Minnesota Lawmakers Latest To File Anti-Sweepstakes Bill

A bipartisan group of five Minnesota state senators is co-sponsoring legislation to ban online sweepstakes casinos.

SF 4474, which was filed Monday in the Minnesota Senate, establishes definitions to determine sweeps operators, notably the “dual-currency” system, as means of a payment to an operator. The bill also specifies that the “dual-currency system does not include a contest for which no consideration is given, either directly or indirectly.”

The bill also identifies a wide range of parties that would be prohibited from “supporting the operation of, conducting, or promoting an online sweepstakes game in Minnesota.” That list includes “an applicant, licensed entity, financial institution, payment processor, geolocation provider, gaming-content supplier, platform provider, or media affiliate.”

That could cause some angst among operators who would be considered for licenses as part of proposed legislation to legalize sports betting in Minnesota this session.

The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. John Marty, Erin K. Maye Quade, and Matt Klein of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party and Republicans Jordan Rasmussen and Warren Limmer.

AG has broad scope of enforcement options

SF 4474 mandates the commissioner of public safety and the state attorney general to both deny sweeps operations and enforce penalties via Minnesota Statute 325F.755, Subdivision 7.

Violators can face fines of up to $25,000, but that amount could add up quickly if each notice or game entry is considered a separate violation. State courts can also order restitution for Minnesota consumers, and violators could be subject to paying the state’s legal and investigation fees.

The statute also gives private citizens the right to sue, which allows them to conceivably recover damages, legal expenses, and attorney fees from violators if “injured” by a violation.

The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) released a statement in response to the filing, saying it is working with legislators on creating a regulatory framework it claims will generate an estimated $20 million in new annual revenue. It also said that banning sweeps would merely drive players to offshore operators with no regulatory oversight.

“Social Plus games are a popular form of entertainment enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans and have been operating lawfully in the state for over a decade,” said SGLA Managing Director Sean Ostrow. “SF 4474/HF 4410 would ban these games entirely, punishing law-abiding businesses and the Minnesotans who responsibly enjoy them while doing nothing to address illegal offshore operators and shutting down the potential for the games to generate $20 million or more in state revenues. We urge Minnesota lawmakers to pursue smart regulation rather than prohibition.”

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed legislation banning sweepstakes casinos into law last Thursday. That furthered momentum anti-sweeps legislators created nationwide in 2025 when six states passed bills banning sweeps. Large-market states New York, New Jersey, and California were among them.

There is now a bill in the New Jersey General Assembly, however, that could lead to replacing that ban by amending legislation and regulating the sweeps industry.