Contributed
Phillip D Murphy, the Governor of New Jersey had signed a significant bill on June 11, 2018 which ended a more than eight years’ struggle for legalisation of sports betting in the state. That move was made just at the right time prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup.,
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Keeping in mind the fact that this new law was introduced mainly for restoration of glamour and glitz that the Atlantic City casinos are known for, it all happened behind the doors, with only an email statement released to the media later. Therefore, anyone interested in placing online sports bets in New Jersey can do so at various reputed online bookmakers today.,
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Minnesota going the New Jersey way
As was done by New Jersey, Minnesota is also in the process of becoming one of the few American states to legalise sports betting. A Supreme Court decision was passed in May 2018, which arrived a little late for its passing in the 2018 session of the Minnesota legislature. Everyone associated with sports betting had hoped that the bill would be taken up right away after the commencement of the legislative session in January 2019. However, things haven’t progressed as expected, and negotiations started only recently for legalisation of sports betting in the state.,
Where things stand as of now
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At present, Minnesota allows only a few forms of gambling, and those options are very less compared to what are available in Canada and the surrounding states. The activity is considered illegal if you do it for charity purposes and there’s even a poker club situated at the Canterbury Park. Minnesota houses some tribal casinos as well, other than a state lottery that allows for multistate games such as Powerball and a few in-state games.,
The bill under consideration
The bill which has been proposed for legalisation of sports betting in Minnesota is still in the negotiation phase, but it has been learnt that legislators have a good idea about the direction sports gambling should be taking. With an already existing governing structure for the Minnesota lottery, many are of the belief that it might be made in-charge of the sports betting as well. Several other countries including Canada run sports betting efficiently and profitably this way.,
The chances
It would take some time before people start actively placing sports bets from Minnesota, as the bill will have to pass various hurdles before its successful passing. The first hurdle was passed in March earlier this year.,
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The biggest challenge will be getting a go-ahead from the state’s tribal casinos. At present, Minnesota has a running agreement with 11 different tribes, to offer gambling services in the state. Although there is no requirement of consulting these tribes on sports betting, they will have every reason to obstruct the operations of any such commercial venture in the state, if decisions are taken without consulting them. Many legislators have expressed that tribes must also be allowed to accept sports bets, in case the activity is legalised in Minnesota.