Best Minnesota Online Casinos

The best way to start wagering at the best Minnesota online casinos is to understand the origin of gambling and how it has evolved into what’s offered today. Furthermore, you should familiarize yourself with the factors that make online casinos stand-out from each other. You must also question whether these casino sites are open to players from Minnesota. 

So how did gambling start in Minnesota?

Minnesota Gambling Laws

Minnesota was quiet about gambling until 1945, when they introduced charity bingo, otherwise known as nonprofit bingo. Until 1981, no other forms of gambling were allowed to operate. However, 1982 saw changes to this law. The Minnesota Legislature proposed an amendment to allow pari-mutuel betting in this state. 

Pari-mutuel betting, for those who don’t understand, is a betting system where all winners share the amount wagered minus a percentage for the management. It’s a popular betting system used in horse racing, jai alai, and greyhound racing. 

The amendment was approved in 1983, and pari-mutuel betting was legalized, supervised by the Minnesota Racing Commission. In 1984, a legislature moved a motion to transfer charitable gambling control from the local to the state government. 

In 1984, the Gambling Control Board was created, and it legalized the possession and operation of video poker machines at restaurants and bars without permitting wagering on them. Some years later, licensing of these machines was terminated and they became considered as gambling devices. This means that mere possession of the machine is illegal. 

Minnesota created a state lottery in 1989, which was under the control of a director appointed by the governor. At the time, Canterbury Park was authorized to introduce a card club at the race track. Following the 1988 Indian Gambling Regulatory Act, tribal casinos were introduced and operated under the tribal ordinance, a combination of state laws.

This law allows tribal casinos to operate Class III games – roulette, blackjack, video games of chance, craps, and baccarat.

Since the early 2000s, there’s been a debate on whether to legalize sports betting or not. Fantasy betting was also popular at this time, it was allowed in some states but prohibited in other states. Though a bill proposed in 2016 would have authorized fantasy betting in the state, it didn’t come to a vote at the senate level. 

In May 2018, the United States supreme court overruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which banned sports betting. Following this ruling, many states in the US have legalized sports betting. Though Minnesota has yet to legalize sports betting, different bills have been passed to this effect. The bills proposed in 2019-2020 were not passed and new bills have been introduced for 2021-2022.

Online Gambling in Minnesota

According to the Minnesota gambling laws, operating online gambling sites are illegal. However, this law did not refer to online gambling directly. So wagering at offshore sites lies in the gray area. Until now, no one has been prosecuted for gambling online. The gambling authorities are not concerned about offshore gambling sites.

Minnesota Online Casinos 

As stated earlier, Minnesota has yet to legalize online gambling. However, several gambling options are still available for punters to choose from when it comes to online casino gambling.

Offshore Gambling Sites

Though Minnesota does not approve online gambling, the state won’t prosecute any punter wagering at offshore sites. These gambling sites are located on foreign ground and are not regulated by Minnesota laws. This doesn’t mean that offshore casino sites are not licensed, they have offshore licenses, which are licenses from another country other than the US. 

Some of the most popular offshore licensing bodies include the UK Gambling Commission, Gibraltar Gambling Commission, Curacao eGaming, the Malta Gaming Authority, and the Alderney Gaming Control Commission. While these casinos always open their doors to US players, it’s vital to carry out proper background checks before joining. Only wager at casinos that are reliable and trusted. We will only point casino players in the direction of trusted offshore casinos.

Land-Based Casinos

There’s no shortage of land-based casinos for Minnesota players who want to try their hand at gambling. Currently, there are 18 land-based casinos available for players to choose from. These casinos are spread throughout the state either under the Native American Indian Jurisdiction or on Tribal land. 

Hopefully, the sports betting bills proposed for 2021-2022 will be passed and approved by the state. If this happens, it’ll be considered a big step towards legalizing online casino gambling for players in the state. 

Should the state legalize online gambling, players can expect the first set of online gambling sites to be associated with land-based casinos. With that, you can be sure the gambling sites are trustworthy since land-based operators power them with a license from the state. 

In addition to that, playing at these casinos offer many benefits. First, you can deposit money directly as cash at the land-based casino counters. You can then walk into the casino building to complain anytime you have issues with their online betting app. However, we think this will happen when the state legalizes online gambling. So keep in mind that Minnesota is yet to regulate online casinos. 

What Makes The Best Online Casinos?

While Minnesota is yet to legalize online casinos, there are alternative options available that players can wager with and there’s no penalty. But not all these offshore sites are trustworthy. 

For that reason, punters from Minnesota should be careful when choosing a real money gambling site. When selecting an online casino, you should consider some factors to determine if you can trust the operator. In this section, we’ll walk you through some factors:

Regulation, Security, and Fairness

Whether you’re a newbie or a pro, playing at a licensed casino is essential. This ensures that the casino you’re playing with offers high-quality gambling services. Besides that, it tells you there’s a body you can complain to if the casino goes out of line. 

The best online gambling site will use a random number generator to ensure fairness in their game results. They won’t stop there as they ensure to hold a certificate from third-party testing companies like eCOGRA, Technical Systems Testing, iTech Labs, and more. 

These casino sites will proudly showcase their licensing and certification on their page’s footer. Make sure you check this information before you register at any offshore casino. 

Mobile Compatibility

Another thing you need to consider when choosing an online casino is if it’s compatible across mobile devices. This ensures that you can enjoy wagering on your favorite games anywhere and anytime you want with your mobile casino site.

In some cases, the best online casino in Minnesota provides players with a mobile app to download and install on their devices. With that, you can take your gambling anywhere. These sites will provide links to download the app for Android and iOS users, coupled with instructions on how to install it. 

Online casinos without an app should use HTML5 technology to ensure their site is fully accessible on all mobile devices. Here, you can access the site directly from your web browser. It’s crucial that you test the casino site on your mobile to see if it’s easy to navigate. The navigation and other functional buttons should give players easy access to their favorite games. 

Games and Software Provider

The best online casino sites partner with numerous game providers to build an extensive game selection. This is to ensure that players have several titles to choose from. These could include table games, slots, bingo, scratch cards, online slots, and live dealer casino games. 

Online slots are the most popular games among casino players and the best online casino strives to provide them in different variations. The slot games can come as classic slots, 3D slots, video slots, progressive jackpot slots, and more. These games also have different features, including cluster pay, avalanche feature, expanding reels, free spins, wilds, scatters, and bonus rounds.

These real money sites also offer table games like baccarat, roulette, blackjack, poker, and craps, available in different versions. With that, there will be no dull moments for Minnesota players. 

The best Minnesota online casino sites have a live casino section where players can enjoy real-life gambling. You can enjoy the live version of the table games mentioned earlier. If you’re a sports lover, consider sites with a sportsbook section where you can wager on events like American football, fantasy sports, esports, tennis, and basketball. 

These games should be from famous game developers like Evolution Gaming, Red Tiger Gaming, Pragmatic Play, Relax Gaming, NetEnt, Microgaming, and Playtech. In addition, you should also consider the software that powers the gambling site. Be on the lookout for popular software like 888 Group and SG Digital to ensure the best gambling experience. 

Payment Methods

Payment options are an essential factor to consider when choosing real money sites. When selecting the platform, check if the casino has payment options for Minnesota players. With that, you can deposit funds and withdraw your winnings. 

The best US casino sites feature trusted banking options like ACH, PayPal, Google Pay, PayNearMe, Bank Transfer, and Play+ Card. However, players should expect different methods at offshore casinos. 

The best offshore casino sites use banking options like Skrill, Bank Transfers, Neteller, Visa, Mastercard, and more. With that, you can rest assured of easy deposits and withdrawal requests. Also, these casinos use the latest Secure Socket Layer encryption protocol to protect players’ data. There is a growing number of online casino sites that also come with the option to make deposits using cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin.

Bonuses

One of the impressive things about online gambling is the exciting casino bonuses on offer. Bonuses are an excellent way for players to start their gambling journey without risking much from their bankroll. You can use these bonuses to test different casino sites and their games to determine if the casino is worth it or not.

More often than not, the best online casinos will offer a welcome bonus to all new US players. The offer can come as a no deposit or deposit bonus. While the former does not require any deposit, the latter needs you to deposit between $10 and $20 (depending on the casino) before you can claim the offer. 

The no deposit offer is highly recommended for newbies as you don’t need to fund your account to claim them. All you need to do is create an account and the bonus is yours. It can come as cash or free spins. However, note that these free bonuses usually come with strict requirements. 

The deposit bonus usually comes as a percentage of the amount you credited into your account. In most cases, the percentage is between 100% and 500%, up to a certain amount. Some casinos only offer this on first deposit, while some can spread the offer up to your third or fifth deposits. 

The most vital thing to note is the bonus terms and conditions. Don’t overlook the wagering conditions as they determine when and how you can withdraw your bonus and winnings. Furthermore, some casinos offer other promotions to regular players. These include free spins, reload bonuses, high-roller bonuses, VIP rewards, cashback bonuses, and more.

Final Thoughts

Minnesota is yet to license online casinos for players in the state, but several wagering options are open at offshore gambling sites. We have put together a list of the most trusted here, saving you the work of finding out which ones are legitimate and which ones aren’t the hard way.