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Minnesota’s legislative elections could help break the sports betting stalemate after tribes, horse tracks and charities reached an agreement. Opposition within both parties remains a major hurdle, according to Covers.
Minnesota’s Narrow Legislative Margins Face Voters
All 134 Minnesota House seats and 67 Senate seats are on the Nov. 3 ballot. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party holds a 34-33 Senate majority.
The House began the 2026 session tied at 67-67. A Republican resignation subsequently left the DFL with 67 seats to Republicans’ 66, with one vacancy.
Those narrow margins put legislative control at the center of the legalization debate. The DFL has generally favored a tribal-controlled sports betting market, while Republicans have pushed for broader access for horse tracks, charitable gaming groups and other organizations.
Prediction markets favored Democratic control in the snapshots cited by Covers. As of Tuesday, Kalshi displayed an 89% probability of Democratic control of the House and an 87% probability of Democratic control of the Senate. Polymarket put Democrats’ chances of winning the state Senate at 87%.
Stakeholder Deal Leaves Political Divisions
The agreement among tribes, horse tracks and charities has eased one obstacle to legalization. Minnesota’s 11 tribal nations remain central to the DFL’s preferred framework, but the party also faces opposition within its own ranks.
DFL Sen. John Marty has opposed online sports betting and advocated restrictions that include bans on in-game wagering and push notifications. Opposition among lawmakers in both parties continues to threaten passage, even with the stakeholder compromise.
The competing approaches have derailed legislation before. In 2022, the House advanced a tribal-controlled proposal, but a Senate committee amended it to include racetracks. Lawmakers adjourned without an agreement.
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Source: As reported by Covers.
