Minnesota gambling laws

At the moment, Minnesota players have the option of playing at social casinos, or at an offshore online casino. Whilst there are many well-established offshore online casinos in Minnesota, these aren’t regulated or licensed in the state, so they come with an element of risk. For all forms of legal gambling in MN, you need to be aged 18 or over.

Minnesota does have a lottery and, at one time, the state allowed tickets and eScratch tickets to be sold online. However, lawmakers decided to stop online sales in 2015. It’s worth noting that you can buy a ticket at 18, but you need to be 21 or older to redeem your winnings. Now, the only way to legally bet online is via the state’s advance deposit pari-mutuel horse race betting platforms like TwinSpires and TVG.

Because online casinos are not legal, there is no regulatory body assigned to oversee them. However, the state does have the Minnesota Gambling Control Board, which oversees other lawful forms of gambling and would likely be the one to regulate online casinos if and when they are legalized.

If you do manage to bet legally within the state, either online or offline, then you will be required to pay tax on your winnings. This is a flat tax rate which stands at 8.5% and you will need to remember to declare this to the IRS.