States / Minnesota

Minnesota

More detail
  • Tribal gaming. 18 tribal Class III casinos are run by 11 federally recognized tribes under IGRA compacts.
  • Card clubs. Two non-tribal "card clubs", Canterbury Park and Running Aces, host unbanked poker under a 1999 law.
  • Racing. Pari-mutuel horse racing is legal. Historical horse racing (HHR) machines were briefly approved by the Racing Commission in 2024 before that approval was reversed.
  • Lottery. The state lottery (est. 1990) funds an environment and natural-resources trust fund plus the general fund.
  • Charitable gambling. An extensive charitable-gambling system covers pull-tabs, bingo, raffles, and tipboards. The Gambling Control Board regulates it, and it is taxed under a tiered rate up to 33.5%.
  • Sports betting. Minnesota has no legal sports wagering of any kind. Sports bookmaking is a defined crime under Minn. Stat. § 609.75. The legislature has repeatedly failed to pass legalization bills, largely over a dispute between tribes (who want exclusivity) and card clubs and racetracks (who want to be included). Sports-betting bills have failed in every session from 2022 through the 2026 session (adjourned May 18, 2026), chiefly over that same dispute.
  • Casinos and online gaming. The state has no commercial casinos and no iGaming.
  • Taxes. Unusually, a standing 6% excise tax applies to illegal sports-bookmaking handle. Operators of illegal books are nominally required to self-report it.
  • Prediction markets. On the same day the 2026 session adjourned, Gov. Walz signed a first-in-nation ban on prediction-market event contracts, effective Aug. 1, 2026. A federal court has since enjoined it pending litigation brought by Kalshi, Polymarket, and the CFTC.

Reviewed Oct 11, 2026 · 40 sources

Legal status

LiveLegal, not launchedLimitedContestedProhibitedNot authorizedRepealedNA
VerticalStatusLaunchedModelDetails
Sports (online)Not authorizedSame statutory basis as sports_retail; no mobile/online sports wagering statute exists. No operator holds a Minnesota sports-wagering license, and the 2026 legislative session closed without passing a bill.[1],[2],[3]
Sports (retail)Not authorizedNo statute authorizes licensed sports wagering. "Sports bookmaking" (accepting more than five sports bets totaling over $2,500 in 30 days) is a defined, prohibited activity under Minn. Stat. § 609.75; the Department of Revenue nonetheless imposes a 6% tax on the value of such (illegal) bets under § 297E.03. Sports-betting legalization bills have failed repeatedly: in 2022 the House favored a tribal-exclusive model while the Senate added racetracks, and the chambers could not reconcile; a 2023 bill (HF 2000) failed; in 2024 a horse-track revenue-sharing dispute led Gov. Walz to condition his signature on tribal support (a separate bill banning historical horse racing did pass that year); in 2025 a bill by Sen. Matt Klein failed 6-6 in a Senate committee vote in February while a competing bill from Sen. John Marty was laid over; a bipartisan Senate bill introduced in March 2026 again failed to advance, and the 2026 regular session adjourned May 18, 2026 without a sports-betting law, leaving the chief obstacles (tribal exclusivity vs. card-club/racetrack inclusion, and charitable-gaming concerns) unresolved.[1],[2],[4],[5]
Online casinoNot authorizedNo statute authorizes online casino games; "gambling device"/"video game of chance" definitions in § 609.75 apply outside licensed charitable or tribal contexts.[1]
Online pokerNot authorizedNo licensing statute for real-money online poker.[1]
Commercial casinosNot authorizedMinnesota has no commercial (non-tribal) casinos; the two "card clubs" (Canterbury Park, Running Aces) offer only unbanked card games, not slots or banked table games.[6],[7]
Tribal casinosLiveMonopoly Tribal18 Class III tribal casinos operated by 11 federally recognized tribes/bands under individually negotiated compacts with the governor.
Minn. Stat. § 3.9221 (tribal-state compacting); 25 U.S.C. § 2701 et seq. (IGRA)
[6],[8]
LotteryLiveApr 17, 1990Monopoly StateCreated by a 1988 constitutional amendment (~59% approval) that carved a state-operated exception into the Minn. Const. art. XIII, § 5 general ban on lotteries; first ticket sales April 17, 1990. A 1990 companion amendment dedicates 40% of net proceeds to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, with the remainder to the general fund by statute.
Minn. Stat. ch. 349A; Minn. Const. art. XIII, § 5 (lottery exception, added 1988)
[9],[10],[11]
iLotteryNot authorizedThe Lottery is statutorily barred from selling instant-win tickets through a website: Minn. Stat. § 349A.13 provides the director "shall not...sell instant win lottery tickets through a website," with an exception only for tickets of a multi-state joint lottery or drawing-based games. A short-lived online-scratch and gas-pump/ATM sales program was shut down by the Legislature under a 2015 law (effective Aug./Sept. 2015) amending § 349A.13 after the Lottery had expanded without legislative approval.[9],[12]
Daily fantasyContestedNo Minnesota statute specifically licenses or prohibits daily fantasy sports. In 2016 a state regulator stated there was "no prohibition" on DFS and that it should "follow federal law" pending legislative action; a 2016 DFS regulation bill passed the House but not the Senate, and a later bill (HF 1415) failed 74-48. A federal court separately declined to resolve DFS's legality in Minnesota in litigation it heard. DFS operates in this unresolved gray area rather than under clear authorization.[13]?
VGTs / VLTsNot authorizedNo freestanding video-lottery-terminal program exists outside the Gambling Control Board's licensed charitable electronic pull-tab/linked-bingo devices.[14]
Historical horse racingProhibitedMinn. Stat. § 240.01 explicitly excludes "historical horse racing" from the definitions of horse racing, pari-mutuel betting, and advance deposit wagering. The Racing Commission approved HHR terminals for Canterbury Park in April 2024, but that approval was subsequently overturned.[15],[7]
Sweepstakes casinosNot authorized2026 legislation that would have banned dual-currency sweepstakes casinos did not advance, so sweepstakes casinos remain unregulated by a specific statute; however, they would likely fall under the general gambling-device/gambling prohibitions in Minn. Stat. § 609.75 absent a sweepstakes-specific exemption.[16]?
Prediction marketsContestedMinnesota became the first state to enact a specific statutory ban on prediction markets: Gov. Walz signed a public-safety bill (House 100-32, Senate 57-9) on May 18, 2026 making it a felony to operate or promote a prediction-market platform offering event contracts (including sports-related contracts) to Minnesotans, effective Aug. 1, 2026. Kalshi, Polymarket and the CFTC sued on federal-preemption grounds; U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez (D. Minn.) issued a preliminary injunction on 2026-07-27 blocking enforcement against CFTC-registered designated contract markets, finding the ban likely preempted in many (not all) applications, days before the Aug. 1 effective date. The statutory ban remains on the books but is enjoined and not currently enforceable against the plaintiffs. Minnesota AG Keith Ellison maintains prediction markets are gambling and is continuing to defend the law; implied-preemption and First Amendment claims remain unresolved. Minnesota sits in the 8th Circuit, which has not yet ruled on prediction-market preemption; the 6th Cir. (KalshiEX v. Schuler/Orgel, decided 2026-09-25, against Kalshi), 9th Cir. (NV, decided 2026-08-28, against Kalshi) and 3rd Cir. (NJ, decided 2026-04-06, for Kalshi) splits do not bind Minnesota.[16]
Skill gamesNot authorizedMinn. Stat. § 609.75 subd. 4 defines "gambling device" as a contrivance affording a player the chance to win something of value "determined principally by chance," and expressly includes a "video game of chance" (subd. 8). Subd. 8(2) sweeps in any video game that "awards game credits or replays and contains a meter or device that records unplayed credits or replays," regardless of how much skill is involved, and subd. 2 confirms a wager stays a "bet" even when "the chance is accompanied by some element of skill." Minn. Stat. § 609.76 subd. 1(4)-(5) makes it a gross misdemeanor to set up a gambling device for gambling use or to manufacture/sell/supply one, with the only licensing exception running through section 299L.07 (the Ch. 299L/349 charitable-gambling and tribal licensing system). No statute carves out Pennsylvania/Georgia-style cash-payout "skill game" terminals in bars or convenience stores outside that licensed system.[17],[18],[19]?
Card roomsLiveLegalized Jan 1, 1999Competitive1999 law authorized a card room with unbanked poker at Canterbury Park (and, per the Canterbury history, concurrently allowed poker tables at tribal casinos); Running Aces later opened with a similar card room. Games are unbanked (player-pool) only; the house may not bank games.
Minn. Stat. ch. 240 (card clubs)
[7],[15]
Lottery couriersLimitedNot separately licensed, but tolerated under an existing statutory category. The Minnesota Lottery takes the position that couriers (Jackpocket, since 2018) qualify as a "lottery service business" -- an entity that, for a fee or commission, buys tickets on a customer's behalf -- and operates Jackpocket under a memorandum of understanding requiring age verification (18+), while stating it has "no regulatory authority over their operations" and disclaiming any formal affiliation. Legislators disputed this reading at the time (arguing tickets must be sold on a licensed retailer's premises without a buyer-side fee, and that a 2015 law bars the Lottery itself from online/unconventional sales without legislative approval), but no statute, court ruling, or Lottery policy change since 2018 was identified that resolves the dispute or bans couriers outright.[20],[21]
Pick'em fantasyNot authorizedMirrors the `dfs` vertical's gray-area status: no Minnesota statute specifically licenses or prohibits pick'em-style fantasy products. PrizePicks is listed as operating in Minnesota by multiple trackers, with its Pick'em product offered to residents 19+. Underdog Fantasy operates generally in the state, but sources flag that its Pick'em/College Pick'em availability varies by state based on local DFS rules and do not confirm current Minnesota availability.[22],[23]?
Pari-mutuelLiveJun 26, 1985CompetitiveVoters approved pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing in a 1982 constitutional amendment; Canterbury Downs (now Canterbury Park) held its first race June 26, 1985. Live racing also occurs at Running Aces.
Minn. Stat. ch. 240
[7],[15]
Advance deposit wageringLimitedCompetitiveChapter 240 defines account-based advance deposit wagering on out-of-state races as a distinct, Racing-Commission-regulated activity, explicitly excluding historical horse racing.
Minn. Stat. ch. 240
[15]
Charitable gamingLiveGambling Control Board licenses nonprofit organizations, gambling managers, distributors, manufacturers and linked-bingo providers for paper/electronic pull-tabs, bingo (bar bingo, break-open, non-linked), raffles, tipboards (including sports tipboards) and paddlewheels. Proceeds must go to defined "lawful purposes."
Minn. Stat. ch. 349; Minn. Stat. ch. 297E (gambling taxes)
[14],[24]
Esports bettingNot authorizedMinnesota has not legalized sports wagering of any kind (see `sports_retail`/`sports_online`), so esports betting is likewise not authorized. "Sports bookmaking" remains a defined, prohibited activity. 2025-2026 legislative efforts to legalize statewide mobile sports wagering (e.g., SF 3414 in 2025; a bipartisan SF 4139, introduced March 2026, allowing up to 11 mobile sportsbooks at a 22% tax) have included esports in their proposed definitions -- the Dept. of Revenue's analysis of SF 3414 described wagering on "athletic events, esports events, college sports events, a fantasy sports contest, or other approved events" for 21-plus bettors -- but no such bill has been enacted.[25],[26]
Social casinoLiveNo Minnesota-specific statute or enforcement action was identified targeting pure free-to-play, no-cash-prize social casino apps, consistent with the general pattern across states of excluding no-purchase, no-cash-redemption sweepstakes-style play from gambling definitions; Minnesota's own sweepstakes-casino vertical notes the state has not enacted sweepstakes-specific legislation either way.[16]

Sports betting in Minnesota: status, tax rate, sportsbooks and bills →

Tax rates

VerticalChannelRateBaseTierPromos deductibleSinceStatute
Card roomsretail0%
No state tax on card club gambling activity itself. The card club operator pays a flat $10,000/year operating fee to the Racing Commission, and instead of a revenue tax, chapter 240 requires a mandatory purse set-aside from card club income (seat charges and the rake): not less than 10% of the first $6,000,000 and not less than 14% of amounts above that, deposited for Thoroughbred/greyhound purses (10% of the set-aside further goes to the Minnesota Breeders Fund).
OTHERJan 1, 2000Minn. Stat. § 240.30; § 240.135
Section 240.135(a) requires the licensee to "set aside not less than ten percent" of income up to $6,000,000 and "not less than 14 percent" above that, to be used as purses. A 2004 Minnesota Department of Revenue fiscal analysis of a proposed franchise fee stated plainly that "there is no tax on legal gambling activities at the card club at Canterbury Park," and repeated legislative proposals to add a revenue tax (6% of wagers in 2004 SF2978, 5% of gross revenue in 2004 HF3177, 15% of gross revenue in the 2005 House omnibus bill) were not enacted.
[31],[32]?
Charitable gamingretail8.5%
8.5% Net Receipts Tax on non-linked bingo, raffles, and paddletickets.
NET_REVENUEJan 1, 2000Minn. Stat. § 297E.02[33],[34]?
Charitable gamingretail8%
Combined Net Receipts Tax tier 1 (fiscal year July 1-June 30): $0-$87,500 net receipts, 8%. Applies to pull-tabs (paper & electronic), electronic linked bingo, and tipboards.
NET_REVENUE$0–$87.5KJan 1, 2000Minn. Stat. § 297E.02, subd. 4[35],[34]?
Charitable gamingretail17%
Combined Net Receipts Tax tier 2: over $87,500 to under $122,500, 17%.
NET_REVENUE$87.5K–$123KJan 1, 2000Minn. Stat. § 297E.02, subd. 4[35],[34]
Charitable gamingretail25%
Combined Net Receipts Tax tier 3: over $122,500 to under $157,500, 25%.
NET_REVENUE$123K–$158KJan 1, 2000Minn. Stat. § 297E.02, subd. 4[35],[34]
Charitable gamingretail33.5%
Combined Net Receipts Tax tier 4: $157,500 and above, 33.5%.
NET_REVENUE$158K–∞Jan 1, 2000Minn. Stat. § 297E.02, subd. 4[35],[34]
Sports (retail)total6%
6% 'sports bookmaking tax' on the value of illegal sports bets, self-reported via Form SBT; applies to an activity that remains criminally prohibited rather than a legal market tax.
HANDLEJan 1, 1994Minn. Stat. § 297E.03
"An excise tax of six percent is imposed on the value of all bets received by, recorded by, accepted by, forwarded by, or placed with a person engaged in sports bookmaking"; "bet" and "sports bookmaking" are defined by cross-reference to Minn. Stat. § 609.75. This section was enacted new in 1994 and has not been amended since.
[2],[36]

Rules and requirements

Casinos

Number of commercial casinos/racinos operating
0[6]
Number of tribal gaming facilities
18[6]
Number of federally recognized tribes with Class III compacts
11[6]

Legislation

Summary of significant pending gambling legislation this session
Sports-betting legalization bills failed again in the 2026 regular session (adjourned May 18, 2026 without a bill), continuing a pattern of failures since at least 2022 over tribal-exclusivity vs. card-club/racetrack-inclusion disputes. Minnesota's new prediction-market ban (signed May 18, 2026, effective Aug. 1, 2026) is currently enjoined by a federal court pending further litigation. 2026 sweepstakes-casino ban legislation did not advance.[5],[16]

Minimum age

Minimum age for charitable bingo/raffles
18
A person under 18 may not play pull-tabs, tipboards, paddlewheels or raffles, or take part in bingo, with limited exceptions for bingo at licensing-exempt games and at annual community events when accompanied by a parent or guardian.
[28]
Minimum age to purchase lottery
18
A person under 18 may not buy or redeem a lottery ticket for a prize, and a retailer may not sell one to a person under 18.
[29]
Minimum age for pari-mutuel wagering
18
A racetrack licensee may not accept a bet or pari-mutuel ticket for payment from anyone under 18.
[30]

Notes

Free-text notes that fit no other field
Minnesota imposes a 6% "sports bookmaking tax" (Minn. Stat. § 297E.03; Form SBT) on the value of illegal sports bets accepted/placed/forwarded/recorded by a bookmaker exceeding five bets and $2,500 in a 30-day period, payable anonymously; this is a tax on an activity that remains criminally prohibited, not a legalization mechanism.[2]

Prediction markets

Summary of the state's action against sports event contracts (C&D
First-in-nation statutory ban on prediction-market event contracts, signed May 18, 2026 (effective Aug. 1, 2026), currently blocked by a federal preliminary injunction (Kalshi v. Minnesota) on federal-preemption grounds; the state AG's office says it will continue defending the law.[16]

Tax revenue

Where gaming tax revenue goes (education fund
Lottery: 40% of net proceeds to the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund (1990 constitutional amendment), remainder to the general fund. Charitable gambling taxes (ch. 297E) are deposited to the state general fund.[9],[24]

Lottery

Status
Live · Monopoly State
NotesCreated by a 1988 constitutional amendment (~59% approval) that carved a state-operated exception into the Minn. Const. art. XIII, § 5 general ban on lotteries; first ticket sales April 17, 1990. A 1990 companion amendment dedicates 40% of net proceeds to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, with the remainder to the general fund by statute.
[9],[10],[11]
Authorized
Nov 8, 1988
Minn. Stat. ch. 349A; Minn. Const. art. XIII, § 5 (lottery exception, added 1988)
First tickets sold
Apr 17, 1990
Run by
Minnesota State Lottery
Minimum age
18[29]
Multistate games
Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto America[9]
Where the money goes
By Minn. Const. art. XI (1990 amendment), 40% of net lottery proceeds go to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund; the remaining 60% goes to the general fund by statute. A separate 6.5% in-lieu-of-sales tax on tickets is divided by statute among the general fund, the Game and Fish Fund, and the Natural Resources Fund.[27]
Online sales (iLottery)
Not authorized
NotesThe Lottery is statutorily barred from selling instant-win tickets through a website: Minn. Stat. § 349A.13 provides the director "shall not...sell instant win lottery tickets through a website," with an exception only for tickets of a multi-state joint lottery or drawing-based games. A short-lived online-scratch and gas-pump/ATM sales program was shut down by the Legislature under a 2015 law (effective Aug./Sept. 2015) amending § 349A.13 after the Lottery had expanded without legislative approval.
[9],[12]
Courier services
Limited
NotesNot separately licensed, but tolerated under an existing statutory category. The Minnesota Lottery takes the position that couriers (Jackpocket, since 2018) qualify as a "lottery service business" -- an entity that, for a fee or commission, buys tickets on a customer's behalf -- and operates Jackpocket under a memorandum of understanding requiring age verification (18+), while stating it has "no regulatory authority over their operations" and disclaiming any formal affiliation. Legislators disputed this reading at the time (arguing tickets must be sold on a licensed retailer's premises without a buyer-side fee, and that a 2015 law bars the Lottery itself from online/unconventional sales without legislative approval), but no statute, court ruling, or Lottery policy change since 2018 was identified that resolves the dispute or bans couriers outright.
[20],[21]
Lottery sales and money kept by the stateState fiscal years
SalesKept by the state
$250M$500M$750MFY2012FY2015FY2018FY2021FY2024$725M$197M

Online sports betting, online casino and online poker have not been legalized.

Yearly figures
Fiscal yearSalesPrizesAdministrationKept by the statePrize share
FY2024$725M$498M$30.3M$197M69%
FY2023$735M$509M$28.5M$197M69%
FY2022$690M$489M$22.2M$180M71%
FY2021$750M$533M$28.2M$189M71%
FY2020$624M$440M$27.9M$156M71%
FY2019$595M$413M$22.3M$159M69%
FY2018$561M$387M$31.8M$142M69%
FY2017$530M$363M$32.2M$134M69%
FY2016$557M$386M$24.8M$147M69%
FY2015$514M$352M$25.0M$137M68%
FY2014$500M$345M$26.8M$128M69%
FY2013$527M$366M$25.4M$136M69%
FY2012$489M$339M$25.5M$124M69%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Finances

Lottery timeline

  • Jan 1, 2021 · Other · Lottery
    Minnesota Lottery discontinues participation in the Lucky for Life multistate game[9]
  • Jan 1, 1992 · Expanded · Lottery
    Minnesota's Lotto America multistate game transitions to Powerball[9]
  • Apr 17, 1990 · Launched · Lottery
    Minnesota State Lottery begins instant scratch-off ticket sales[9]
  • Jan 1, 1990 · Tax Change · Lottery
    Constitutional amendment dedicates 40% of lottery net proceeds to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund[9]
  • Nov 8, 1988 · Legalized · Lottery
    Voters approve constitutional amendment authorizing a state lottery (~59% in favor)[9]

Casinos

20 properties open.

PropertyTypeCityOperatorOpenedSportsbookHotel
Canterbury Park
Thoroughbred race track with a poker card room; no slot machines under Minnesota law.
[40]
RacinoShakopee
Running Aces Casino & Racetrack
Harness race track with a poker card room; no slot machines under Minnesota law.
[40]
RacinoColumbus
Black Bear Casino Resort[40]Tribal casinoCarltonFond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Cedar Lakes Casino[40]Tribal casinoCass LakeLeech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Fond-du-Luth Casino[40]Tribal casinoDuluthFond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Fortune Bay Resort Casino[40]Tribal casinoTowerBois Forte Band of Chippewa
Grand Casino Hinckley[40]Tribal casinoHinckleyMille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Grand Casino Mille Lacs[40]Tribal casinoOnamiaMille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Grand Portage Lodge & Casino[40]Tribal casinoGrand PortageGrand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel[40]Tribal casinoMortonLower Sioux Indian CommunityYes
Little Six Casino[40]Tribal casinoPrior LakeShakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
Mystic Lake Casino Hotel[40]Tribal casinoPrior LakeShakopee Mdewakanton Sioux CommunityYes
Northern Lights Casino & Hotel[40]Tribal casinoWalkerLeech Lake Band of OjibweYes
Prairie's Edge Casino Resort[40]Tribal casinoGranite FallsUpper Sioux Community
Seven Clans Casino Red Lake[40]Tribal casinoRed LakeRed Lake Band of Chippewa
Seven Clans Casino Thief River Falls[40]Tribal casinoThief River FallsRed Lake Band of Chippewa
Seven Clans Casino Warroad[40]Tribal casinoWarroadRed Lake Band of Chippewa
Shooting Star Casino[40]Tribal casinoMahnomenWhite Earth Nation
Treasure Island Resort & Casino[40]Tribal casinoRed WingPrairie Island Indian Community
White Oak Casino[40]Tribal casinoDeer RiverLeech Lake Band of Ojibwe

Tribal gaming

Compact notices in the Federal Register
15 · first notice Jul 2, 2021, latest Dec 15, 2025

Tribal gaming revenue in the NIGC St. Paul Region

NIGC St. Paul RegionFederal fiscal years
$2.0B$4.0B$6.0BFY2019FY2021FY2023FY2025$5.3B

The National Indian Gaming Commission reports revenue only by region. This region also includes Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin.[37]

Compact notices

PublishedTribeNoticeFederal Register
Dec 15, 2025Lower Sioux CommunityAmendment took effect without action90 FR 58049
Oct 17, 2024Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior ChippewaCompact approved89 FR 83698
Sep 20, 2024Bois Forte Band of ChippewaCompact approved89 FR 77170
Sep 5, 2024Upper Sioux CommunityCompact approved89 FR 72419
Aug 22, 2024Mille Lacs Band of OjibweCompact approved89 FR 67958
Aug 14, 2024White Earth Band of Chippewa IndiansCompact approved89 FR 66136
Mar 13, 2024Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of MinnesotaCompact approved89 FR 18427
Dec 22, 2023Minnesota Chippewa TribeAmendment approved88 FR 88639
Dec 22, 2023Minnesota-Leech Lake BandAmendment approved88 FR 88639
Oct 4, 2023Lower Sioux Indian CommunityAmendment approved88 FR 68663
Oct 4, 2023Prairie Island Indian CommunityAmendment approved88 FR 68663
Aug 2, 2022Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of MinnesotaAmendment approved87 FR 47229
Apr 12, 2022Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of MinnesotaAmendment approved87 FR 21668
Oct 1, 2021Technical Standards in [the]Amendment approved86 FR 54469
Jul 2, 2021Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of MinnesotaCompact approved86 FR 35326

The Interior Department publishes a notice when a compact or amendment is approved or takes effect. Older compacts published before 1994 are not included.

Problem gambling

Public funding for problem-gambling services

$1.1M in FY2021 · $0.20 per resident

Fiscal yearAmountNotes
FY2021$1.1MStatutory allocation, split between the Department of Human Services and the Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance. Excludes a separate $225,000 lottery grant to Northstar.[38]

Helpline contacts

YearContactsNotes
2020287Calls (201) and chats (86), fiscal year.[39]
2019412Calls (311) and chats (101), fiscal year.[39]

Economy

Adults 21 and over
4.3M (2024; 5.8M residents)
Gambling taxes collected
$227M in FY2025 · 0.61% of all state taxes
Gambling jobs
9,713 in 2025 · $50,439 average annual pay
Undercount: the Bureau of Labor Statistics withholds some figures to protect individual employers.
Gambling taxes collectedState fiscal years
Gambling taxesLottery proceeds
$100M$200M$300MFY2013FY2016FY2019FY2022FY2025$227M$197M

Census Bureau tax collections on amusements and pari-mutuel wagering. Most states book casino, sports betting and video gaming taxes here; amusement taxes can also include admissions taxes unrelated to gambling. Lottery proceeds are what the lottery transfers to the state after prizes and costs.

Gambling jobsAnnual average
5,00010.0K2015201720192021202320259,713

Casinos, casino hotels, card rooms, bingo halls, off-track betting and slot-route operators, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Racetracks are not included. Jobs at tribal casinos are counted as government jobs.

Gambling jobs by industry, 2025

IndustryOwnershipEmployersJobsAverage pay
Gambling industriestribal and other government-owned123,458$48,992
Gambling industriesprivately owned81478$35,389
Casino hotelstribal and other government-owned85,777$52,547
Casino hotelsprivately ownedwithheld

Taxes by fiscal year

Fiscal yearAmusement taxesPari-mutuel taxesShare of state taxesLottery proceeds
FY2025$226M$1.3M0.61%—
FY2024$225M$1.4M0.63%$197M
FY2023$227M$1.5M0.66%$197M
FY2022$210M$1.9M0.61%$180M
FY2021$138M$2.5M0.44%$189M
FY2020$80.3M$1.4M0.30%$156M
FY2019$90.8M$1.2M0.33%$159M
FY2018$76.7M$1.2M0.29%$142M
FY2017$65.1M$863K0.26%$134M
FY2016$57.5M$522K0.23%$147M

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, States (NST-EST2025-ALLDATA); U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC): Historical Dataset; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages, NAICS 7132 (Gambling industries)

Timeline

  • Jul 15, 2026 · Court Ruling · Prediction markets
    U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez issues a preliminary injunction blocking Minnesota's prediction-market ban before its Aug. 1, 2026 effective date, on federal-preemption grounds (exact date approximate)[16]
  • May 18, 2026 · Other · Sports (online)
    2026 regular legislative session adjourns without passing a sports-betting bill[3]
  • May 18, 2026 · Prohibited · Prediction markets
    Gov. Walz signs a public-safety bill (House 100-32, Senate 57-9) making it a felony to operate or promote a prediction-market platform offering event contracts to Minnesotans, effective Aug. 1, 2026[16]
  • May 1, 2026 · Other · Sweepstakes casinos
    2026 legislation to ban dual-currency sweepstakes casinos does not advance[16]
  • Mar 1, 2026 · Other · Sports (online)
    A bipartisan Senate bill to legalize statewide mobile sports betting through the tribes is introduced but fails to advance[5]
  • Feb 1, 2025 · Other · Sports (online)
    Sen. Matt Klein's sports-betting bill fails on a 6-6 Senate committee vote; a competing bill from Sen. John Marty is laid over[4]
  • Jun 1, 2024 · Other · Historical horse racing
    State action reverses the Racing Commission's historical horse racing approval[7]?
  • Apr 1, 2024 · Regulation Adopted · Historical horse racing
    Minnesota Racing Commission approves historical horse racing (HHR) terminals for Canterbury Park[7]
  • Jan 1, 2024 · Other · Sports (online)
    2024 sports-betting bill stalls over a horse-track revenue-sharing dispute; Gov. Walz conditions his signature on tribal support[4]
  • Jan 1, 2023 · Other · Sports (online)
    Sports-betting bill HF 2000 fails to pass in the 2023 session[4]
  • Dec 31, 2022 · Other · Tribal casinos
    Canterbury Park / Mystic Lake marketing and purse agreement expires and is not renewed[7]
  • Jan 1, 2022 · Other · Sports (online)
    2022 sports-betting legalization effort fails after the House favors a tribal-exclusive model and the Senate adds racetracks, and the chambers cannot reconcile the bills[4]
  • Jan 1, 2021 · Other · Lottery
    Minnesota Lottery discontinues participation in the Lucky for Life multistate game[9]
  • Jun 1, 2012 · Other · Tribal casinos
    Canterbury Park and Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (Mystic Lake) announce 10-year cooperative marketing/purse agreement[7]
  • Jan 1, 1999 · Legalized · Card rooms
    Legislature authorizes a card room (unbanked poker) at Canterbury Park and poker tables at tribal casinos[7]
  • Jan 1, 1994 · Launched · Pari-mutuel
    Live racing resumes at Canterbury Park under new ownership (Sampson family, 1993 purchase)[7]
  • Dec 1, 1992 · Other · Pari-mutuel
    Canterbury Downs closes under Ladbroke Racing ownership[7]
  • Jan 1, 1992 · Expanded · Lottery
    Minnesota's Lotto America multistate game transitions to Powerball[9]
  • Apr 17, 1990 · Launched · Lottery
    Minnesota State Lottery begins instant scratch-off ticket sales[9]
  • Jan 1, 1990 · Tax Change · Lottery
    Constitutional amendment dedicates 40% of lottery net proceeds to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund[9]
  • Nov 8, 1988 · Legalized · Lottery
    Voters approve constitutional amendment authorizing a state lottery (~59% in favor)[9]
  • Jun 26, 1985 · Launched · Pari-mutuel
    Canterbury Downs (now Canterbury Park) holds first race under Minnesota's first racetrack license[7]
  • Nov 2, 1982 · Legalized · Pari-mutuel
    Voters approve constitutional amendment authorizing pari-mutuel horse race wagering[7]

Regulators

Sources

  1. Minnesota Statutes § 609.75 — Gambling; Definitions · Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “a bargain whereby the parties mutually agree to a gain or loss”
  2. Sports Bookmaking Tax · Minnesota Department of Revenue · government other · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “illegal in Minnesota”
  3. Minnesota Sports Betting 2026: Is It Legal Yet? · Tech Insider · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only; identified via search summary, not independently re-fetched for a verbatim excerpt this session.

  4. Minnesota Sports Betting · Legal Sports Report · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only; identified via search summary covering the 2022-2025 bill history, not independently re-fetched for a verbatim excerpt this session.

  5. Minnesota Sports Betting Legalization Efforts Regressed In 2025 · SportsBettingDime · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only; identified via search summary, not independently re-fetched for a verbatim excerpt this session; page carries conflicting 2025/2026 update stamps.

  6. List of casinos in Minnesota · Wikipedia (secondary) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only

  7. Canterbury Park · Wikipedia (secondary) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only

  8. Minnesota Statutes § 3.9221 — Indian Tribes; Compacts to Be Negotiated · Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “negotiate in good faith a tribal-state compact regulating the conduct of class III gambling”
  9. Minnesota State Lottery · Wikipedia (secondary) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only

  10. Minnesota Constitution, Article XIII, Section 5 — Lotteries · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Section is titled "Lotteries" and generally bars the legislature from authorizing any lottery or lottery-ticket sale ("The legislature shall not authorize any lottery or the sale of lottery tickets"), with the 1988-added exception quoted above for a lottery the state itself operates.

    “a lottery operated by the state”
  11. About the Lottery · Minnesota State Lottery · regulator page · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
    “Since 1990, the lottery has generated more than $4.0 billion for programs.”
  12. Minnesota Statutes § 349A.13 — Lottery Retailers · Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Clause (7)'s website-sales ban "does not apply to the sale of tickets of a joint lottery" (i.e., Powerball/Mega Millions/Lotto America) or games decided by a drawing; clauses (5)-(6) separately bar sales via self-service devices at gas pumps/ATMs. Underlies the 2015 shutdown of the Lottery's online-scratch and gas-pump/ATM sales programs.

    “sell instant win lottery tickets through a website”
  13. Minnesota Daily Fantasy Sports · Legal Sports Report · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only; identified via search summary, not independently re-fetched for a verbatim excerpt this session.

  14. Minnesota Gambling Control Board · State of Minnesota · regulator page · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “1711 West County Road B, Suite 300 South, Roseville, MN 55113”
  15. Minnesota Statutes § 240.01 — Definitions · Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “Horse racing shall not include any form that has happened in the past or is considered historical horse racing”
  16. U.S. Prediction Market Legal Status, State By State · Lines.com · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary tracker source covering Minnesota's May 18, 2026 ban and the subsequent federal injunction; identified via search summary, not independently re-fetched for a verbatim excerpt this session; exact injunction date approximate.

  17. Minn. Stat. § 609.75 — Gambling; Definitions · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
    “"Gambling device" also includes a video game of chance... The term also includes any video game having one or more of the following characteristics: (1) it is primarily a game of chance, and has no substantial elements of skill involved; (2) it awards game credits or replays and contains a meter ... that records unplayed credits or replays.”
  18. Minn. Stat. § 609.76 — Gambling; Crime · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
    “Subdivision 1. Gross misdemeanors. Whoever does any of the following ... (4) sets up for use for the purpose of gambling, or collects the proceeds of, any gambling device or bucket shop; (5) except as provided in section 299L.07, manufactures, sells, offers for sale, or otherwise provides, in whole or any part thereof, any gambling device including those defined in section 349.30, subdivision 2;”
  19. Briefing Book 2026: Gray Machines · Kansas Legislative Research Department · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Out-of-state (Kansas) briefing used only for general gray-machine background/terminology; confirms no Minnesota-specific resolution was located in this search pass.

  20. Minnesotans can now buy lottery tickets on their phones · MPR News · press · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    2018 article; no 2025-2026 Minnesota Lottery policy change on couriers was identified, so this is relied on as the most recent primary-adjacent source located.

    “They essentially operate as a courier service”
  21. Lawmakers: Minnesota Lottery App Illegal · GGB News · press · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Page not fetched; confirmed via search result summary describing legislator objections to the Jackpocket courier arrangement and the 2015 law limiting the Lottery's own online/unconventional sales.

  22. PrizePicks Legal States · ATS.io · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Page not fetched; confirmed via search result summary listing Minnesota among PrizePicks' available states (Pick'em offered to residents 19+).

  23. Minnesota Sports Betting · Action Network · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Page not fetched; confirmed via search result summary noting Minnesota has no legal online sportsbooks and that PrizePicks/Underdog DFS products are available to residents.

  24. Gambling Taxes · Minnesota Department of Revenue · government other · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “Licensed lawful gambling organizations pay gambling taxes and/or fees on non-linked bingo”
  25. Minnesota Attempts To Legalize Sports Betting Again With New State Bill · esports.gg · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Page not fetched; confirmed via search result summary describing the 2025-2026 legislative efforts and the Dept. of Revenue's SF 3414 fiscal analysis including esports in the proposed wagering definition.

  26. Minnesota Senate to Discuss New Bipartisan Sports Betting Bill · Covers.com · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Page not fetched; confirmed via search result summary describing SF 4139 (March 2026), its proposed 11-mobile-sportsbook structure and 22% tax rate; esports treatment in this specific bill version not independently confirmed.

  27. Playing Our Part — How Lottery Dollars Benefit Minnesota · Minnesota State Lottery · regulator page · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Cumulative per-dollar breakdown, 1990 through FY2024; page does not cite the underlying statute/constitutional text directly.

    “24.3 cents goes towards the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, the General Fund.”
  28. Minn. Stat. § 349.181 — Age Restrictions · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Exceptions apply to bingo that is exempt or excluded from licensing, and to bingo at an annual community event when the minor is accompanied by a parent or guardian; minors may sell raffle tickets.

    “A person under age 18 may not participate”
  29. Minnesota Statutes § 349A.12 — Prohibited Acts (lottery minimum age) · Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    Fetched directly via curl_cffi Chrome impersonation on 2026-10-10.

    “A person under the age of 18 years may not buy or redeem for a prize a ticket in the state lottery.”
  30. Minn. Stat. § 240.13 — Pari-mutuel Betting · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
    “A licensee may not accept a bet or a pari-mutuel ticket for payment from any person under the age of 18 years.”
  31. Minn. Stat. § 240.135 — Purses; breeders fund · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “For amounts between zero and $6,000,000, the licensee shall set aside not less than ten percent to be used as purses... For amounts in excess of $6,000,000, the licensee shall set aside not less than 14 percent to be used as purses.”
  32. Revenue Analysis — HF 3177 (card club franchise fee proposal) · Minnesota Department of Revenue · government other · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    Page not independently fetched this session; cited for a search-engine-visible excerpt stating 'there is no tax on legal gambling activities at the card club at Canterbury Park' as of the 2004 analysis.

  33. Lawful Gambling Tax Requirements · Minnesota Department of Revenue · government other · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
  34. Minnesota Statutes § 297E.02 — Taxes Imposed · Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    Fetched directly via curl_cffi Chrome impersonation on 2026-10-10. Confirms the §297E.02 charitable-gaming tax brackets (8%/17%/25%/33.5%) and the separate 8.5% net-receipts rate exactly as recorded in tax_rates, cross-verifying the DOR summary pages.

    “Not over $87,500 eight percent / Over $87,500, but not over $122,500 $7,000 plus 17 percent of the amount over $87,500 / Over $122,500, but not over $157,500 $12,950 plus 25 percent of the amount over $122,500 / Over $157,500 $21,700 plus 33.5 percent of the amount over $157,500”
  35. Combined Net Receipts Tax · Minnesota Department of Revenue · government other · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
  36. Minnesota Statutes § 297E.03 — Sports Bookmaking Tax · Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    Fetched directly via curl_cffi Chrome impersonation on 2026-10-10. Confirms the 6% rate and shows the section was enacted new in 1994 (1994 c 633 art 2 s 3) with no amendments since.

    “An excise tax of six percent is imposed on the value of all bets received by, recorded by, accepted by, forwarded by, or placed with a person engaged in sports bookmaking.”
  37. NIGC FY 2025 Gross Gaming Revenue Report · National Indian Gaming Commission · regulator report · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
    “FY 2025’s GGR of $46.2 billion marks the highest ever GGR for the Indian gaming industry.”
  38. Problem Gambling Annual Reconciliation, State Fiscal Year 2021 · Minnesota Department of Human Services, Behavioral Health Division · government other · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
  39. Problem Gambling: A Report on the State's Progress in Addressing the Problem of Compulsive Gambling · Minnesota Department of Human Services · government other · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
  40. List of casinos in Minnesota · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
    “Black Bear Casino Resort Carlton Carlton Minnesota Native American Owned by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; Canterbury Park Shakopee Scott Minnesota Racino Thoroughbred race track”