gaming Association Executive Director Andy Platto in a statement. “Minnesota consumers deserve to be protected, and only regulated gaming options should be allowed to operate in the state.”
Tribal Licenses and Revenue Framework
The bill would authorize up to 11 mobile sports betting licenses, each reserved for a tribal operator that already offers Class III gaming in Minnesota. Each tribe could hold one license and partner with a mobile platform provider to operate its sportsbook.
Licenses would last 20 years and fall under the oversight of the Commissioner of Public Safety, who would establish rules covering audits, testing standards, and betting accounts.
Operators would pay a 22 percent tax on online sports betting net revenue. The legislation directs half of the tax proceeds to relief payments connected to charitable gambling. Additional shares would support horse racing programs, payments to certain tribes, initiatives designed to attract major sporting events, and programs addressing problem gambling and sports integrity.
Wagers placed on tribal lands would not be subject to state taxes.
Limits on Betting and Marketing
The legislation includes several restrictions on sportsbook activity. It would prohibit prediction markets and prop bets involving college sports.
Mobile sportsbooks would also face limits on marketing, including a ban on push notifications when a betting application or website is inactive.
The bill establishes default betting limits for new accounts, including a $500 cap on daily wagering losses or wagers within a 24-hour period and a $3,000 limit over 30 days. A default $500 daily deposit limit would also apply, though bettors could later adjust these limits.
Operators would also enforce a 72-hour cooling-off period during which wagers could not be accepted.
Legislative Outlook
The bill represents the latest attempt to create a legal sports wagering market in Minnesota, the only Midwestern state without authorized betting.
Despite bipartisan sponsorship, sports betting remains a lower priority for lawmakers this year as the legislature focuses on other issues, including investigations into alleged fraud involving government programs and proposals related to firearm restrictions following the killing of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman.
DFL House Leader Zack Stephenson recently described sports betting as “issue No. 27 on the agenda this year.”
Source:
“Latest Minnesota Online Sports Betting Bill Would Ban Props, Predictions, And Push Notifications”, sports.yahoo.com, March 5, 2026
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