Minnesota’s gambling progress — or lack of it — is almost exclusively tied to the state’s compacts with its Native American tribes.
The first state to sign gaming agreements a year after Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, Minnesota is home to 19 casinos owned and operated by 11 federally recognized tribes. While the tribes have expanded gambling in the state, they’ve also become a powerful political entity, and their longtime opposition to off-reservation gambling has allowed them to successfully protect their gaming interests.
Minnesota does not allow commercial casinos, online casino gambling or sports betting. The state has two horse racing tracks that offer non-banked card games such as poker, in addition to pari-mutuel wagering. Minnesota’s other gambling options are electronic pull tabs and a state lottery.
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Online casino gambling is not legal in Minnesota. Residents have several online social casino options, which offer free online slots and table games for prizes or entertainment, with no real money changing hands.
A handful of social casinos are affiliated with the state’s tribal casinos. Other leading social casino sites such as Chumba and Luckyland are accessible through their websites or online apps. Gambling.com’s top-rated social casinos are listed above.
Minnesota once allowed online sales for lottery and eScratch tickets, but lawmakers voted to terminate electronic sales in 2015. The only legal online wagering available in the state is through advance deposit pari-mutuel horse racing betting platforms such as TVG and TwinSpires.
While other states continue to introduce or approve online casino gambling and online sports betting legislation, Minnesota has lagged behind. The primary reason is opposition from anti-gambling groups and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, which helps protect the tribes’ near-monopoly on gambling operations in the state.
It’s difficult to envision Minnesota lawmakers passing an online casino gambling bill anytime soon. A sports betting bill with an online component is more likely but would require significant concessions for the tribes to support it.
All of Minnesota’s casinos are owned by operated by Native American tribes. The casinos vary in size and are limited in the table games they can offer. The state also has two horse tracks that can offer blackjack and non-banked card games (players play against each other, not the house), such as poker. The tracks are not permitted to offer slots.
A look at each Minnesota tribal casino and race track. Operating hours and available games are subject to change due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Casino | City | Address | Hours of Operation |
---|---|---|---|
Black Bear Casino Resort | Carlton | 1785 Highway 210 | 10 a.m.-2 a.m. |
Canterbury Park | Shakopee | 1100 Canterbury Road | 24 hours |
Cedar Lakes Casino | Cass Lake | 6268 Upper Case Frontage Road NW | 24 hours |
Fond-du-Luth Casino | Duluth | 129 East Superior Street | 10 a.m.-2 a.m. |
Fortune Bay Resort & Casino | Tower | 1430 Bois Forte Road | Sun-Thu 9 a.m.-1 a.m.; Fri-Sat 9 a.m.-3 a.m. |
Grand Casino Hinckley | Hinckley | 777 Lady Luck Drive | Mon-Thu 9 a.m.-4 a.m.; Fri-Sat open 24 hours |
Grand Casino Mille Lacs | Onamia | 777 Grand Avenue | Mon-Thu 9 a.m.-4 a.m.; Fri-Sat open 24 hours |
Grand Portage Lodge & Casino | Grand Portage | 70 Casino Drive | 10 a.m.-midnight |
Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel | Morton | 39375 County Road 24 | Sun-Thu 8 a.m.-1 a.m.; Fri-Sat 8 a.m.-3 a.m. |
Little Six Casino | Prior Lake | 2450 Sioux Trail NW | 24 hours |
Mystic Lake Casino Hotel | Prior Lake | 2400 Mystic Lake Boulevard NW | 24 hours |
Northern Lights Casino & Hotel | Walker | 6800 Y Frontage Road NW | 24 hours |
Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort | Granite Falls | 5616 Prairie’s Edge Lane | 24 hours |
Running Aces | Columbus | 15201 Running Aces Boulevard | 24 hours |
Seven Clans Casino Red Lake | Red Lake | 10200 Highway 89 | Mon-Thu 10 a.m.-midnight; Fri 10 a.m.-3 a.m.; Sat 8 a.m.-3 a.m.; Sun 8 a.m.-midnight |
Seven Clans Casino Thief River Falls | Thief River Falls | 20595 Center Street East | 8 a.m.-3 a.m. |
Seven Clans Casino Warroad | Warroad | 34966 605th Avenue | 8 a.m.-3 a.m. |
Shooting Star Casino Bagley | Bagley | 13325 340th Street | Sun-Thu 11 a.m.- midnight; Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-2 a.m. |
Shooting Star Casino Mahnomen | Mahnomen | 777 Casino Road | 24 hours |
Treasure Island Resort & Casino | Welch | 5734 Sturgeon Lake Road | 24 hours |
White Oak Casino | Deer River | 45830 US-2 | 24 hours |
Address: 1785 Highway 210, Carlton
Website: www.blackbearcasinoresort.com
Hours of operation: 10 a.m.-2 a.m.
Gaming options: More than 1,800 slots, blackjack, poker games, bingo.
Address: 1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee
Website: www.canterburypark.com
Hours of operation: Open 24 hours
Gaming options: Live thoroughbred racing, simulcast wagering, blackjack, baccarat, poker room. Located 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
Address: 6268 Upper Case Frontage Road NW, Cass Lake
Website: www.cedarlakescasino.com
Hours of operation: Open 24 hours
Gaming options: More than 500 slots, blackjack, poker, bingo. Opened August 2019, replacing Palace Casino.
Address: 129 East Superior Street, Duluth
Website: www.fondduluthcasino.com
Hours of operation: 10 a.m.-2 a.m.
Gaming options: More than 650 slots, blackjack, located in downtown Duluth.
Address: 1430 Bois Forte Road, Tower
Website: www.fortunebay.com
Hours of operation: Sun-Thur 9 a.m.-1 a.m.; Fri-Sat 9 a.m.-3 a.m.
Gaming options: More than 800 slots, blackjack, poker room, located about 40 miles south of Canadian border.
Address: 777 Lady Luck Drive, Hinckley
Website: www.grandcasinomn.com
Hours of operation: Mon-Thur 9 a.m.-4 a.m.; Fri-Sat open 24 hours
Gaming options: More than 2,000 slots, blackjack, poker, bingo.
Address: 777 Grand Avenue, Onamia
Website: www.grandcasinomn.com
Hours of operation: Mon-Thur 9 a.m.-4 a.m.; Fri-Sat open 24 hours
Gaming options: More than 1,800 slots, blackjack, poker room, bingo.
Address: 70 Casino Drive, Grand Portage
Website: www.grandportage.com
Hours of operation: 10 a.m.-midnight
Gaming options: More than 425 slots, blackjack, located 27 miles from Canadian border.
Address: 39375 County Road 24, Morton
Website: www.jackpotjunction.com
Hours of operation: Sun-Thur 8 a.m.-1 a.m.; Fri-Sat 8 a.m.-3 a.m.
Gaming options: More than 1,200 slots, blackjack, poker, bingo.
Address: 2450 Sioux Trail NW, Prior Lake
Website: www.littlesixcasino.com
Hours of operation: Open 24 hours
Gaming options: 800 slots, blackjack, located 1.1 miles from Mystic Lake Casino and 26 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
Address: 2400 Mystic Lake Boulevard NW, Prior Lake
Website: www.mysticlake.com
Hours of operation: Open 24 hours
Gaming options: Largest casino in Minnesota with more than 4,000 slots, 100 blackjack tables, bingo. Located six miles from Canterbury Park, 20 miles from Mall of America.
Address: 6800 Y Frontage Road NW, Walker
Website: www.northernlightscasino.com
Hours of operation: Open 24 hours
Gaming options: More than 900 slots, blackjack, poker room.
Address: 5616 Prairie’s Edge Lane, Granite Falls
Website: www.prairiesedgecasino.com
Hours of operation: Open 24 hours
Gaming options: More than 1,000 slots, blackjack, poker.
Address: 15201 Running Aces Boulevard, Columbus
Website: www.runaces.com
Hours of operation: Open 24 hours
Gaming options: Live harness racing and simulcast wagering; blackjack, baccarat, poker room. Located about 30 miles northwest of Minneapolis.
Address: 10200 Highway 89, Red Lake
Website: www.sevenclanscasino.com/casino/red-lake
Hours of operation: Mon-Thur 10 a.m.-midnight; Fri 10 a.m.-3 a.m.; Sat 8 a.m.-3 a.m.; Sun 8 a.m.-midnight
Gaming options: More than 300 slots, bingo. One of three Seven Clans casinos located in the northern part of the state.
Address: 20595 Center Street East, Thief River Falls
Website: www.sevenclanscasino.com/casino/thief-river-falls
Hours of operation: 8 a.m.-3 a.m.
Gaming options: More than 600 slots, blackjack.
Address: 34966 605th Avenue, Warroad
Website: www.sevenclanscasino.com/casino/warroad
Hours of operation: 8 a.m.-3 a.m.
Gaming options: More than 580 slots, blackjack, poker room.
Address: 13325 340th Street, Bagley
Website: www.starcasino.com/bagley
Hours of operation: Sun-Thur 11 a.m.- midnight; Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
Gaming options: More than 170 slots. One of two Shooting Star casinos in northwest portion of state.
Address: 777 Casino Road, Mahnomen
Website: www.starcasino.com/Mahnomen
Hours of operation: Open 24 hours
Gaming options: More than 1,000 slots, blackjack, poker, bingo.
Address: 5734 Sturgeon Lake Road, Welch
Website: www.ticasino.com
Hours of operation: Open 24 hours
Gaming options: More than 2,200 slots, blackjack, baccarat, poker room, bingo. Located 40 miles south of Twin Cities.
Address: 45830 US-2, Deer River
Website: www.whiteoakcasino.com
Hours of operation: Open 24 hours
Gaming options: More than 300 slots, blackjack.
None are currently permitted to. It will be up to the tribes that own and operate the state’s casinos to determine if they want to renegotiate their gaming compacts to add online gambling sites. None have expressed interest so far.
All casino operators in states that allow online gambling have launched online casino apps. The apps allow players to place wagers from their mobile devices 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from anywhere inside the state.
The online casino apps are available for both Android and iOS operating systems. They are free to download and available on the casino websites or through the App Store.
If Minnesota were to launch online gambling sites, Minnesota players should expect to find most if not all of the following options available.
Online Poker: Online cash games and tournament play are available in several states. Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey share online poker player pools, which increases the number of available players.
Lottery: Minnesota was the first state to sell instant-play lottery games on the Internet and a subscription service for draw games. However, state lawmakers voted to terminate online sales in 2015.
Online Slots: Most of the popular traditional casino slot machine games are available online, including a large selection of progressive slots. Many online slot operators allow free play until players are ready to wager for real money.
Online Roulette: Several classic and variations of roulette are offered, with European and French Roulette providing more favorable odds to the player than the American version.
Online Blackjack: The most popular table game offers several variations online with lower minimum bets.
Live Dealer: Some states offer live dealer games in which table games are dealt by a live person from a studio location. The action is streamed to your computer or mobile device and allows players to live chat with the dealer and other players at the table.
States that allow online gambling provide several deposit and withdrawal options. The most common payment methods listed below. Deposits can be instantaneous, withdrawals generally take longer.
E-wallets: Popular accounts such as PayPal and Neteller are easy to set up and allow players to transfer money in and out of their online gambling accounts for low fees.
Bank transfer/ACH: Bank transfers can be executed through your local bank; ACH is a form of electronic check. Both work for deposits and withdrawals, generally for reasonable fees. Transactions may take longer to process than other methods.
Credit/debit cards: Most frequently used option for deposits. Be aware that some financial institutions may not approve gambling transactions as a matter of policy and withdrawals via credit card are usually not permitted.
Play+/prepaid cards: Play+ was created for this exact purpose. You can deposit on to the card with a credit card or bank account and then move the funds into your casino site account. When you want to cash out, you can move the funds back on to the Play+ card from your casino account and access the money at an ATM Prepaid cards are widely accepted and available through online payment giants such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. Several online casinos operators offer their own branded prepaid cards.
PayNearMe: Deposit-only option that transfers cash to your online gambling account by scanning a barcode at a nearby 7-Eleven, CVS, Family Dollar or other participating location.
The most frequent bonuses in states with legal online gambling:
No-deposit bonus: A small welcome bonus placed into your account just for signing up.
Deposit match: Make an initial deposit and your online casino operator will match that amount up to 100%. Generally, the bonus money must be wagered a specific number of times before it can be unlocked, usually in increments, and not all games count the same toward satisfy the requirements. Be sure to read the terms and conditions.
Free spins: Offered on certain slot machines or new slot games.
Freerolls: Free entry into various tournaments.
Loyalty rewards: Points are awarded which can be redeemed for cash or prizes. The higher your level of wagers at a specific online casino, the greater the rewards.
The state’s first gambling laws were introduced in 1945, and Governor Luther Youngdahl outlaws slot machines despite their popularity. Here’s what’s happened since.
Sports betting bill is introduced for second consecutive year but is opposed by tribes and fails to advance.
State lawmakers vote to end online sales of lottery tickets, claiming the games were launched 18 months earlier without their consent.
Electronic pull-tab games are permitted at various locations to fund future stadium development.
Unbanked card games (primarily poker) are permitted at state’s horse tracks.
A year after the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act becomes law, Minnesota is first state to sign gambling compacts with tribes. Two years later, the compacts are extended beyond video gaming machines to include blackjack.
Minnesota Lottery established through successful voter referendum. First lottery ticket sold two years later.
Canterbury Downs (now Canterbury Park) opens as state’s first pari-mutuel racetrack.
Pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing is authorized by constitutional amendment approved by voters.
The Minnesota State Lottery is launched. Initially offering local draws, the governing body is now responsible for overseeing scratch games and multi-state lotteries such as the Powerball.
While more than half of the states in the U.S. have approved or implemented some form of sports betting, Minnesota has seen little progress.
Sports betting legislation was introduced in the Minnesota House and Senate in 2019 and 2020 but failed to gain any momentum. The state’s Native American tribes oppose the addition of sports betting and have questioned the economic benefit it would provide to its casinos and communities.
In a move to help gain tribal support, a sports betting bill in the Minnesota Senate was amended to require in-person registration at the state’s tribal casinos to open a mobile sports wagering account. The tribes, however, continue to oppose the bill. In a letter to state lawmakers, the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association said the tribes “remain concerned that a legal sports betting market could have negative consequences to the state’s delicate gaming industry.’’
It may happen eventually, but for now sports betting legislation in Minnesota continues to languish.
Most likely, state lawmakers will need to strike a deal with the tribes to create a pathway for in-person and online sports betting. Doing so may require significant concessions to gain their support, and the tribes will need to acknowledge the potential benefits of sports betting revenue. The alternative is the continued outward flow of Minnesota sports betting dollars to neighboring Iowa and other states.
Like several other states, Minnesota operates in a gray area with Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS). No state law specifically addresses or prohibits DFS, so major operators DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo all accept Minnesota accounts.
In 2018, a bill to legalize, regulate and define DFS as a game of skill rather than gambling failed to pass the House.
Minnesota has a pair of horse tracks that offer live racing and simulcast wagering. Canterbury Park in Shakopee opened in 1985 and offers thoroughbred racing. Running Aces in Columbus opened in 2008 and is a harness racing facility.
Both tracks are permitted to offer blackjack in addition to “non-banked’’ card games (players compete against other players, not the house), such as poker. The tracks are not authorized to offer video gaming or slot machines. In 2012, Canterbury Park entered into a 10-year agreement with nearby Mystic Lake Casino to increase horse racing purses and work together to protect both their gambling interests. The agreement expires on Dec. 31, 2022.
Minnesota residents are permitted to bet on horse racing through advance deposit wagering platforms such as TVG, Twin Spires, NYRA Bets and Xpressbet.
Unless a deal with the tribes leads to a change in state law, there are no immediate plans for online sportsbooks in Minnesota. For now, the tribes continue to oppose all forms of sports betting.
If sports betting becomes legal, Minnesota is likely to adopt the same guidelines as other legal betting states. That means wagering on just about all major professional, collegiate and international sports, such as football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, golf, tennis, motorsports, boxing, mixed martial arts and others.
Online casino gambling and online sports betting are not legal in Minnesota, but you can wager on horse racing.
Players must be 18 or older to wager at tribal casinos, play the state lottery or participate in pari-mutuel betting. Some tribal casinos that serve alcohol may impose a minimum age of 21.
Only federally recognized Native American tribes that negotiate and sign a gambling compact with the state are eligible for a casino license in Minnesota.
Tribal casinos allow slots, some table games, poker and bingo. The state’s two racetracks offer pari-mutuel wagering, blackjack and poker. Electronic pull tab machines are available at various locations. Minnesota also operates a state lottery.
If Minnesota follows the lead of other states, players will be able set up an account from anywhere but must be physically located within Minnesota state lines to place a legal wager.
Some may be from social casinos, which are legal and offer free online slots and table games, with no actual money changing hands. Other offers may be from offshore-based online casinos or sportsbooks, which are not legal, provide no regulation or consumer protections, and should be avoided.
At any of the state’s 19 tribal casinos located across the state or at Canterbury Downs or Running Aces horse tracks.
No forms of sports betting are permitted in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Gambling Control Board regulates the state’s charitable gambling industry. The Minnesota Racing Commission regulates pari-mutuel wagering and card playing. State legislators would determine which agency regulates online gambling.
Yes, provided you are playing with an online gambling site that is licensed and regulated by the appropriate state agency, which ensures the integrity of all online games and equipment.
All gambling winnings are subject to federal tax, according to the IRS. Minnesota imposes a state income tax on winnings ranging from 5.35% to 9.85%, depending on your taxable income level.
"Three decades covering online gaming, news and sports. My expertise is government and legislation, breaking down the latest online gambling industry developments to keep you in the know."
Reviewer since July 2019
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