Let’s fucking go. It was starting to feel like it would maybe never happen. And still may not…shit. I need to try my best to stay positive. But it’s so hard. Every year it seems like sports betting just falls through the cracks over in St. Paul. I think we all realize there are much bigger issues to deal with than allowing my fat ass to be able to sit on my couch and bet an epic slate of college basketball on a Saturday. BUT. It’s still an issue nonetheless. And today we may have made some huge steps forward to legalizing sports betting in Minnesota.
The Good News
In a typical political fashion, no one from different parties or even separate parts of the Minnesota legislature can agree on a goddamn thing. But today we saw some hope.Last year we had a bill that passed the Minnesota House but not the Senate. It was proposed by DFL Rep. Zack Stephenson. God bless you Zack. All that work to just have his buddies on both sides of the aisle to tell him to go fuck himself in the Senate. The debate is about where and how should it be allowed, along with where the revenue for the state goes as well as support for responsible betting. Those same reasons are some of the biggest to legalize it. Safer betting. Revenue for the state. Support for people that have trouble with responsible betting. But most of all? The majority want it.
With a bill that calls for mobile and in person betting at tribal casinos supported by both the House and the Senate, we have made some huge steps forward to legalizing sports betting in Minnesota.
What Could Go Wrong?
Although we’ve got the Senate and the House Democrats on the same page, we are in no way home free on this thing.There are still plenty of Democrats and Republicans that have zero interest in expanding gambling at all in Minnesota. Also, some Republicans want it in the bill that would allow for the racetracks to get in on the action alongside the tribal casinos.
Politics aside, and I may be biased (I mean, I’m writing a blog in favor of legalizing sports betting, of course, I’m biased) but I’m perfectly fine with the tribal casinos taking the lead on this. The bill proposed allows for in person and mobile betting. For the sports bettors in Minnesota, we’ll take what we can get. I could only imagine that expansion into the racetracks will be an option down the road.
Let’s stay positive and hope that this is the year.
Great guy, better drinker. One of the better looking husky guys around.