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Last reviewed May 2009

Resources on Minnesota Issues
Gambling

This guide is compiled by staff at the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library on a topic of interest to Minnesota legislators. It is designed to provide an introduction to the topic, directing the user to a variety of sources, and is not intended to be exhaustive.

These forms of gambling are legal in Minnesota: pari-mutuel betting on horse racing, a card club at Canterbury Park, Indian tribal casinos, charitable gambling and a state lottery. According to the House Research publication Gambling Revenue, state revenue from the lottery, pari-mutuel, charitable gambling and tribal casinos was $168,000,000 in FY2007. For fiscal year 2008, gross receipts from lawful gambling were $1,141,443,000 (Minnesota Gambling Control Board, 2009).

Types of legal gambling in Minnesota:

  • Lawful Gambling and Gambling Devices
    Lawful gambling and gambling devices are governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 349 and are overseen by the Gambling Control Board. In 1999, Canterbury Park was granted legislative authority to operate a card club at the racetrack.
  • Pari-mutuel Betting
    From 1945 through 1981, limited gambling for charitable purposes was permitted in Minnesota; no other type of gambling was lawful. In 1982, the Minnesota Legislature proposed a constitutional amendment to allow pari-mutuel betting in the state. Voters approved the amendment in 1983 and pari-mutuel horse racing was legalized. The Minnesota Racing Commission supervises the conduct of pari-mutuel betting on horse racing. Pari-mutuel horse racing is governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 240
  • Indian Gaming
    Tribal casinos in Minnesota operate under a combination of state law, tribal ordinance, and tribal-state compacts. Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, codifying gambling on Indian land (see U.S. Code Title 25, Chapter 29: Indian Gaming Regulation). For state-level regulation, see Indian Gaming Statutes and Compacts (Minnesota Department of Public Safety)
  • Minnesota State Lottery
    In 1989, the Minnesota Legislature created a state lottery, which is governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 349A. The Lottery is operated under the control of a director appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

For a more detailed legislative history, see the House Research document, Gambling in Minnesota: A Short History.

SIGNIFICANT BOOKS AND REPORTS:

Annual Report. Roseville, MN: Minnesota State Lottery. (HG6133.M6 M57)

Annual Report of the Minnesota Gambling Control Board Fiscal Year 2009. Roseville, MN: Minnesota Gambling Control Board, 2008. (HV6721.M6 M56)

Annual Report of the Minnesota Racing Commission. St. Paul: Minnesota Racing Commission, 2009. (SF324.35.M6 M56)

Annual Report on Lottery Security. St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Alcohol & Gambling Enforcement Division, 2005. (HG6133.M6 S43 2005)

Arts, Waltraud A. The Authority of the Minnesota Legislature to Authorize Gaming Operated by the State. Madison, WI: Quarles & Brady, LLP, 2005. (KFM 5785.A78 2005)

Casino City's North American Gaming Almanac. Newton, MA: Casino City Press, 2005. (Reference GV1301.C37 2005) (This report contains market overviews by country, state, and province or territory, revenue charts and tables by gaming activity, gaming property facility and amenity profiles.)

Charitable Gambling Impact Study : A Brief Review of the Fiscal Impact of a Statewide Smoking Ban on Lawful Gambling. Roseville, MN : Minnesota Gambling Control Board, 2008. (HV6721.M6 C43 2008)

Charitable Gambling in Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives, House Research Department, 2010.

Evans, William N. The Social and Economic Impact of Native American Casinos. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2002. (E98.G18 E93 2002)

Financial Summary for Licensed Lawful Gambling Organizations. Roseville, MN : State of Minnesota, Gambling Control Board, 2008.

Gambling in Minnesota: An Overview. St. Paul: Minnesota State Lottery, 2004. (HV6721.M6 M675 2004)

Gambling in Minnesota: Gambling Participation Rates of Minnesota Adults. St. Paul: Minnesota State Lottery, 2004.

Gambling Taxes. St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives, House Research Department, 2009.

Governor's Report on Compulsive Gambling. St. Paul: Office of the Governor, 2009. (RC569.5 G35 G69)

Grinols, Earl. Gambling in America: Costs and Benefits. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2004. (HV6715.G76 2004)

Gambling Regulation and Oversight. St. Paul: Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor, Program Evaluation Division, 2005. (HV6721.M6 J86 2005)

Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Betting. St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives, House Research Department, 2002.

Hansen, Alicia. Lotteries and State Fiscal Policy (Tax Foundation Background Paper). (HG6126 .H36 2004)

Indian Gambling in Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives, House Research Department, 2008.

Lawful (Charitable) Gambling in Minnesota:Issues Facing the Industry. Roseville, MN: Minnesota Gambling Control Board, 2009. (HV6721.M6 L393 2009)

Lawful Gambling Manual 2008. Roseville, MN: Minnesota Gambling Control Board, 2008. (KFM5785.Z9 L39)

Long, Elisabeth. Charitable Gambling in Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives, House Research Department, 2006. (HV6721.M6 W55 2006)

Lottery Organization Task Force. Lottery Organizational Task Force Report. St. Paul: The Task Force, 2005. (HG6133.M6 L69 2005)

Meister, Alan. Indian Gaming Industry Report. Newton, MA: Casino City Press, 2008/2009. (E98.G18 M45 2008/2009)

Minnesota Live. Minnesota : HV6711 .M55 2011.

Minnesota State Lottery. St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives, House Research Department, 2006.

Minnesota State Lottery. St. Paul: Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor, Program Evaluation Division, 2004. (HG6133.M6 Y86 2004)

Minnesota State Lottery July 1, 2004, through December 31, 2005. St. Paul: Financial Audit Division, Office of the Legislative Auditor, State of Minnesota, 2006. (HJ9865 .A27 no. 06-25)

Minnesota State Lottery Overview. Roseville, Minn. : Minnesota State Lottery, 2009.

Runge, C. Ford. The Workforce Economic Benefits of Minnesota Indian Gaming Association Member Tribes' Casino-Resorts. Minnesota : Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, 2007. (E78.M7 R86 2007)

Social and Economic Costs of Gambling: A Report to the 2008 Minnesota Legislature. St. Paul: Minnesota Dept. of Human Services, 2007. (HV6721.M6 S63 2007)

Stinchfield, Randy. Evaluation of State-Supported Pathological Gambling Treatment in Minnesota. Minnesota: 2008. (RC569.5.G35 S754 2008)

Texas Hold'em. St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives, House Research Department, 2008.

Williams, John. Charitable Gambling in Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives, House Research Department, 2005 (HV6721.M6 W55 2005)

Williams, John. Gambling in Minnesota: A Short History. St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives, House Research Department, 2005. (KFM5785.Z9 W54 2005)

INTERNET SITES:

Indian Gaming: Statutes and Compacts (Department of Public Safety)

Links to the World: Gambling includes links to information about gambling and to groups monitoring gambling issues

Minnesota House Research Department Gambling Publications

OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION:

For historical information, check the following codes in the Newspaper Clipping Files and the Vertical Files:

G2 (Gambling), G2.4 (Gambling – Charitable), G2.1 (Gambling – Compulsive), G2.3 (Gambling – Indian), G2.6 (Gambling – Lottery), G2.10 (Gambling – Pari-mutuel Betting),G 2.18 (Gambling – Video Gambling/Slot Machines), M68 (Gambling Control Board), R10.8 (Racing – Canterbury Park)

For additional reports at the Legislative Library, use these Library catalog searches:
Gambling; Gambling (Minnesota); Lotteries; Lotteries (Minnesota); Compulsive Gamblers; Charitable Gambling.

Periodicals in the Library’s collection:

Casino Journal, Gaming News, La Fleur's Magazine, Link (Minnesota State Lottery)

Current Guides

Still of Interest

Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, 645 State Office Building, Saint Paul, MN  55155