ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Legalizing sports betting has been a bad bet in Minnesota for several years now, but the scene is set for it to finally be a winner this year.

What we know:

There are a couple of reasons the odds may have improved over the last legislative session.

First, time.

Supporters had a bill they thought would pass last year, but it came together too late as the clock ran out on the session.

And then, the split House of Representatives.

Not a lot of bills will move quickly this year, so committees can focus on sports betting.

Dig deeper:

But there’s a bipartisan movement to stop it, too.

The full costs of gambling go beyond financial wins and losses.

“I’ve stolen from my daughter’s piggy bank,” said an anonymous gambling addict. “I had my elderly grandma take out extra school loans for me. I’ve stolen over half a million dollars from past employers.”

Problem gamblers testified on Wednesday at a Senate Finance Committee hearing examining the potential dangers of legalized sports betting in Minnesota.

Researchers connected gambling to increases in domestic violence and long-term mental health problems.

“Gambling and addiction is as powerful as any opioid or other addiction,” said Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville). “In fact, it’s the highest suicide rate of any addiction.”

Why you should care:

Sen. Marty pointed to evidence that about 2% to 8% of gamblers develop severe problems.

His team of opponents blamed mobile gambling for the worst of it, comparing it to having a casino in your pocket. 

“There have been over 30 legislative hearings on sports betting bills in the last several years, and they’ve all focused on the mechanics of the bills, understandably, and also who profits from the bills – whether it’s tribes or tracks or whom,” Sen. Marty told FOX 9’s All Day on Wednesday. “No hearings have focused on the harms, the economic harms, the social harms, the health harms because of it.”

But Sen. Matt Klein is hoping he has the right coalition to pass sports betting this year.

His bill, which almost passed in 2024, would’ve created a 22% tax on winnings and spread some of the revenue between tribes, horse tracks, charities, youth sports, and addressed problem gambling.

He says addicted gamblers are already using illegal betting sites, so his bill would rein in bad behavior.

“My bill has significant guardrails,” said Sen. Klein (DFL-Mendota Heights). “I could name more than 12 of them. And Sen. Marty would like some more. And we can keep talking about that.”

His guardrails include a three-hour cooling-off period for making new bets after putting new money in your betting account.

“The bigger issue is who gets to operate it, who profits from it. And I’m hoping that the stakeholders – whether they’re tribal casinos, charities or our horse racing tracks – that they’re able to reach an agreement on that,” former House Rep. Pat Garofalo told FOX 9’s All Day on Wednesday. “But at the end of the day, I think this is an opportunity to have a win, win, win – good for the charities, good for the racetracks and good for Minnesota’s tribal casinos.”

However, even Sen. Klein admits the odds of his bill passing this year are only about 50-50.