There are limited laws regarding sports betting in Minnesota. However, running a live bookie or an online sportsbook within the state is not legal betting in Minnesota. It is advisable for residents not to deal with operators that aren’t legal Minnesota sports betting. Once again, within the state. The state has no laws making it illegal to bet in USA at a legal offshore sportsbook. There are several Minnesota-friendly online sportsbooks for US players. Residents can bet legally at these sports betting sites. This page provides information about the legal status of Minnesota sports betting sites. We also provide a list of online betting USA legal sites for Minnesota bettors. If you have a question about legal Minnesota sportsbooks, the answer is here.
Top Rated Sportsbooks for Minnesota Residents
- EveryGame – Growing Sportsbook Accepting Minnesota Residents
- BetOnline – Trusted Sportsbook for Minnesota Players
- BetUS – Top Rated Betting Site for Minnesota Players
- MyBookie – Best Sportsbook for Minnesota Residents
- XBet – Wagering Experience for MN Bettors
Is it Legal to Wager on Sports in Minnesota?
Sports betting in Minnesota laws do not target individual bettors. They are designed to restrict the activities of illegal Minnesota sports betting sites. Accepting anything of value on sports bets is against legal betting in Minnesota. The state does not allow any not legal Minnesota sportsbooks to take bets from residents. It is not illegal, but neither is it wise for Minnesotans to use the services of things that are not legal Minnesota sports betting sites. If bettors do so and are scammed, there is no compensation for their loss. And there is legal no recourse.
Safe and Legal way to Bet on Sports in Minnesota
The safe and legal way to bet on sports in with offshore online sportsbooks. For example, the ones we mention on this page. Minnesota has no online sports betting law preventing residents from betting on sports events online. The words “online” and “Internet” don’t appear in the state’s gambling statutes. You can read those statutes in their entirety here (Section 349.11 et seq.) and here (Section 609.75 et seq.).
There is one odd thing about statutes regarding sports betting in Minnesota. This state defines “sports bookmaking” in a way seemingly permitting a small scale of unlicensed Minnesota sports betting sites. The law states the following: “Sports bookmaking is the activity of intentionally receiving, recording or forwarding within any 30-day period more than five bets, or offers to bet, that total more than $2,500 on any one or more sporting events.” What this means for Minnesota bettors is irrelevant. You should not let this inform your opinion on legal betting in Minnesota. We point this out to illustrate the absurdity of such laws. We are not lawyers. Do not recommend opening anything that wouldn’t be legal Minnesota sports betting sites. You should see this as a state-acknowledged threshold between commercial bookmaking (not legal). And private social gaming (legal but no tantamount to legal Minnesota sportsbooks).
Will Minnesotans Get into Trouble for Placing Bets Online?
The good news is that the state has so far not booked any residents for betting on sports online. The state has no specific online sports betting laws. It is in no position to take legal action against residents using offshore betting services. Offshore online sports betting websites are not based in Minnesota. Therefore, they have nothing to do with state laws. Sports betting laws in Minnesota or lack thereof have no impact on the operation of offshore online sportsbooks. Only illegal operators have something to fear from Minnesota laws. If caught running live bookmakers in Minnesota, operators can get a prison term and/or a fine. As an individual bettor, you will face no problems with the law. Provided you stick to the legal offshore online sports betting sites we recommend.
Where Can Minnesota Residents Bet on Sports Online?
There is no lack of offshore online bookies accepting Minnesotans. And allowing them to bet on local and international sports events. We have carefully selected the following online sportsbooks. Minnesota residents can place wagers online at any of these sportsbooks. Don’t worry about law enforcement agencies prosecuting you.
Minnesota Sports Gambling Laws
There are two types of sports betting laws to consider. The first is state laws. There are none of those in Minnesota. The second are federal laws. Until recently those have been more hindering. However, the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992. Minnesota is free to create and regulate its own sports betting laws. The state hasn’t moved on this yet. But there are indications the subject will come up in the state congress sometime within the next year. There remain two federal laws that might make bettors believe online sports betting is illegal.
The first is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA). This law does not mention sports betting. It does not make internet gambling illegal. UIGEA requires US payment processors to prevent online betting transactions from knowingly being processed. UIGEA is a banking restriction applying to operators. Not individual bettors. The Wire Act is designed to restrict interstate gambling. The Wire Act is the reason MN residents cannot legally wager on sports with a phone call to a Las Vegas bookmaker. These law targets operators and not bettors themselves. It does not apply to online offshore bookmakers.
