The state of Minnesota is trying yet again to make sports betting legal.
The state of Minnesota remains one of the final holdouts in the United States that has yet to legalize any kind of sports betting. While lawmakers have tried and failed many times in the past, 2026 marks the beginning of a new attempt. A state bill introduced in March of 2026 has reignited the conversation around Minnesota’s ban on sports betting.
With sponsors from both the Republican and Democratic parties in Minnesota, Senate Bill 4139, introduced in the 94th Legislature session, marks Minnesota’s latest attempt to legalize sports betting in the state. The bill leans in the Republicans’ support 3-1 and currently carries a 25% progression rate. It’s being reviewed by the Senate Rules and Administration Committee at the time of writing.
Since sports betting became legal in the United States in 2018, Minnesota has introduced numerous bills to legalize it. However, due to a variety of factors in Minnesota, no bill has ever been able to get fully passed.
Advocates for sports betting in the state, namely Senator Matt Klein, primarily point to the unregulated and illegal sports betting market that has arisen in Minnesota as a reason for legalizing it. Klein and others have laid out plans for how sports betting would work in the state, with the government taking nearly a quarter of the revenue from gambling. Then, the 11 tribal nations in Minnesota would all receive a sports betting license and open themselves up to working with a heavy hitter in the sports betting space, such as FanDuel or DraftKings.
Senate Bill 4139 is still in the very early stages of making its way through the government in Minnesota. However, with how popular sports betting has become and how mainstream it is in 2026, some Minnesotans are hoping this is finally the bill to make gambling legal in the state.