Minnesota Casinos and Gaming Laws
Rachel Elam | January 20, 2020 | Updated on: November 28th, 2023
Minnesota casinos offer numerous gaming options to choose from. It all began with bingo in the year 1940. Minnesota managed to catch up to neighboring US states in the 1980s when its officialized horse racing and pari-mutuel pools that are related to it. The state lottery was then added later in the ’80s. Seven Minnesota tribes got permission to offer video poker band slots around the same time. Minnesota casinos have since extended. Blackjack and online table games are permitted at Native American casinos on reservation land. Card club licenses were made to allow Canterbury Park to resurrect its closed track and fund it with income from poker and other card games banked by the house. Running Aces obtained the same license later.
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Minnesota Casinos & Gaming
- Year Minnesota Gambling was Regulated: Bingo (1945), Lottery (1988), Horseracing (1983), Casinos (1989), and Card Clubs (1999)
- Estimated Tax Revenue: $100 million
- Estimated Gambling Revenue: $700 million
- Minnesota Gambling Age: 18 and some casinos allow 21+
Minnesota Online Gambling
The only type of legal Minnesota web gambling is off-track gambling on horses. Sites such as TwinSpires, TVG and BetAmerica accept bettors from the state. Races at Canterbury Park and Running Aces may not be staked on through these sites and mobile apps. Daily fantasy sports sites reflect Minnesota as a state where the races are legal. The state government and attorney general have not yet given any reason to think otherwise. The Minnesota Lottery once sold tickets online. The state legislature also tried twice to force the lottery out of the industry of internet sales. They were so successful the second time.
Popular Gambling Games
- Slots
- Blackjack
- Poker
- Craps/Roulette
- Horses
- Lottery
Live Minnesota Gambling
There are numerous types of legalized Minnesota betting. Charities are able to hold bingo games and also raffles. The Minnesota Lottery vends scratch-off and lotto tickets at convenient stores throughout the US state. Running Aces AND Canterbury Park have live horse racing. Also, they have a card club that offers blackjack, poker, Three Card Poker, baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Off-track gambling is also available at both tracks. Native American Minnesota casinos offer video poker, slots, and blackjack. Bars are also offering video pull-tab games.
Gambling Laws in Minnesota
Minnesota gambling laws cut out a lot of gambling. It permits horse racing and also off-track betting. Registered charities can offer gambling games of chance such as raffles and bingo. The state lottery also offers games of chance. Misgivings are the only places in Minnesota where video poker and slots are legal. Tribes should create a compact with the US state and pay fees to allow them to offer electronic gambling games. Blackjack is allowed at these tribal Minnesota casinos however is excused from the fee supplies as it is also available at card clubs.
Racetracks are allowed to operate poker rooms. This includes house-banked games that use cards as well. Allowed and chargeable games include Texas Hold’em, Seven-Card Stud, Omaha, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, blackjack, and also baccarat. The maximum poker wager is $100. However, this does not apply to table games.
The Minnesota Lottery may sell tickets only through retailers. The state legislature made it illegal for lottery tickets to be vended at gas pumps or over online. The only type of gambling that is allowed in bars and doesn’t hold a gaming license is online pull-tabs. The least gambling age in Minnesota is 18 years. Minnesota casinos that serve liquor may levy a minimum betting age of 21 years.
Minnesota Gambling History
Bingo was the first gambling game of chance to be legalized in Minnesota; that took place in 1945. Only charities can spread bingo games. This was long-drawn-out to raffles, paddlewheels and also tip boards in 1978. Pull-tabs were then added in 1981.
A constitutional alteration to create a lawful horse racing industry was then approved in 1982. The framework was also added a year later. Off-track betting was legal in 1989 however ruled to be unconstitutional in 1992. A constitutional alteration was passed in 1994 to address this, nonetheless, voters rejected it.
There are two tracks in Minnesota today. Canterbury Park has had a lot of financial problems throughout the years. Their loss of simulcast gaming saw the track close in 1993. It was later reopened and was finally saved by the addition of a card club, as allowed by the state legislature. Running Aces entered the same license category. Attempts to allow slots and video poker at Minnesota racetracks have frequently failed.
List of Minnesota Casino Locations
CASINO | SIZE | ADDRESS | WEBSITE |
Black Bear Casino – Carlton | 2,000 Slot Machines | 1785 Highway 210 | www.blackbearcasinoresort.com |
Fond-du-Luth Casino – Duluth | 750 Slot Machines | 129 East Superior St. | www.fondduluthcasino.com |
Fortune Bay Casino – Tower | 800 Slot Machines | 1430 Bois Forte Rd. | www.fortunebay.com |
Grand Casino – Hinckley | 2,100 Slot Machines | 777 Lady Luck Dr. | www.grandcasinomn.com |
Grand Casino Mille Lacs – Onamia | 1,900 Slot Machines | 777 Grand Ave. | www.grandcasinomn.com |
Grand Portage Casino | 400 Slot Machines | 80 Casino Dr. | www.grandportage.com |
Firefly Creek Bingo – Granite Falls | 472 Slot Machines | 2511 565th St. | www.uppersiouxcommunity-nsn.gov |
Jackpot Junction Casino – Morton | 1,250 Slot Machines | 39375 County Hwy 24 | www.jackpotjunction.com |
Little Six Casino – Prior Lake | 800 Slot Machines | 2450 Sioux Trail N.W. | www.littlesixcasino.com |
Mystic Lake Casino – Prior Lake | 4,000 Slot Machines | 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd. | www.mysticlake.com |
Northern Lights Casino – Walker | 924 Slot Machines | 680 Y Frontage Rd. N.W. | www.northernlightscasino.com |
Palace Casino – Cass Lake | 500 Slot Machines | 6280 Upper Cass Frontage Rd. N.W. | www.palacecasinohotel.com |
Prairie’s Edge Casino – Granite Falls | 1,000 Slot Machines | 5616 Prairie’s Edge Ln. | www.prairiesedgecasino.com |
Seven Clans Casino – Red Lake | 315 Slot Machines | 10200 Highway 89 | www.sevenclanscasino.com |
Seven Clans Casino – Thief River Falls | 750 Slot Machines | 20595 Center Street E. | www.sevenclanscasino.com |
Seven Clans Casino – Warroad | 480 Slot Machines | 1012 East Lake St. | www.sevenclanscasino.com |
Shooting Star Casino – Mahnomen | 1,000 Slot Machines | 777 Casino Rd. | www.starcasino.com |
Shooting Star Casino – Bagley | Opens in 2016 | County Highway 27 | www.starcasino.com |
Shooting Star Casino – Star Lake | Opens in 2017 | County Road 41 | www.starcasino.com |
Treasure Island Casino – Welch | 2,400 Slot Machines | 5734 Sturgeon Lake Rd. | www.ticasino.com |
White Oak Casino – Deer River | 300 Slot Machines | 45830 US Highway 2 | www.whiteoakcasino.com |
More States Gambling Guides
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New York
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Rhodes Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee