Senate Bill 4474, Minnesota’s anti-sweepstakes casino proposal, has passed the upper chamber and will now move on to the House for consideration.
Passage from the originating chamber marks the halfway point in SB 4474’s journey, but as it took a month and a half to make it this far, lawmakers will want to speed things up in the House. This is because the MN legislative session ends on May 14, leaving only two weeks to go before things close till 2027.
However, the bill seems to be a priority, at least in certain quarters. Minnesota operates a committee ‘funnel’ system, with a March 27 deadline requiring bills to advance through committee stages to remain viable, and this bill didn’t pass it this year.
But while the deadline is a key filtering point in the process, bills can still occasionally be revived, and SB 4474 continued its journey even after the deadline – this is a sign that there is meaningful backing behind the proposal.
Contents of SB 4474
Filed by Senator Jordan Rasmusson, SB 4474 – along with companion HF 4410 – is a short-and-sweet bill at only two pages long. Still, it manages to define ‘online sweepstakes games’, rendering operators and the supply chain (financial institutions, payment processors, geolocation providers, gaming content suppliers, platform providers, media affiliates) as illegal.
Violations could carry civil penalties under Minnesota’s consumer protection framework, which can allow fines of up to $25,000 per violation, and enforcement would fall to the Commissioner of Public Safety, which oversees the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (AGE).
In fact, SB 4474 would codify the Commissioner’s power to “issue notices of violation” as this is an area the state has struggled with. For example, last year the AGE made contact with 20+ sweepstakes and offshore operators to request a halting of operations in the state. However, in many cases, this was ignored with contacted operators including McLuck and Fortune Wins seemingly still doing business there.
Minnesota Lacks Cease-and-Desist Powers Currently
Yes, Minnesota is one of a few states that does not have clearly defined cease-and-desist authority in this context, and this has limited its ability to act quickly against unlicensed operators.
This is similar to Iowa, which recently passed a bill expanding its enforcement powers to include cease-and-desist and injunctive tools (now we wait for the Iowa Governor’s signature). But Minnesota is not looking to introduce direct C&D powers at this stage.
SB 4474 instead builds a clearer enforcement framework that would allow the state to pursue fines and legal action more systematically. So while the process may be slower, it could ultimately be more muscular.
So let’s see what will happen over the next two weeks. Can Minnesota join Indiana and Maine as states who’ve banned sweepstakes casinos in 2026? If it doesn’t, it will likely be another year of free operation for sweeps platforms in the North Star State.
Author: Michael Fatouros
Updated:
