Only a poker room within a tribal casino can facilitate legal live dealer games. The only alternative to this is private poker tournaments with no buy-ins, no fees, and low-value prizes. Home games are allowed, but only if there is no profit or house rake involved. So, you can play poker as long as money doesn’t change hands.
The Best Online Gambling Sites in Minnesota
Updated:
7 min read
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Minnesota is well known for being home to over 10,000 lakes. But, unfortunately, when it comes to online casino games, things look a little dry. It is currently not legal to play at Minnesota casinos online or sportsbook operators with real money. When it comes to land-based gambling there are Native American casinos, racetracks, and the Minnesota State Lottery available. Social sweepstake casinos are also available, which can be played online although these do not allow for real money winnings.
The Best Minnesota Casino Sites
Minnesota, United States
- 1Best CasinoBonus1.75 million WOW Coins + 35 FREE Sweepstake Coins
- Number of games:1200+
- Min. deposit:$9.99
Benefits- A wide variety of games from top software developers
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- Multiple payment options, including popular e-wallets like Skrill and Trustly
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Overview- Website
- Established 2021
- Min deposit $0.49
Payment methods21+ | New Player Only - T&C Apply - 2Highly RecommendedBonus1 Million GC + 2.5 FREE SC
- Payout speed:2-3 days
- Number of games:650+
Benefits- Impressive sign up bonus
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Overview- Website
- Established 2024
- Min deposit no
Payment methods21+ | New Player Only - T&C Apply - 3RecommendedBonusNo deposit 125 000 Coins +400 000 Coins & 1000 Entries
- Payout speed:2-3 days
- Min. deposit:$4.99
- Number of games:150+
Benefits- Excellent customer service through live chat and social media channels
- Mobile app available
- Excellent bonuses and promotions
Overview- Website
- Established 2022
- Min deposit $4.99
- No Deposit Bonus 125 000 Coins
Payment methods21+ | New Player Only - T&C Apply - 4RecommendedBonusNo deposit 100 000 Coins +400 000 GC & free 1000 SC
- Payout speed:2-3 days
- Min. deposit:$1.99
- Number of games:140+
Benefits- High-quality selection of games
- Daily bonuses and tournaments available
- User-friendly website design
- 24/7 live chat feature and a friendly customer support team
Overview- Website
- Established 2021
- Min deposit $1.99
- No Deposit Bonus No deposit 100 000 Coins
Payment methods21+ | New Player Only - T&C Apply - 5Top BonusesBonusNo deposit 125 000 Coins +400 000 FC & 1000 CC for deposit over $19.99
- Payout speed:1-3 days
- Number of games:100+
Overview- Website
- Established 2024
- Min deposit $6.99
- No Deposit Bonus 125 000 Coins
Payment methods21+ | New Player Only - T&C Apply
Minnesota Online Gambling Laws
Any form of standard online gambling that involves real money winnings is currently illegal in the state of Minnesota. Being caught operating or even playing at an illegal online casino can result in a gross misdemeanor offense. There are legal forms of gambling still available within the state. Raffles, bingo, pull tabs, pari-mutuel wagering, 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 Minnesotan resident can’t play any offshore online casinos. The federal laws that cover this area have a primary focus on gambling operators and not the players. There is, for example, the Federal Wire Act that prohibits operators from setting up inter-state gambling platforms.
How does Minnesota Regulate Gambling?
The Minnesota Gambling Control Board is responsible for overseeing all forms of gambling within the state outside of tribal casinos. This includes social casinos, pari-mutuel wagering, and charitable gambling. Registered non-profit organizations can apply to the Gambling Control Board to allow for gambling activities, such as bingo, raffles, and pull-tabs.
The land-based casinos that are Native American operate and work together with the Gambling Control Board and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association. Eleven federally recognized tribes inhabit the state with all Native American casinos being regulated by their own distinct tribal gambling authorities.
The state-run lottery is overseen by a director who is appointed by the governor. You should be starting to get the picture that the way gambling is regulated is currently fairly decentralized. This may however change if legal online gambling becomes a thing, where it would most likely be necessary for the Minnesota Gambling Control Board to take on much broader responsibilities.
Online Casino Gambling in Minnesota
There are currently no Minnesota online casinos in operation. It doesn’t look like legal online gambling sites will be coming any time soon either, unfortunately. The only way to play online casino games is through social casinos. These provide legal online casino gaming due to the fact that players are not able to cash out any potential winnings.
This also means that all the best Minnesota online casinos right now are all social casinos. These still look and feel like your standard real-money platforms and even include online casino bonuses for players. Slots and table games are offered at these sites. This is the closest a Minnesotan resident can get to legally gamble online within the state right now. This does mean that the state is missing out on a potentially huge revenue source through taxing the online gambling industry.
Online Poker
Daily Fantasy Sports
The age-old debate as to whether Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is a game of chance or a game of skill is still a contested issue for some in the US. There was an attempt to regulate DFS in the state, however, this wasn’t able to go through. Despite this, DraftKings and FanDuel still provide their online services to Minnesotans seemingly without any repercussions.
Sports Betting
Sports betting is currently illegal for both land-based and online establishments within the state. The only exception to this is pari-mutuel betting. There has however been good news for those hoping Minnesota will legalize online gambling for sports.
Online Horse Betting
There are a number of different horse racing tracks throughout the state with the most prominent being Canterbury Park. Minnesotans can legally wager on pari-mutuel betting for horse racing events, but this is the only way to legally gamble on sports within the state. Online horse betting, like all other forms of sports, remains illegal.
Lottery
Minnesota State Lottery was legalized in 1988 and residents can since enjoy draw, scratch, and inter-state lottery games. It is not possible to buy any form of lottery ticket online, meaning they must be purchased from authorized retail vendors. You must be at least 18 years of age to purchase a lottery ticket.
History of Gambling Legislation in Minnesota
Minnesota gambling laws were very limited up until 1982. Before that point, it was only legal to wager in the context of charitable gambling with raffles for example. This changed when the Minnesota legislature allowed for pari-mutuel betting in 1982. Further advances were made in 1989 when the Minnesota State Lottery was formed after a successful voter referendum in 1988.
The US Supreme Court repealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018. This paved the way for states to have their own freedoms when it comes to granting licenses for online sports betting. While 38 states have so far made it legal to bet on sports online, Minnesota currently hasn’t taken those steps to legalize.
This may however change over the course of 2024 thanks to Senator Jeremy Miller. He has already published his Minnesota Sports Betting Act 2.0, which seeks to address the fact that Minnesota is currently missing out on a $100-billion industry. This makes us hopeful that this is just the first step on the road to making online gambling legal across the board.
Minnesota Land Based Casinos
There are now almost two dozen casinos currently operating within the North Star State, all being run by Native American tribes. The largest is the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel with over 1,000 slot machines and over 100 table games available\, including European Roulette. Below we have listed some of the top Minnesota land-based casinos.
States with legal online gambling
FAQ
What is the gambling age in Minnesota?
The legal gambling age is 18 in Minnesota. Legal online casinos showing up may raise this to 21 years to be in line with other US states that already have regulated online gambling.
Who regulates gambling in Minnesota?
It is regulated by the Minnesota Gambling Control Board. However, individual tribal gambling authorities are in control of regulating their establishments.
Are online casinos legal in Minnesota?
Real-money online casinos cannot legally operate in Minnesota at this time. There are however no state or federal laws that regulate online gambling when it comes to playing at overseas establishments.
Can I win real money at Minnesota online casino?
It is not currently possible to win real money at online casinos in Minnesota. Only social casinos are available from within the state, which do not allow for cashing out any winnings. It is also technically not illegal to play at off-shore online casinos.
Are gambling winnings taxable in Minnesota?
Gambling winnings count towards your income when considering how you will be taxed. The amount you will be taxed for gambling winnings will therefore depend on which tax bracket you fit into when combining your regular income with any winnings received from gambling.
When will online casinos be legal in Minnesota?
There are high hopes that legal online sports betting will eventually materialize, as has been seen in many other states. However, there are only a few states that have gone all the way with allowing for legal online casino games. Therefore, nobody is sure if and when it will become legal in Minnesota.
I have worked in and around the Sports Betting and iGaming industries for over 20 years and quite frankly. I have been a full time iGaming writer for approximately four years, working for some of the top affiliate websites on the Internet.
