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Senator Marty presents stricter mobile-betting alternative; committee lays the substitute bill on the table
Summary
Senate File 978, introduced by Sen. Marty as a stricter alternative with tighter advertising and consumer-protection measures, was presented and then laid on the table by committee motion.
Senate File 978, a proposal introduced by Senator Marty as an alternative approach to mobile sports wagering with stricter limits on advertising, stronger consumer protections and larger allocations for prevention and treatment, was presented to the Committee on State and Local Government on Feb. 13, 2025, and was laid on the table.
Senator Scott Marty (Senator Marty) described SF 978 as an effort to allow regulated wagering only if Minnesota adopts far tougher restrictions than some industry proposals. Marty said his bill honors tribal exclusivity but reduces potential profitability by imposing tighter limits on marketing, greater industry liability for inducements to problem gamblers and substantially larger allocations for addiction prevention and treatment. "If Minnesota is to make the move forward on this, expand this, we have to do everything in our power to prevent real safeguards," Senator Marty said.
Key features Marty highlighted include limits on advertising reach and a ban on advertising on public property and public facilities, additional liability language for operators who target or entice vulnerable customers, and a different revenue allocation that would send a substantial portion to prevention and treatment programs and to school mental-health services. Marty said his proposal would devote a larger share of revenue to addiction services than some other drafts discussed in the same committee hearing.
After Marty’s presentation, Senator Traskowski moved to lay Senate File 978 on the table. The motion carried by voice vote and the bill was laid on the table; the committee did not advance SF 978 at this hearing.
Marty said he is not advancing SF 978 now but wanted to place a tougher-draft alternative on the record to inform future negotiations. Committee members who spoke during the day said they welcomed additional work on advertising limits, data protections and integrity monitoring and that any bill advancing should include stronger safeguards for youth and people at risk of problem gambling.
