Responsible gambling will certainly be a topic of discussion when Minnesota ultimately revisits the sports betting conversation next year.
Susan Sheridan Tucker, the executive director of the Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling, emphasized this in a recent op-ed she penned for the Marshall Independent.
Sheridan Tucker wrote that there are protections that need to be included in any legislation to legalize Minnesota sports betting.
Sheridan Tucker supported Marty’s bill
In her op-ed, Sheridan Tucker pointed to four specific protections she would like to see:
- Proper funding for more treatment providers and family services
- Prevention and education tools to help Minnesotans understand problem gambling, especially for youth
- Safeguards that allow customers to opt out from online or in-app games
- Limit gambling advertising to people under 21
Sen. John Marty filed Senate File 5330 in April. It earmarked 75% of Minnesota sports betting revenue toward responsible gambling. Sheridan Tucker told PlayMinnesota that she strongly supported the legislation.
“75% is tremendous. I so appreciate the fact that the focus of this bill is really on the people that are most negatively impacted.”
Under SF 5330, tax revenue would have been evenly split evenly between problem gambling treatment programs, Minnesota’s branch of the National Council on Problem Gambling branch and addiction/mental health service in schools.
Prop betting on college athletics
In her op-ed, Sheridan Tucker voiced her displeasure with prop betting, especially when it comes to college sports.
“We need to place a ban on prop betting – side bets not related to the outcome of a game – on college games to prevent gamblers from making excessive bets and to protect student-athletes from harassment and potential game integrity issues.”
Many states are dealing with this issue. For instance, Ohio opted to ban sports bettors who have harassed student-athletes. The state also banned prop bets on college athletics.
Marty’s legislation proposed an in-game betting ban. Then, lawmakers amended the
Protections for children
Sheridan Tucker and her organization believe any sports betting legislation should also provide safeguards for teenagers.
In the spring, the Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling rolled out a “toolkit” for high school teachers and coaches. The goal was to help youngsters make proper decisions on gambling, Sheridan Tucker told PlayMinnesota.
“We have 250,000 Minnesotans who are currently indicating some problems with gambling. About 56,000 would likely be diagnosed with a gambling addiction. And we have 6,000 high school students who are indicating that they are having issues with problem gambling. And that is a great concern to us because we know that the gaming industry constantly needs new customers.”
No rush to legalize sports betting
Sports betting proponents say that if they had had more time, they could have gotten a bill across the finish line in this past session.
Sheridan Tucker has urged them to slow down. She told PlayMinnesota a few months ago that several factors should be considered before legalizing sports betting in the state. She reiterated that in her op-ed.
“Many of these states rushed their sports gambling legislation and failed to include necessary consumer protections and prevention resources. Consequently, every state that has legalized sports betting has seen significant spikes in calls to problem gambling help lines. These are major red flags for Minnesota to think about and prepare for if and when the sports gambling debate continues at the Capitol.”
All problem gambling treatment in Minnesota is free. Those exhibiting patterns of problem gaming should call 800-333-4676. They can also text the word “Hope” to 53342 for help.
There are a number of other resources, including a helpline chat, on the Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling’s website.
