Playing online poker in Minnesota is a good activity for many citizens, especially on cold days, when everyone wants to sit back home away from the freezing weather.
Brief History of Poker in Minnesota
The natives and settlers in Minnesota have always had a thing for gambling, as evident in their cultural artifacts and other records. However, there has been strong laws against gambling since the 1850’s, and it It was only in the middle of the 1900s that the government finally regulated it.
There are about 21 casinos in Minnesota, and most of them have poker rooms. The people running these Casinos are Minnesota Native Tribes recognized by the federal government. The Minnesota tribe with the most casinos is the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribes.
Aside from the main casino businesses, you can find smaller Native gaming enterprises with gaming operations such as pull tabs, slot machines, punch board and bingo.
The legality of Poker in Minnesota
The law does not permit betting, and neither does it allow possession of a gambling device unless authorized by the state.
Gambling law in Minnesota states that it is unlawful to make a bet, and section 609.75 (d) (1) of the statutes clearly defined a bet as: “a bargain whereby the parties mutually agree to a gain or loss by one to the other of specified money, property, or benefit dependent upon chance although the chance is accompanied by some element of skill.”
According to the law, Minnesotans found guilty of violating section 609.75 will be required to pay a fine of $1000 or get a jail sentence of about 90 days. Online Poker may not be illegal in the state of Minnesota since the law hasn’t explicitly stated it as so, but it has yet to be regulated by the government due to strong opposition.
Lots of sports betting bills have been pushed, but they have either faced opposition from the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) or legislators who do not want it. Legalization for sports betting doesn’t guarantee the legality of online poker, but there is a high probability it could lead to it, as this has been observed in other states.
Poker rooms/ Casinos
The biggest and best poker room in Minnesota is in Canterbury Park. Here, you can find a considerable number of games and tournaments every day.
When playing cash poker games, there is a limit on how much a player gets to bet. But the fun comes with medium or high stakes, which can fetch reasonable returns for the players.
Some casinos have found a way to beat the fixed limit games by offering what is known as spread limit games. Cash players can spread $2/$10, $2/$40, $2/$60, and so on.
Let’s take a look at some of the poker rooms in Minnesota.
Canterbury Park
Canterbury Park is located in Shakopee, Minnesota. You can go there at any time, as it is always open.
There are 32 tables in the poker room. Games played are no limit Hold’em tournaments, cash games, and spread limit Hold’em.
Black Bear Casino Resort
You can find this Casino in Carlton, Minnesota. The good news is that it is always open, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can find four tables in the poker room. You’ll find no-limit holde’m tournaments and spread limit hold’em here.
Fortune Bay Casino
Located at the Tower, Minnesota, the Fortune Bay Casino opens every Thursday and Friday from 4 pm and then Saturday and Sunday from noon. Poker games include no-limit holdem tournaments and spread limit games.
Running aces
Running Aces Harness Park is located in Forest Lake, Minnesota. It’s opened every day of the week, 24 hours a day.
The games available to play there are cash games with spread limit hold’em or limit hold’em. You can also get into tournaments three times per day. You can always find a game to play there, as it’s a big poker room with multiple games running.
Grand Casino Mille Lacs
The Casino located at Onamia, Minnesota, accommodates about eight tables. It opens from Monday to Friday from 10 am and runs all day on Saturday and Sunday.
Games played in the poker room are the no-limit hold’em tournament or a cash game (limit Holdem and spread limit Holdem). The matches hold from Monday to Thursday.
Other casinos found in Minnesota include:
- Seven Clans Casino Thief River Falls
- Northern Lights Casino – Walker
- Shooting Star Casino
- Treasure Island Casino
Online Poker Sites in Minnesota
The government in Minnesota might not have regulated online poker sites, but there are several offshore sites many Minnesotans can use.
Ignition Poker
The PaiWangLuo Network has the largest poker room of any online poker sites in the country. Here you can play games such as No Limit Hold’em, Limit Holdem, Pot Limit Omaha, Limit O8, and PLO/8. If you are a new player, you can receive as much as a $1000 poker bonus to play the games.
SportsBetting Poker
This site is the third-largest poker site in America. There are tournament games, No-Limit Holdem games, and other games available on the site to keep you entertained. New players are offered a bonus of 200% up to $2500 to get them started.
BetOnline Poker
BetOnline Poker offers 100% first deposit bonus. It is one of the most straightforward poker sites to navigate and understand. It also has fantastic customer support that is always available to resolve issues you might encounter.
Conclusion
Is the regulation of online poker in Minnesota coming soon? Definitely. Since other states are actively pushing for theirs, it won’t be long before Minnesota joins the bandwagon. But until then, you can keep enjoying the online poker service provided by the various providers mentioned here.