Sports Betting For Minnesota Residents
The state of Minnesota is home to multiple professional sports teams, representing basketball, football, baseball and hockey. They also boast a large number of strong collegiate athletic programs, though there is only one school competing at the NCAA Division I level. Sports fans in Minnesota may not be aware that there are multiple opportunities to engage in legal sports betting on your favorite Minnesota sports team, or any other team from around the country or even the world. There are a lot of confusing factors surrounding sportsbook wagering in the US, and this guide is an effort to provide a concise explanation of the legalities of this industry so that sports bettors in MN understand what options are at their disposal to legally participate in sports betting entertainment. We have also included sections in our guide that cover football betting for Minnesota residents as well as a page dedicated to betting on the Minnesota Vikings NFL football team.
Top Minnesota Friendly Online Sportsbook
Bovada is our preferred online sports betting site that accepts Minnesota residents as customers. They were launched by the trusted Bodog brand and offer a secure and high quality sports betting environment, a convenient US friendly banking suite, and a nice 50% match bonus up to $250 on your first deposit.
| Sportsbook Name And Link | Bonus Offer | USA Accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Bovada Sportsboook | 50% Up To $250 Free | Yes |
| Betonline Sportsbook | 50% Up To $1000 | Yes |
| Sportsbetting.ag | 50% Up To $1000 | Yes |
| Bookmaker Sportsbook | 15% Up To $2500 | Yes |
Is online sports betting legal in Minnesota?
Though US based sports betting is illegal in most of the country, there are legal sportsbook wagering opportunities that are licensed, regulated and located offshore. Legitimate offshore sportsbooks are licensed to provide their services to bettors around the world, including those in the US and in Minnesota. These licensed betting destinations can do this without violating any US federal laws because they are not located in the US, and they are legally licensed and subject to regulatory oversight by a legitimate governing jurisdiction. Neither the Federal Wire Act or the PASPA apply to these businesses. This means that sports bettors in Minnesota or elsewhere in the US can participate without breaking any laws, thereby providing a legal and secure online sports betting experience for Minnesota residents. Minnesota state law does not make engaging in legal online sports betting illegal for its residents, so you will not be violating federal or state law for betting on sports as long as you make sure you are participating at businesses that are legally licensed and regulated. You can review the official Minnesota legislature website that contains the state's statutes on sports betting to confirm this information.
What is the legal gambling age in Minnesota?
For most types of gambling, the minimum age for participation is 18 years of age. This includes lottery, pari-mutuel betting, casino gambling, bingo and charitable gambling. A few exceptions apply at select brick and mortar casinos which have independently set the minimum age at their establishment as 21 years of age. The online sportsbooks listed in this guide which are licensed to provide their services to Minnesota residents require that participants are at least 18 years of age.
How do I access legal online sportsbooks accepting Minnesota residents?
Due to the nature of the Web, we strongly caution bettors to consider limiting their sports betting activity to those destinations which have been specifically vetted and approved by professionals. This guide, and others like it have invested a great deal of time and effort in evaluating the potential sports wagering destinations on the Internet to determine which ones are secure, legitimate, legally licensed and offer a premium betting environment and experience. Sadly, there are a number of questionable operations out there which appear to be legitimate businesses when in fact they are designed for the sole purpose of stealing your identity, your money or both. Sites which have been vetted by professional online gambling analysts are guaranteed to be legally licensed, certified and regulated, and to utilize a sophisticated, high performance security profile for the protection of your personal and financial data. These recommended sites also offer a substantial line up of betting lines and wagering options that span a huge selection of sports categories. You will find an efficient banking suite, competent customer support and an overall high quality experience from start to finish.
Can I legally bet on Minnesota sports teams online?
Because this guide only recommends the industry's leading brands, you will find that all of them include various Minnesota sports teams in their betting lines, including the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Minnesota Twins, among others. You will also find that the prominent college sports teams in the state are covered as well, including the Minnesota Golden Gophers, and several others. Minnesota sports bettors are not limited to teams and sports events from their home state. Bettors will have access to betting lines on professional and collegiate teams from around the country, and also teams from around the world, such as popular European leagues.
The Betting Trends of Minnesota's Sports Teams
The Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are looking like they're on the verge of actually being a good team. They have their second-year QB in Teddy Bridgewater, from Louisville, and they have Adrian Peterson (AD) back from a one-year suspension, which means he's healthy and ready to go. However, you have to figure in that the Vikings play against the Packers, Bears and Lions a total of six times, so this might sting. So rather than speaking about our predictions for how they'll do, let's take a look at how they did last year with betting trends.
All told, the Vikings were 10-6 ATS (against the spread), which is decent considering that they weren't a very good team. They still managed to cover a lot as dogs. In fact, as underdogs at home, they went 3-1. In non-division games, they went an impressive 8-2 ATS. All told, they fought really hard last year to keep games close, and they ended up beating the spread more often than not.
You can expect this trend to continue. If you find Minnesota a dog by 7 or more, go ahead and take them to cover. They fight hard and have a stout defense. They might not win a lot, but they can keep 'em close.
The Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves were one of those teams teetering on the edge of the playoffs for years. With Kevin Love, who is considered a top-10 NBA talent, Minnesota was a decent team, but could never string together enough wins to count. Now that they have 1st pick Andrew Wiggins, and other young, great players on their roster, they might be the surprise team of next season.
They certainly didn't surprise anyone with their play last year. Their best category, which is a rare category, was going 1-0 after four days of rest. This isn't something that happens often, and most of their stats are in the minus category, as with their 35-47 ATS record. They weren't strong enough to cover, and as an away underdog they were 19-20 and were actually underdogs for every away game they played.
If their trends change at all next season, it will be in their ability to protect their home floor. When they're home favorites, look for Minnesota to cover at around 70%.
The Minnesota Twins
Not much is happening in Minnesota as far as the Twins are concerned. They missed the playoffs last year as the last team in the AL Central, and they'll end up repeating that performance this year. They do have some big bats and they're able to keep games relatively closer than what one might think, but they can't seem to translate that into wins.
ATS, they were 97-83. This isn't too shabby for a last-place team. What it means is that they fought through all nine innings and were tough to beat by more than a few runs. They were also over 50% in every over-under category, but not by much.
Look for Minnesota to continue their losing ways next season. We do expect that they'll get better ATS, which makes them a more attractive betting proposition, but we don't expect them to be a playoff team in the near future.