Minnesota News

Legal sports betting in Minnesota seemed like it would need to wait another year, but a recent effort to circumvent roadblocks sets up an unexpected final push with one week remaining in the 2024 legislative session.

Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-35A) spearheaded a deal in the Senate that increased the tax rate from a previous sports betting proposal from 10 to 20 percent. The extra 10 percent will be directed to small charities, a deal that Allied Charities Minnesota said it would be willing to support.

Blake C. Fitzgerald, 40, live-streamed himself playing slot machines for gamblers who paid in advance. He was handed one felony charge in addition to three gross misdemeanor charges for instructing his viewers to break gambling laws.

According to an agent with the Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (AGED), two men are charging a 25% premium to place bets at slot machines in Minnesota casinos on behalf of their followers. They record the bets being placed and the eventual outcome and broadcast it for everyone to see.