Minnesota Sports Betting Opponent Demuth Wins Republican Primary

The one Republican gubernatorial candidate who has ever taken a position on Minnesota sports betting is advancing to the general election.

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who voted against the state’s last real attempt to legalize sports betting in 2022, defeated businessman Mike Lindell and businessman Kendall Qualls in the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary. She’ll face Senator Amy Klobuchar, who easily won her primary for the Democratic-Farm Labor (DFL) party’s nomination.

That likely means an uphill fight for Minnesota sports betting, regardless of who replaces outgoing governor Tim Walz. Klobuchar hasn’t taken a position on sports betting, but she was one of several senators to join in recent efforts to rein in prediction markets at the federal level.

What is Lisa Demuth’s History With Minnesota Sports Betting?

The last serious effort to pass sports betting into law in the North Star State came in 2022. House File 778 made it through the Minnesota’s legislature’s lower chamber, passing by a 70-57 vote. It passed without Demuth’s support, as she voted no on the final bill.

The bill ended up dying in the Senate, and Minnesota hasn’t really come close to passing a sports betting bill since. Although Demuth (R-Cold Spring) said in 2024 that she expected sports betting to pass that year, Minnesota’s state Senate has shown little appetite for doing so.

That was clear in the failure of House File 4204, the 2026 effort to legalize sports betting. That bill never made it to the floor, and Demuth never needed to vote. She did vote for Senate File 4474, the ultimately blocked effort to ban prediction markets from Minnesota. That bill passed with bipartisan support, but was blocked before it could take effect..

What is Amy Klobuchar’s History With Minnesota Sports Betting?

Klobuchar hasn’t had to take a position on legal sports betting, as she has served at the federal level since 2007. She joined with six senators who questioned allowing futures on wildfires occurring, and she appears to be less than friendly toward sports betting.

As neither candidate has made it part of their platform, Klobuchar hasn’t yet had to answer anything regarding Minnesota sports betting. Demuth isn’t likely to bring it up in her platform either. That means it’s probably going to get shelved until 2027, when a new legislature will take office along with the governor.

What’s Likely to Happen?

Klobuchar appears formidable. Politically, Minnesota is considered a moderately Democratic state. But Democrats have held the governor’s mansion since Mark Dayton’s victory in 2010. Along with that, Klobuchar has a history of overperforming compared to other Democrats.

In four statewide races, Klobuchar has won by at least 15 points every time. Additionally, more than 250,000 more voters voted in the DFL primary than in the Republican primary. That's despite Klobuchar consolidating support in February, while Republican votes were divided.

Regardless of who wins, Minnesota sports betting will require a bipartisan effort. The state house is evenly divided and the DFL holds a one-seat edge in the Senate. That means any successful effort must attract support from both parties.

The general election is Nov. 3.