Legal Minnesota Betting Sites
Minnesota Online Sports Betting Outlook
Minnesota has come closer to legalizing online sports betting than most states that haven't yet crossed the finish line. Legalization proponents have a lot in their favor:
- Industry Support: Minnesota’s tribal nations, charitable gaming organizations, horse racing tracks, and professional sports teams have all endorsed the same legislative framework. In other words, lawmakers have a clear-cut outline for crafting bills that satisfy all the state’s key industry stakeholders.
- Governor Support: The governor’s office supports legalization, meaning any bill that passes both chambers will likely receive the governor’s signature to become law.
- Bipartisan Legislative Support: Bipartisan bill sponsors exist in both chambers.
The problem is that bipartisan opposition also exists in both chambers. More than once, lawmakers concerned about problem gambling and the broader societal effects of legal online sports betting in Minnesota have blocked legislation at the committee level.
The framework that has emerged from years of negotiation would give Minnesota's tribal nations exclusive control over retail sportsbooks and online sports betting. Each of the state's tribes would receive a license to operate a sportsbook or partner with a commercial operator (e.g., FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM Sportsbook, Bet365, etc.)
Minnesota Online Betting Alternatives
Minnesota’s lack of legal online sports betting does not relegate fans to the sideline. Residents already have access to several categories of alternative apps that collectively cover most of what standard online sportsbooks offer:
- Fantasy Pick’em Apps: Make over/under-style projections on individual player stats across all major sports for real-money prizes.
- Prediction Market Apps: Buy and sell yes/no contracts on outright game winners, point spreads, totals, and more. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulates event contracts at the federal level.
- Social Sportsbook Apps: Use virtual currency to place wagers on game winners, player projections, and more with odds and interfaces that closely resemble standard online sportsbooks. The key difference is that social sportsbooks operate on a “no purchase necessary” sweepstakes model.
Important Caveat: The legality of social sportsbooks and prediction markets is the subject of ongoing debate in Minnesota. Lawmakers have considered legislation to ban social sportsbooks (SF 4474) and certain categories of prediction markets (more on the prediction markets bill below).
Minnesota Sports Betting Timeline
Minnesota lawmakers have debated sports betting since 2018. Every session has produced bills, stakeholder negotiations, and incremental progress, but no legislation has cleared both chambers.
The primary obstacle to establishing a regulated Minnesota online sports betting market has shifted over time. Early efforts failed because tribal gaming operators opposed expansion, while recent efforts have failed despite tribal support due to fears about the potential social impacts of legalization.
Minnesota Daily Fantasy Sports
Minnesota fantasy sports sites operate in a legal gray area because the legislature has never passed a bill granting them official legal status. At the same time, existing state law does not address daily fantasy one way or another.
As a result, fantasy sports sites are active in Minnesota but are not subject to consumer protection regulations or licensing requirements. Fortunately, fans can use all the nation's most popular DSS sites and pick'em fantasy apps in Minnesota, all of which hold licenses in other states.
Read more about the Minnesota fantasy sports market here:
Minnesota Prediction Markets
Prediction market apps are available in Minnesota. Governor Tim Walz signed legislation outlawing prediction markets in May 2026, but a federal judge blocked Minnesota from enforcing the ban on July 27th, 2026, five days before it was set to take effect.
As a result, prediction market apps like Kalshi and Underdog Predict may continue operating in Minnesota while the case plays out. However, the preliminary injunction will only hold until the court issues a final ruling. If that ruling allows the state to enforce the ban, prediction market apps may ultimately have to suspend their operations in Minnesota.
What’s In The Prediction Markets Ban
Minnesota lawmakers passed the ban by packaging it inside a wide-ranging public safety bill (SF 3432) rather than as standalone legislation. With Governor Walz’s signature, Minnesota became the first state to pass a legislative ban on prediction markets.
The law makes it a felony to operate, host, facilitate, or advertise prediction markets, which it defines as systems that allow users “to place a wager on the outcome of a specific event that is not determined or affected by the performance of parties to the contract…”
Provisions in the law prohibit event contracts based on sports, politics, catastrophes, weather, and broad categories such as “any event or events happening to a natural person or group of people.”
In short, the law effectively implements a near-total state ban on prediction markets if it takes effect as written.
Courts Put the Ban on Hold
The day after Governor Walz signed SF 3432, the CFTC and the US Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit against Minnesota. Kalshi and Polymarket also followed with their own lawsuits. All three lawsuits argue that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has the exclusive authority to regulate prediction markets and requested preliminary injunctions.
A US District Judge granted the injunction request after finding that the challengers are likely to win on federal preemption. However, she also noted that some contracts may not qualify as federally regulated swaps, so a final ruling could provide less protection than the current injunction.
For Minnesota residents, future access to apps like Kalshi, Underdog Predict, and Polymarket is uncertain. Prediction markets may continue operating while the federal case proceeds, but availability could change quickly if Minnesota’s law survives court review.
Minnesota Horse Racing Betting
Online and in-person horse racing betting are legal in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Racing Commission regulates pari-mutuel wagering throughout the state and requires all online racebooks to apply for licenses before offering their services to residents.
Fans can also visit two race tracks to watch and wager on live races or visit the simulcasting room to bet on races held elsewhere.
See BettingUSA's Minnesota horse racing betting guide for more information and a list of licensed racebook apps:
Minnesota Online Gambling
Online casinos and poker sites are prohibited under Minnesota law and the legalization of those activities does not appear high on the state’s list of priorities.
However, sweepstakes casinos offer MN gamblers casino-style games and a similar experience. State law does not explicitly prohibit sweepstakes casinos, but the Attorney General's office has issued multiple rounds of cease-and-desist orders to operators. See our full guide for more about sweepstakes casinos and online gambling in Minnesota:
Minnesota Online Lottery
Minnesota online lottery players can use online lottery apps and third-party courier services to buy tickets online.
Responsible Gambling in Minnesota
Minnesota treats problem gambling as a public health issue, and the state provides a confidential helpline plus access to state-supported treatment.
If you’re looking for quick help or a referral, Minnesota’s problem gambling helpline and the state’s official “Get Gambling Help” resources are a strong starting point.
- Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling (MNAPG): Call 1-800-333-4673 (HOPE), text "HOPE" TO 53342, or chat online. The MNAPG provides problem gambling support, prevention education, and local helplines.
- Minnesota DHS (Problem Gambling): The MN DHS Problem Gambling portal provides information about local resources, no-cost treatment options, and helplines.
- Gamblers Anonymous Minnesota: Visit the GA Minnesota website or call 1-855-222-5542 for local meetings, a problem gambling screener and additional information.
- Gam-Anon Minnesota: Local support groups for the loved ones of problem gamblers. Call the local helpline at 1-888-435-7166 (1-888-HELP1MN) for information.
Minnesota Gambling Self-Exclusion
Minnesota lacks a singular, statewide self-exclusion list, meaning players must self-exclude individually at each property or platform. However, third-party software is available and can effectively block access to all gambling sites and online sportsbooks (including illegal operators).
- Tribal Casino Self-Exclusion: Minnesota’s tribal nations operate independent self-exclusion lists. To self-exclude, an individual must contact each specific casino facility to sign a voluntary exclusion agreement for that property.
- Cardrooms: Licensed cardrooms also maintain their own internal self-exclusion lists.
- Online Sports Betting and Gambling Self-Exclusion: If you play online at daily fantasy sports sites, social casinos, unauthorized online casinos, or offshore sportsbooks, your best bet is to use each platform’s voluntary self-exclusion program (if available). The MNAPG also recommends software like Gamban and BetBlocker to restrict access to legal, gray market, and illegal betting sites.
Minnesota Sports Betting FAQ
Wes Burns has more than a decade's worth of experience as a writer, researcher and analyst in the legal gambling industry and is co-founder of BettingUSA.com. As a former professional online poker player, Wes approaches his work from the viewpoint of players.