Minnesota and Georgia Sports Betting in the News

There is a growing movement in Minnesota to allow sports betting, according to several sources. Legislation to legalize online sports betting in the state, HF 2000 and SF 1949, may receive support from important stakeholders, according to CBS News Minnesota. Among those offering support are the state’s tribes and Allied Charities Minnesota, an organization that advocates for local small charities that collect about $40 million a year from pull-tab games. The charity had previously feared that a bill pertaining to betting could end or jeopardize the draw.

The main sponsor of HF 2000, Rep. Zack Stephenson, told CBS that “well, I think momentum is building, I think we have a great chance.” It’s a challenging bill because gaming laws must be bipartisan by definition, and some Republicans and Democrats will never support it. Thus, it is imperative to form a wide, nonpartisan coalition, which is exceedingly challenging these days but is gaining traction. The editorial board of The Star Tribune recently published an opinion piece endorsing legal sports betting, lending further momentum to the cause.

Each of the 11 tribes in the state might get one license under HF 2000 to provide sports betting in-person and online. Up to eleven legal betting applications might be introduced in Minnesota per the measure. Additionally, the law would allow daily fantasy sports websites. However, the state’s horse racetrack want to be more involved in the plan, which may become a contentious issue as the legislative session goes on. The Minnesota session ends on May 20.

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Sports betting is subject to HF 2000 taxation, which is 10% of net revenue. Tax revenue is now allocated to a number of programs, one of which supports problem gamblers and encourages responsible gaming. To the great dismay of operators, SF 1949 does not permit in-game betting and does not legalize DFS. Over time, live betting has become more and more popular, and operators value this crucial service. The bill would tax sports betting at a rate of twenty percent of net revenue and permit eleven mobile betting applications in Minnesota. Five percent of the tax revenue is allocated to the state’s tracks, among other things. The House State and Local Government Finance and Policy Committee is set to hold a hearing over HF 2000. Since the law must pass both chambers, its passage through the legislature is still in its early stages.

SF 1949, which has been discussed in Senate committees but has not yet been brought to the Senate floor, is essentially the same. The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to consider it next. With the state legislature’s term ending in mid-May, there is plenty of time for them to come to an agreement on a framework for legalizing sports betting.

Georgia Sports Betting Fails

On the last day of the Georgia parliamentary session, the attempt to allow sports betting in the state was formally defeated. The Senate made strides toward legalizing sports betting in 2024, but the House of Representatives showed little desire to follow suit.

Senate Resolution 579’s sponsors believed a constitutional amendment was required for gambling expansion, thus they would have put the matter of authorizing sports betting before Georgia voters in November. Senate Bill 386, the enabling law, may have allowed up to sixteen mobile betting apps in Georgia. A 25% tax on mobile sports betting would have been imposed, with the proceeds going toward funding initiatives for responsible gaming and education.

Georgians will have to wait until the following year to see if lawmakers can reach a consensus on a course for the legalization of sports betting. In 2025, the questions of where taxes should go and whether or not sports betting requires a constitutional amendment will probably come up again.

The House of Representatives in Georgia continues to be a major barrier to the state’s efforts to legalize sports betting. Over the years, bills have passed the Senate on multiple times. However, no bill pertaining to sports betting has ever been able to pass Georgia’s House. This time around, the House floor did not even debate proposals pertaining to sports betting. The House Rules Committee rejected SR 579 and SB 386. Reluctance in the House and a number of other issues may persist until 2025. Among them, a minority of state lawmakers and voters still hold moral objections to sports betting. In Georgia, changing one’s mind on gambling has proven difficult, particularly as constitutional amendments need the approval of two thirds of both houses of parliament.

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