Minnesota Online Gambling Laws
Online gambling MN laws remain restrictive. Real money online casinos in Minnesota (and their games, of course) are still illegal. In addition, each Minnesota sports betting update shows slow progress toward approval. In the meantime, bingo, fantasy sports, and the state lottery are all available to bet real money on. Also, there are social casinos that allow you to play casino games online, although it is not possible to cash out any winnings from these sites. There are also no laws that specify that a Minnesota resident can’t play at any offshore online casinos. The federal laws that cover this area have a primary focus on gambling operators and not the players. If you’re interested in online gambling MN, check out the table below. You’ll see what types of it are currently legal or prohibited in Minnesota.
| Type of Gambling | Legal | Legal Gambling Age | Regulator |
|---|
| Online casinos | No | - | - |
| Social casinos | Yes | 18+ | Private operators under U.S. entertainment laws |
| Sweepstakes casinos | Yes | 18+ | Private operators under the federal sweepstakes law |
| Bingo | Yes | 18+ | MGCB |
| Lottery | Yes | 18+ | Minnesota State Lottery |
| Online poker | No | - | - |
| Sports betting | No | - | - |
| Fantasy Sports | Yes | 18+ | Private DFS operators |
| Dog and Horse Racing | Yes | 18+ | Minnesota Racing Commission |
For now, residents who want to enjoy online casinos Minnesota can only do so through social and sweepstakes platforms. Otherwise, you may try bingo, fantasy sports, and the state lottery.
Best Sweepstakes Casinos in Minnesota
You can’t play for real money at Minnesota online casinos, but you may legally enjoy your favorite casino games at popular sweepstakes platforms, such as Sportzino, Chumba, or Punt. To help you get started with the best platforms, check out our Minnesota casinos list below. All three hand-picked sites let you play games like slots, live dealer casino titles, claim generous welcome bonus offers, and have fun on the go with dedicated apps or browser-friendly websites.
Sportzino is a sweepstakes and sportsbook platform run by SSPS LLC. It’s the best online casino for Minnesota residents with over 1,000 games, including slots, crash, bingo, and tables.
When you create an account and finish the registration procedure, you will receive 170,000 Gold Coins and 7 Sweeps Coins as a welcome gift. You may also earn up to 20,000 GC and one free SC simply by signing in every day for seven days straight. New players are encouraged to also refer a friend, and if they make a qualifying purchase of 100,000 GC, you’ll receive 40,000 GC and a 1 SC bonus.
As one of the best MN online casinos, Sportzino covers more than 30 sports leagues like UFC and NFL, and it offers reliable gameplay across both desktop and mobile devices. The site provides round-the-clock customer support, making it a lively and user-friendly place to gamble online.
Pros
- 1,000+ sweepstakes online casino games are available
- Referral program lets you earn up to 2,000,000 Gold Coins and 30 Sweeps Coins for inviting friends
- Daily rewards of 20,000 Gold Coins and 1 Sweeps Coin
Cons
- Prize redemptions can sometimes take a few days to process
Chumba is one of the best Minnesota online casinos, where you can play online slots, blackjack tables, roulette, video poker, bingo, and 25+ progressive jackpots from software providers like NetEnt. New players may claim the welcome bonus of 2,000,000 Gold Coins and 2 Sweeps Coins without making a deposit. Just register and verify your account to receive it.
Being one of the best Minnesota casinos, Chumba also offers daily login bonuses that grow over a seven-day streak and regular social media giveaways. On the downside, there’s no VIP or loyalty program for more dedicated users.
Pros
- The iOS Chumba Lite app offers three free bonus games
- Welcome bonus of 2 million GC + 2 SC, no deposit needed
- Social media accounts are active and offer updates and giveaways
Punt is one of the top online casinos in Minnesota that recently launched, back in 2024. Its lobby contains over 1,400+ titles, including progressive jackpot slot machines, online blackjack, roulette, video poker games, crash, and fish-shooting options from software providers like KA Gaming.
If you’re new to Punt, you can claim the welcome bonus of 1,000 Gold Coins, 2 Sweeps Coins, and 20 free spins on Gates of Olympus after verifying your account. The site for Minnesota online gambling also offers daily login bonuses, raffles, races, and a VIP rewards system with weekly and monthly perks. While Punt has no dedicated app to gamble online, it performs smoothly on mobile browsers for iOS and Android.
Pros
- Weekly 5,000 sweeps coins raffle is available
- Daily login bonus of 0.10 SC
Cons
- No dedicated Android or iOS app
The top sweepstakes casinos in Minnesota look and feel like standard platforms, as they have lobbies with hundreds of slots, tables, and live dealer games. They use a dual-currency system: Gold Coins or “GC” for fun, and Sweeps Coins or “SC” that you can redeem for real prizes like gift cards or cash.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Minnesota?
Here’s a quick look at what’s currently allowed for MN online gambling.
Lottery
The Minnesota State Lottery came to life in 1989 and kicked off ticket sales the following year. Since then, it’s become a familiar part of local life — from weekend scratch-offs to big multi-state games like Powerball and Mega Millions. Players need to be 18 or older to join in, whether they’re buying tickets at a shop, registering online, or claiming a prize. While the agency operates a website and mobile app for checking numbers and promotions, you can’t buy tickets online. Sales are only possible through licensed retail locations.
Bingo & Charitable Gaming
Charitable gambling and bingo in Minnesota are limited to licensed nonprofit organizations. Eligible groups include religious, veteran, fraternal, and other nonprofit organizations. The Minnesota Gambling Control Board regulates all operations. Legal activities include bingo, pull-tabs, raffles, paddlewheels, and tipboards, and you must be at least 18 to participate. As the name suggests, all proceeds support charitable purposes.
Horse & Dog Racing
Horse racing became legal in MN after the approval of pari-mutuel wagering in 1983. The MRC regulates all racing and betting activity. Races happen at venues, such as Canterbury Park and Running Aces, where players can wager on-site or through advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platforms like TwinSpires and TVG. The minimum gambling age for horse racing and pari-mutuel betting is 18.
Fantasy Sports
MN law does not directly regulate Daily Fantasy Sports, but they are legal in the state. You can draft virtual teams of real athletes on Minnesota online gambling sites and score points based on real-game performances. Anyone 18 or older can enter contests, build teams, and compete for cash prizes.
Are Online Casinos Legal in Minnesota?
No, real money Minnesota online casinos are not legal yet. The state has never authorized or licensed any operator to offer online slots, blackjack, roulette, or other games for cash prizes. While tribal casinos work legally under long-standing compacts, those agreements do not include online gambling.
Because no law allows it, state agencies such as the Gambling Control Board and the Department of Public Safety cannot issue online licenses. Any website claiming to be “Minnesota-licensed” is not legitimate and may operate offshore without US consumer protections.
For now, residents who want to game virtually can use the best online casinos in Minnesota for social and sweepstakes play. These sites follow federal sweepstakes laws and offer free or prize-based gaming instead of real-money play.
Available Online Casino Games
Social or sweepstakes platforms offer loads of options to have fun. These include slots, tables, and live dealer experiences. We describe the main categories you’ll find when you start to gamble online below. Overall, these games are mobile-friendly, visually engaging, and easy to navigate. They recreate the same excitement of real money play but use virtual coins.
Slots
Slot machines are common at the best Minnesota online gambling sites. Popular software providers offer titles with features like free spins bonuses, wilds, jackpots, and extra rounds. For example, Playson’s western-themed Buffalo Power Megaways offers FS modes and multipliers.
Table games
Classics like blackjack tables, American and European roulette, baccarat, and poker are available both in several tribal casinos and as digital versions online. Many versions include realistic graphics, quick betting options, and strategy-based gameplay that appeal to skill-oriented players.
Live dealer games
You can play live casino games with professional hosts dealing cards or spinning roulette wheels. These options recreate the social and immersive feel of a real casino through HD video and interactive chat features.
Minnesota’s Gambling Laws
Minnesota online gambling laws remain among the most restrictive in the Midwest, especially compared to nearby states like Ohio and Indiana. MN currently allows tribal casinos, charitable gaming, horse racing, and the lottery, but it still hasn’t legalized sports betting or Minnesota online casinos for real money. Lawmakers have discussed both issues for years, but disagreements over tribal sovereignty, tax structure, and consumer protections continue to slow any progress. Ohio, on the other hand, has moved forward with a regulated approach. It launched betting on sports in 2023 and is actively considering online casino legislation through bills such as HB 298 and SB 197. Indiana also offers retail casino gaming and legal sports betting, though Minnesota online casinos for real money remain off the table for now.
MN’s slower, more deliberate path emphasizes its partnership with tribal nations, a focus on responsible gambling, and local regulatory control. However, this caution leaves residents with limited legal online options, relying mainly on social and sweepstakes casinos until lawmakers establish a digital gambling framework.
When Will Online Gambling Be Legal in Minnesota?
Lawmakers have made several attempts to legalize online gambling, but none have succeeded so far. Two recent proposals, Senate Bill 757 sponsored by Sen. Matt Klein and the Minnesota Sports Betting Act 3.0 from Sen. Jeremy Miller, would have allowed the state’s 11 tribal nations to run in-person and online sportsbooks. The plans also suggested tax rates between 20% and 22%, with a share of revenue supporting youth sports, responsible gambling programs, and other public initiatives. Senate Bill 757 even proposed legalizing Daily Fantasy Sports.
Despite support from both parties, neither bill moved forward. SB 757 stalled in committee, and lawmakers could not agree on key issues like tribal exclusivity, consumer protections, and whether racetracks should be included. With the session over, the debate is paused until 2026, when new discussions could resume. Opponents warn that online betting could increase problem gambling. Meanwhile, supporters argue MN is losing tax dollars to neighboring states like Iowa and South Dakota, where online sports betting is already legal.
Many experts believe lawmakers would first legalize online sports betting in Minnesota before considering full real money online casino play legislation. If a compromise is reached, 2026 or 2027 could mark the earliest possible launch. Until then, residents can only use social and sweepstakes casinos, which follow federal sweepstakes laws but do not allow real-money play.
Land-based Casinos in Minnesota
The North Star State is home to almost 20 tribally owned casinos, all operated by 11 federally recognized tribes under agreements signed back in the late 1980s. These are the only Minnesota real money casinos. They are the only places in the state where people can legally gamble for real money, and they’ve become the foundation of MN’s entire gaming industry.
The Minnesota casinos list includes Mystic Lake Casino Hotel — the largest in the Midwest, Grand Casino Mille Lacs, and Treasure Island Resort & Casino. There’s also Black Bear Casino and Grand Casino Hinckley. Running Aces Casino, Hotel & Racetrack combines horse racing and card casino play, regulated separately by the Minnesota Racing Commission.
All Minnesota land based gambling is operated under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) and tribal-state compacts. Revenues directly benefit Native American governments and community programs, strengthening infrastructure across the state.
Casinos bring in an estimated $1.75 to $1.95 billion each year, supporting thousands of jobs across the state. Beyond the tables and slots, they fuel local economies through tourism, entertainment, and community programs.
Jeremy Olson, Technical Content Lead
Responsible Gambling
Gambling should be enjoyable and a fun break from routine. Before you hit “start”, think of what feels right: how much you want to spend and how long to stay, and let those limits stand.
The best online casino Minnesota should provide responsible gambling tools, such as self-exclusion options, deposit limits, and cooling-off periods. If you ever feel like gambling is becoming overwhelming or difficult to manage, don’t hesitate to reach out for help.
Residents can contact the Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling (MNAPG) for free, confidential support at 1-800-333-4673. You can also contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline and 1-800-GAMBLER to speak with trained professionals who can connect you with local counseling and treatment programs.
