It is all about revenue.
It appears that the Minnesota State Legislature may take up the question of whether there should be legalized sports gambling in the state. State Senator Karla Bigham said she hopes to introduce legislation to legalize sports gambling this week. Bigham wants to make it legal for Minnesotans to bet on games. Minnesota does have a form of legalized sports gambling as fantasy sports sites are legal in the state. Bigham’s proposal would allow casinos and racetracks to take in-person sports bets for the first year. After one year, gamblers could bet remotely through Minnesota casinos only. Gamblers must reload betting accounts and register in person for online bets through Minnesota casinos. Casinos and racetracks would get six percent of the proceeds for onsite wages and eight percent for online betting. The rest would go to the state.
In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to expand sports betting in the state to help close the budget gap. Cuomo is pushing the New York State Gaming Commission to issue a request for proposals to select one or more providers to offer mobile sports wagering in New York. This platform must have a partnership with at least one of the existing licensed commercial casinos. The Commission will also require any entity operating mobile wagering apps to include safeguards against abuses and addiction.” There are now 25 states and the District of Columbia that plan or are offering some form of legalized sports gambling. In May 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States gave the greenlight to sports gambling. Nevada got legalized sportsbooks in 1949. New York, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, Oregon, New Mexico, Arkansas, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Michigan, Colorado, Virginia and Tennessee now have various forms of sportsbooks. Sports owners have embraced legalized sports gambling as it brings in revenue.
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