Find the Best Legal Minnesota Sports Betting Sites: Safe Bookies

Minnesota may be known as “The Land of 1,000 Lakes”, but unfortunately it’s not also known for being a gambling hub. For the time being, there are no legal Minnesota sports betting options available, although there’s been plenty of action in the state’s government to try and change this.

On this site, we will only ever recommend licensed betting websites as it is the only way to be certain that you are betting safely and fairly. As we can’t provide options for a Massachusetts legal online sportsbook, we’ve instead discussed other betting options, the current gaming laws, and when they may change to allow sports betting.

What Betting Options are Legal for Minnesota Residents

Fortunately, there are a number of alternative legal gambling options for Minnesotans to enjoy until a Minnesota legal online sportsbook is available. These include pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, daily fantasy sports betting, the state lottery and casino gambling at one of the state’s many Native American casinos.

Is Daily Fantasy Legal in Minnesota?

There have been numerous efforts over the last few years to classify DFS as a game of skill, and therefore, not technically gambling. These attempts have not been unsuccessful. However, although it is not technically legal and regulated, daily fantasy sports (DFS) betting is currently available in Minnesota.

Two recommended DFS sites that are available in Minnesota are FanDuel and DraftKings. In states with legal sports betting, both companies also operate reputable sports betting sites that are popular with bettors for their premium products. DFS is probably the closest thing to legal Minnesota online gambling available.

Are there Legal Offshore Sites for Minnesota Players

You may have come across a number of websites claiming to be the best Minnesota legal online sportsbook online. However, these are false claims, as all in-state Minnesota sports betting is illegal. These offshore betting sites may pose as safe and fair legal websites, but in our opinion, they are anything but.

Websites such as Bovada and BetOnline are unlicensed in the state, meaning that they have not met the strict regulations of a local gambling authority. As there is no guarantee of safety and fairness for offshore bookmakers, we suggest avoiding them until regulated, trusted sportsbooks can be recommended.

Casinos

There are 18 casinos in Minnesota currently operated by the state’s 11 federally recognized Native American tribes. These range in size and game offerings, with the largest being the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel at Prior Lake and the Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Welch.

Casinos can offer full-scale gambling, including slot machines and table games such as roulette, blackjack, and baccarat. The casinos also offer Vegas-style entertainment options, including live shows and fine-dining experiences. Unfortunately, none of these casinos can host online gambling websites.

Racetrack Betting

Minnesota is home to two horse racing tracks, with the largest and most well-known of these being the Canterbury Park track and the other being Running Aces Casino and Racetrack. Opened in 1985, the track hosts 70 racing days between May and September, while also offering year-round off-track betting of international races.

As interest in horse racing has declined, the racetracks have been aided by their offerings of poker rooms and other casino game offerings. Aside from these tracks, bettors are unable to place horse racing bets online or at any stand-alone offshore betting parlors.

Card Rooms

Minnesota is a great state for poker, with 11 poker rooms spread throughout the state. This means that poker players should never have to travel too far to enjoy poker, whether at the Canterbury Park, which offers the most poker rooms in the state or at a number of the tribal casinos.

There are no No Limit Hold’em games available in the state, so players will have to be satisfied with limit games. There are a number of poker tournaments that are held regularly all-year-round at a number of venues, so be sure to keep an eye out at your local poker room to make the most of the opportunity.

Nearby States with Legal Sports Betting

If you are based in Minnesota and are looking for the safest way to bet on sports that is also legal, your only option is to travel to another state that allows this. The only bordering state with legal sports betting is Iowa, which is one of only 13 states that also allow for online sports wagering

Below, we’ve listed all of the closest states with legal sports betting to Minnesota. Traveling here is without a doubt the easiest and most reliable way to bet until legal online sports betting in Minnesota is legal.

• Iowa
• Illinois
• Indiana

What Legal Sports Betting in Minnesota Would Look Like

There are currently two pieces of sports betting legislation being considered in Minnesota seeking to legalize the market. Both are seeking to allow for both in-person bets at the state’s tribal casinos while also giving gamblers the option to place mobile wagers, an option that’s been opposed by the tribes.

What’s clear right now is that the state has a long way to go before all parties are in agreement over how to approach sports betting legalization. Nevertheless, if and when these compromises are made, the industry will be regulated by the Minnesota Gambling Control Board. The odds of this are unlikely for the time being.

Regulation by a government body is an important element to sports betting, as it ensures that bets are fair and safe, licensing fees and taxes are paid and problem gambling is prevented. Regulatory agencies will oversee everything from who can gamble to how much can be bet, and ensure only the safest betting sites are licensed. We’ll update this page should any new news change the status of wagering in the state.

Once online gaming and sports wagering are legalized, players will be able to place bets on major sports leagues such as the NFL on mobile devices or in the comfort of their own homes. However, it is unlikely this happens in 2020.

It’s likely that if Minnesota sports betting is legalized, all major professional sports leagues such as the MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL will be bet on along with eSports, college division games, and minor leagues. This means that Minnesotans could bet on all six local professional sports teams including the Minnesota Vikings.

What are the Minnesota Gambling Laws

Minnesota’s first gambling laws were introduced in 1945 and mandated the legalization of charitable games such as bingo and the raffle. In 1972, the Minnesota State Lottery was launched, and it has since grown in size and popularity. Since its creation, it has raised more than $3 billion for various wildlife programs.

In 1983, pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing was legalized and shortly after, the first racetrack in the state was opened. Several years later, the federal government passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, seeing the immediate creation of seven Minnesota tribal casinos.

Minnesota gambling laws since then have generally taken fairly small steps. Among these is the allowing of tribes to offer blackjack games and for the state’s horse racing tracks to host poker tournaments. At one point, the state trialed online lottery gambling but this was stopped after a few years.

Minnesota is one of only a few states that sets a general minimum gambling age of 18. This applies to daily fantasy sports, the lottery, horse race betting, and even casino gambling. For this reason, we have no reason to believe that if sports betting is legalized, the same minimum age will apply.

What is the Future of Sports Betting in Minnesota?

Although we remain hopeful that Minnesota’s voters and lawmakers will legalize sports betting, it’s difficult to say if this will happen anytime soon. Lawmakers are well aware that mobile sports betting is important to a successful sports betting market, though tribal groups believe that they could be a threat to their bottom line.

Until a compromise is worked out, it could be years before Minnesota joins the growing list of legal sport betting states. Without legal online sports betting in Minnesota, the only legal way for locals to bet on sports is to travel to nearby states with licensed sportsbooks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you still have questions about Minnesota sports betting and the other legal betting options in the state? Below, we have answered some common questions that are often asked about Minnesota gambling laws.