- Online gambling and poker are prohibited under Minnesota law and the legalization of those activities do not appear high on the state’s list of priorities. Lawmakers have declined to enact legislation to legalize online gambling and there are no indications they are planning to introduction such legislation anytime soon.
- Minnesota has laws against state based gambling, but there is nothing in the state’s statutes that prevent residents from placing bets with offshore sportsbooks.
- Minnesota Internet Gambling Laws Internet gambling services are also illegal in Minnesota. Such activities include sporting events, lottery tickets, and simulated casino games. Generally, it is unlawful in Minnesota to sell or transfer a chance to participate in a lottery, Minn.
The state of Minnesota’s online and offline gambling laws are reasonable when it comes to gambling online or offline. From what we researched about Minnesota gambling laws the only thing we can find to be illegal for online gamblers is operating an online gambling website. Players of online gambling websites are never arrested or charged with a crime because there are no laws referring to online gambling. To be completely safe and within the law when gambling online, please choose one of our online gambling websites. Whichever site you choose it is sure to become your favorite with all the promotions, bonuses, games, and other options available to Minnesota residents. We hope you enjoy these gambling sites and we know you will be safe.
Mn Gambling Statute
We are not authorities of the law and only offer a quick run thought of Minnesota online gambling laws. If you would like more detailed information or a professional consultation about Minnesota gambling laws please talk to a lawyer.
Lawful Gambling Statutes Minnesota Gambling Control Board Minnesota Gambling Control Board Statutes, Chapter 349 The statutes below link directly to the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes Office and are the most current version of statutes. Sections 349.11 - 349.17. Online gambling has really changed the industry in Minnesota,although with change comes complexity. Here at USA Gambling Laws we provide you with all the information you will need to ensure that your gambling experience, whether in a land casino or online, is a safe and legal one.
Minnesota Gambling Laws
Section 609.75
GAMBLING; DEFINITIONS
Subdivision 1.Lottery –
(a) A lottery is a plan which provides for the distribution of money, property or other reward or benefit to persons selected by chance from among participants some or all of whom have given a consideration for the chance of being selected. A participant’s payment for use of a 900 telephone number or another means of communication that results in payment to the sponsor of the plan constitutes consideration under this paragraph.
(b) An in-package chance promotion is not a lottery if all of the following are met:
(1) participation is available, free and without purchase of the package, from the retailer or by mail or toll-free telephone request to the sponsor for entry or for a game piece;
(2) the label of the promotional package and any related advertising clearly states any method of participation and the scheduled termination date of the promotion;
(3) the sponsor on request provides a retailer with a supply of entry forms or game pieces adequate to permit free participation in the promotion by the retailer’s customers;
(4) the sponsor does not misrepresent a participant’s chances of winning any prize;
(5) the sponsor randomly distributes all game pieces and maintains records of random distribution for at least one year after the termination date of the promotion;
(6) all prizes are randomly awarded if game pieces are not used in the promotion; and
(7) the sponsor provides on request of a state agency a record of the names and addresses of all winners of prizes valued at $100 or more, if the request is made within one year after the termination date of the promotion.
(c) Except as provided by section 299L.07, acts in this state in furtherance of a lottery conducted outside of this state are included notwithstanding its validity where conducted.
(d) The distribution of property, or other reward or benefit by an employer to persons selected by chance from among participants, all of whom:
(1) have made a contribution through a payroll or pension deduction campaign to a registered combined charitable organization, within the meaning of section 43A.50; or
(2) have paid other consideration to the employer entirely for the benefit of such a registered combined charitable organization, as a precondition to the chance of being selected, is not a lottery if:
(i) all of the persons eligible to be selected are employed by or retirees of the employer; and
(ii) the cost of the property or other reward or benefit distributed and all costs associated with the distribution are borne by the employer.
Subd. 2.Bet.
A bet is a bargain whereby the parties mutually agree to a gain or loss by one to the other of specified money, property or benefit dependent upon chance although the chance is accompanied by some element of skill.
Subd. 3.What are not bets –
The following are not bets:
(1) a contract to insure, indemnify, guarantee or otherwise compensate another for a harm or loss sustained, even though the loss depends upon chance;
(2) a contract for the purchase or sale at a future date of securities or other commodities;
(3) offers of purses, prizes or premiums to the actual contestants in any bona fide contest for the determination of skill, speed, strength, endurance, or quality or to the bona fide owners of animals or other property entered in such a contest;
(4) the game of bingo when conducted in compliance with sections 349.11 to 349.23;
(5) a private social bet not part of or incidental to organized, commercialized, or systematic gambling;
(6) the operation of equipment or the conduct of a raffle under sections 349.11 to 349.22, by an organization licensed by the Gambling Control Board or an organization exempt from licensing under section 349.166;
(7) pari-mutuel betting on horse racing when the betting is conducted under chapter 240; and
(8) the purchase and sale of state lottery tickets under chapter 349A.
Subd. 4. Gambling device-
A gambling device is a contrivance the purpose of which is that for a consideration a player is afforded an opportunity to obtain something of value, other than free plays, automatically from the machine or otherwise, the award of which is determined principally by chance, whether or not the contrivance is actually played. “Gambling device” also includes a video game of chance, as defined in subdivision 8. Subd. 4a.Associated equipment. Associated equipment means any equipment used in connection with gambling that would not be classified as a gambling device, including but not limited to: cards, dice, computerized systems of betting at a race book or sports pool, computerized systems for monitoring slot machines or games of chance, devices for weighing or counting money, and links which connect progressive slot machines.
Subd. 5.Gambling place.
A gambling place is a location or structure, stationary or movable, or any part thereof, wherein, as one of its uses, betting is permitted or promoted, a lottery is conducted or assisted or a gambling device is operated.
Subd. 6.Bucket shop –
A bucket shop is a place wherein the operator is engaged in making bets in the form of purchases or sales on public exchanges of securities, commodities or other personal property for future delivery to be settled at prices dependent on the chance of those prevailing at the public exchanges without a bona fide purchase or sale being in fact made on a board of trade or exchange.
Subd. 7.Sports bookmaking –
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.
Subd. 8.Video game of chance –
A video game of chance is a game or device that simulates one or more games commonly referred to as poker, blackjack, craps, hi-lo, roulette, or other common gambling forms, though not offering any type of pecuniary award or gain to players. The term also includes any video game having one or more of the following characteristics:
(1) it is primarily a game of chance, and has no substantial elements of skill involved;
(2) it awards game credits or replays and contains a meter or device that records unplayed credits or replays. A video game that simulates horse racing that does not involve a prize payout is not a video game of chance.
Subd. 9.900 telephone number –
A 900 telephone number is a ten-digit number, the first three numbers of which are from 900 to 999. Subd. 10.Game. A game means any game played with cards, dice, equipment, or any mechanical or electronic device or machine for money or other value, whether or not approved by law, and includes, but is not limited to: card and dice games of chance, slot machines, banking or percentage games, video games of chance, sports pools, pari-mutuel betting, and race book. “Game” does not include any private social bet.
Subd. 11.Authorized gambling activity –
An authorized gambling activity means any form of gambling authorized by and operated in conformance with law.
Subd. 12.Authorized gambling establishment –
An authorized gambling establishment means any premises where gambling authorized by law is occurring.
Subd. 13.Applicability of definitions –
For the purposes of sections 609.75 to 609.762, the terms defined in this section have the meanings given, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Section 609.755
ACTS OF OR RELATING TO GAMBLING
Whoever does any of the following is guilty of a misdemeanor:
(1) makes a bet;
(2) sells or transfers a chance to participate in a lottery;
(3) disseminates information about a lottery, except a lottery conducted by an adjoining state, with intent to encourage participation therein;
(4) permits a structure or location owned or occupied by the actor or under the actor’s control to be used as a gambling place; or
(5) except where authorized by statute, possesses a gambling device.
Clause (5) does not prohibit possession of a gambling device in a person’s dwelling for amusement purposes in a manner that does not afford players an opportunity to obtain anything of value.
Section 609.76
OTHER ACTS RELATING TO GAMBLING
Subdivision 1.Gross misdemeanors –
Whoever does any of the following may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both:
(1) maintains or operates a gambling place or operates a bucket shop;
(2) intentionally participates in the income of a gambling place or bucket shop;
(3) conducts a lottery, or, with intent to conduct a lottery, possesses facilities for doing so;
(4) sets up for use for the purpose of gambling, or collects the proceeds of, any gambling device or bucket shop;
(5) except as provided in section 299L.07, manufactures, sells, offers for sale, or otherwise provides, in whole or any part thereof, any gambling device including those defined in section 349.30, subdivision 2;
(6) with intent that it be so used, manufactures, sells, or offers for sale any facility for conducting a lottery, except as provided by section 299L.07; or
(7) receives, records, or forwards bets or offers to bet or, with intent to receive, record, or forward bets or offers to bet, possesses facilities to do so.
Subd. 2.Sports bookmaking –
Whoever engages in sports bookmaking is guilty of a felony.
Subd. 3.Cheating –
Whoever cheats in a game, as described in this subdivision, is subject to the following penalties:
(i) if the person holds a license related to gambling or is an employee of the licensee, the person is guilty of a felony; and
(ii) any other person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. Any person who is a repeat offender is guilty of a felony.
A person cheats in a game by intentionally:
(1) altering or misrepresenting the outcome of a game or event on which wagers have been made, after the outcome is determined, but before the outcome is revealed to the players;
(2) placing, canceling, increasing, or decreasing a bet after acquiring knowledge, not available to other players, of the outcome of the game or subject of the bet, or of events affecting the outcome of the game or subject of the bet;
(3) claiming or collecting money or anything of value from a game or authorized gambling establishment not won or earned from the game or authorized gambling establishment;
(4) manipulating a gambling device or associated equipment to affect the outcome of the game or the number of plays or credits available on the game; or
(5) otherwise altering the elements of chance or methods of selection or criteria which determine the result of the game or amount or frequency of payment of the game.
Subd. 4.Certain devices prohibited
(a) Whoever uses or possesses a probability-calculating or outcome-affecting device at an authorized gambling establishment is guilty of a felony. For purposes of this subdivision, a “probability-calculating” or “outcome-affecting” device is any device to assist in:
(1) projecting the outcome of a game other than pari-mutuel betting authorized by chapter 240;
(2) keeping track of or counting cards used in a game;
(3) analyzing the probability of the occurrence of an event relating to a game other than pari-mutuel betting authorized by chapter 240; or
(4) analyzing the strategy for playing or betting in a game other than pari-mutuel betting authorized by chapter 240.
For purposes of this section, a book, graph, periodical, chart, or pamphlet is not a “probability-calculating” or “outcome-affecting” device.
(b) Whoever uses, or possesses with intent to use, a key or other instrument for the purpose of opening, entering, and affecting the operation of any game or gambling device or for removing money, chips, tokens, or other contents from therein, is guilty of a felony. This paragraph does not apply to an agent or employee of an authorized gambling establishment acting within the scope of employment.
Subd. 5.Counterfeit chips prohibited –
Whoever intentionally uses counterfeit chips or tokens to play a game at an authorized gambling establishment as defined in section 609.75, subdivision 5, designed to be played with or operated by chips or tokens is guilty of a felony. For purposes of this subdivision, counterfeit chips or tokens are chips or tokens not approved by the government regulatory agency for use in an authorized gambling activity. Subd. 6.Manufacture, sale, and modification prohibited.
(a) Whoever manufactures, sells, distributes, or otherwise provides cards, chips, tokens, dice, or other equipment or devices intended to be used to violate this section, is guilty of a felony.
(b) Whoever intentionally marks, alters, or otherwise modifies lawful associated equipment or gambling devices for the purpose of violating this section is guilty of a felony.
Subd. 7.Instruction –
Whoever instructs another person to violate the provisions of this section, with the intent that the information or knowledge conveyed be used to violate this section, is guilty of a felony.
Subd. 8.Value of chips or tokens –
The value of chips or tokens approved for use in a game designed to be played with or operated by chips or tokens, as the term “value” is used in section 609.52, is the amount or denomination shown on the face of the chip or token representing United States currency. Chips used in tournament play at a card club at a class A facility have no United States currency value.
Sources:
In the state of Minnesota, many residents are interested in gambling online due to a lack of convenient and close by land based options. For interested parties, the trick is not just finding a means to gamble – they’re everywhere – the trick is finding a means to gamble in compliance with state and federal laws. After all, in a game where risk and reward is part of the inherent nature, no player wants to add an additional risk of legal prosecution on top of everything.
This leads to many questions concerning the laws around online gambling, and this page is here to help. In addition to several federal policies that govern gambling, Minnesota residents are also subject to a unique set of laws put forth by their state legislation that apply to all who wish to gamble in Minnesota. The following page will not only dissect federal policy on gambling, but also help to break down the finer points of state law so that Minnesota players can garner a full understanding of the laws that govern their ability to access Minnesota gambling sites.
Unfortunately, things are not always as simple as can be. While the state of Minnesota essentially follows the same pattern as the federal policy when it comes to online gambling, there are a few clauses in the state constitution worth noting. While Minnesota never mentions online gambling in their state constitution, players should defer to federal law and any state policies that could apply.
Minnesota Gambling Statutes
609.75.2 - The state of Minnesota does not use the term “gamble,” but they do define a “bet.” We can see here that casino games, poker, and sports betting would all qualify as a “bet.” While the letter of the law technically says this is a crime, the intent of the law is always more important. We feel that fact that no Minnesota resident has ever been brought up on charges for gambling speaks clearly to the intent of the law. Just so long as a player stays away from illicit gambling operations, they run no risk of legal prosecution.
609.76.1 - We can see here that, just as with federal law, it is those who facilitate gambling that really run the legal risk. Not only will Minnesota charge these crimes with extreme prejudice, but also the penalty is steep.
609.76.2 - Clearly defines charge for illegal bookmaking operations. In Minnesota, anyone caught taking wagers on sports or games of skill stands to be charged with a felony.
609.761.3 - This section does one thing: protects the sanctity of the home poker game amongst friends. Thanks to this clause in Minnesota policy, no resident has to worry about the police breaking up their after-work poker game.
Look Up All The Gambling Laws In Minnesota - Click Here
The first and most important thing to understand about any laws that govern legal gambling for Minnesota residents, whether online or on land is this: playing these games or participating in betting is legal. In all three of the major gambling polices passed through the US senate, mere players are specifically exempt from any legal responsibility. In fact, these laws serve only to target the facilitators of gambling or betting and break up large organized crime syndicates. The federal government is not interested in otherwise honest citizens who place a wager.
With that in mind, the law with which it all began passed in 1961, called the Federal Wire Act. This was the very first federal law that affected any sort of gambling, and it still applies today, predominantly to sports betting. This law prevents any bookmaker from transmitting information across state borders using a public wire facility. This may sound dated, but as recently as 2011 the Supreme Court ruled that the internet counts as such a facility, meaning it’s impossible to place bets with a US based sportsbook outside of the state it operates in. This went even further in 1992 once the PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) passed at the behest of then-NBA commissioner David Stern. This law outright prohibits the facilitation of sports betting anywhere except Oregon, Montana, Delaware and, of course, Nevada.
We now have two laws that govern online sports betting, but we have not touched on online casinos or poker rooms. In 2006, the Congress realized this oversight as well, and tacked the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) onto the Safe Port Act and brought an end to US run gambling sites. This act criminalized the operation of any gambling site in the country and restricted a player’s ability to receive winnings on their credit card.
We have already established that none of these laws affect the player, but how can a Minnesota resident gamble online with a legal establishment? While all of these laws would instantly shut down any gambling networks discovered in the US, but the internet has made the world a small place. By signing up with offshore, legal gambling sites for Minnesota residents, players may gamble online legally with a legal business.
We have learned that it is possible to gamble online legally in the state of Minnesota. However, if a player is under 18, these laws do not apply. Minnesota strictly prohibits underage gambling, and they will enforce penalties including steep legal fines and even jail time for offenders.
Now that Minnesota residents know it’s possible to gamble legally from the comfort of home, there should be nothing stopping them from logging on and watching the money pour in. The state of Minnesota allows responsible online gambling, so we think that interested residents should treat themselves.
Wisconsin Gambling Statutes
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