Representatives of the gaming industry are speaking out after a hearing on legalizing sports betting in Minnesota went ahead without a single voice or opinion from a regulated operator.
The hearing, which took place earlier this week, was hosted by Senator John Marty and was ostensibly supposed to be about introducing legal sports betting to the Land of the Lakes. Rather than presenting a full discussion about the pros and cons of regulated sports betting, Senator Marty’s hearing focused almost exclusively on the potential harm that could come from gambling. That, as it turns out, was Senator Marty’s intention all along. During the hearing he observed that previous hearings on the subject didn’t focus enough on problem gambling, and that this was his response to that. Senator Marty made his feelings on problem very clear by noting his opinion that it is, “as powerful as any opioid or any other addiction.”
Not surprisingly, the one-sided hearing didn’t sit well with gaming industry stakeholders. Brendan Bussman, a gaming consultant and principal at B Global shared his observations with iGaming Business noting, “Apparently senator Marty does not want to have a serious conversation about gaming and the media circus he had today did a disservice to every constituent in the state of Minnesota. If the senator believes everything in the constructed hearing he held today, I hope that he brings a bill that does away with the lottery and charitable gaming. Because if he believes everything he heard today, that should be his only response. And that is going to take millions of dollars away from education and local communities in the state.”
The one-sided hearing was all the more bizarre given the fact that Minnesota is not even considering a sports betting bill this session.