Will Minnesota lawmakers legalize sports betting this year?

As March Madness is underway, the debate over whether or not to legalize sports betting in Minnesota is once again a hot topic at the state Capitol.

Lawmakers who support the bill believe it has a 50-50 chance of passing this session. 

Sports betting is legal in 40 states, but Minnesota is not one of them. Efforts to pass a law have collapsed the last few years. 

Susan Sheridan Tucker with the Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling says her organization's stance is actually neutral when it comes to legalizing sports gambling. But she feels the current bill falls far short.

"What I want to see is the strongest bill that has the best consumer protections available," she said. 

She says one concern is that 7,000 high school students in Minnesota have a gambling problem, and she would like the bill to include more prevention funding for schools.

She says what's complicated things even further is the introduction of prediction markets like Kalshi which give users a chance to win money by predicting nearly anything.

"Our view is that whatever gambling is available it needs to be regulated. And there needs to be high accountability to the operators," said Sheridan Tucker.