ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – People who bet on sports could have a casino in their hands if a new Minnesota bill beats the odds.

It’s a gamble

What we know:

A Senate bill introduced on Thursday is a replica of the one that almost passed last year, but some say it’s a gamble.

Supporters have tried and failed for years to push mobile sports betting across the goal line.

What’s changed this year is that most of the businesses that could lose money because of it are satisfied with their cut of the proceeds.

Why not sooner?

Dueling gambling lobbies:

Dueling gambling lobbies: Putting sports betting in the palm of your hand has required buy-in from Minnesota tribes and tracks.

This year, Sen. Matt Klein says everybody’s on board to go online.

“Most of the people who are invested in this bill – the authors and the tribes and the teams and everybody else wants to have the mobile device,” said Sen. Klein, (DFL-Mendota Heights). “That’s where the world is going. And I think we can do it safely on your mobile device.”

Who gets the money?

Spread it around:

The bill would set a 22% tax on net gambling revenue, the money Minnesotans lose on their bets.

The money is then split between charities, tribes that don’t have gambling operations, horse tracks, sports tourism, and youth sports, with 10% also going to address compulsive gambling.

“If we’re going to do this, we’ve got to put real safeguards in to address the suicide risk, the bankruptcy risk, all the health risks that we face,” said Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville).

Risky business?

Opposition remains:

Sen. Marty is a mobile sports betting skeptic.

But he sees legalization as almost inevitable, so he’s proposing his own safeguards, including a ban on prop bets, and liability for gambling companies.

“None of those things are acceptable to the industry because they won’t profit quite as much,” Sen. Marty said. “And it’s a hugely profitable industry.

Safer scenario

Protections in place:

Sen. Klein’s bill requires a three-hour cooling off period between putting money in a betting account and actually placing a bet.

It also limits advertising and prop bets, and bans push notifications.

“I think the takeaway is that we have learned the lesson from the 30 or so states that have already done this, and we’ve made that the safest bill in the nation,” he said.

What are the odds?

Three weeks ago:

Sen. Klein said the odds of his bill passing were 50-50, but after introducing it Thursday, he said they’ve increased to 70-30.