Minnesota's latest attempt to legalize and regulate sportsbetting has failed, as the state's House and Senate couldn't come to agreement on the bill's verbiage ahead of the end of the legislative schedule.
There were competing bills in both the Senate and House, with the Senate version allowing in-person betting at racetracks. The House version upped counseling sessions for gambling addicts, limited advertisements for mobile sportsbetting, and had provisions on taxes to support various programs. The Senate's version directed tax revenues to the state's General Fund.
Both bills would have legalized in-person sportsbetting at casinos as well as providing mobile sports wagers.
This marks the third time that a sportsbetting bill has failed in Minnesota, meaning that gamblers will have to wait until next year at the earliest before they'll be able to legally place wagers on football, hockey, baseball, basketball, or other popular sports.
Minnesota Rep. Pat Garofalo wasn't happy that the bill failed, as he noted (aptly): ''There are too many legislators focused on short-term political considerations instead of thinking about what is best for the whole state.''