Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is threatening 14 gambling sites with legal action after allegations that they are violating state law.
AG Ellison is threatening 14 sites with legal action after none of the gambling operators took action following a warning letter from the Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety in June 2025. The sites either allow users to play casino games using virtual coins or offer sports betting, poker, or other gambling services.
Online platforms offering sportsbooks and casino games run by out-of-state and overseas operators may make it look like online gambling is legal and safe in MN, but let me be clear: it’s not. Thanks to Comm’r Jacobsen and @MnDPS_DPS for partnering with my office on this issue. pic.twitter.com/AWQLIaZJjx
— Attorney General Keith Ellison (@AGEllison) November 5, 2025
The letter told the sites to cease offering service in Minnesota, which none of them allegedly complied with. The Attorney General’s office has now followed up with letters in the first week of November notifying them that they are reportedly breaching state consumer protection laws.
“Online platforms offering sportsbooks and casino games run by out-of-state and overseas operators may make it look as though online gambling is legal and safe in Minnesota, but let me be clear: it is not,” Ellison said in a statement. “Trying to rebrand poker chips as virtual currencies does not change the fact that these online gambling operations are unlawful.
“By continuing to operate online gambling sites in Minnesota, these operators are likely openly defying our State’s laws and I will not stand for it.”
Further concerns raised by Ellison include the lack of regulation for these websites, many of which he argues lack sufficient age verification mechanisms or accountability measures to ensure winnings are paid out.
What’s next for the gambling sites in Minnesota?
The 14 sites allegedly in breach of Minnesota’s consumer protection laws are:
- VG LuckyLand
- Zula Casino
- Fortune Coins
- BetAnySports
- BetUs
- XBet
- BetNow
- BetWhale
- EveryGame Sportsbook
- BetOnline
- Slotsandcasino
- Bovada
- MyBookie.com
- Sportsbetting.com
Each of the 14 websites now has until December 1 to comply and remove access to their sites in Minnesota, or face legal action that could result in fines of up to $25,000 per violation.
Different states in the US have various different levels of legislation surrounding gambling, with different regions tackling different issues. For example, sweepstakes games in California are currently under pressure, while sports betting is facing potential new regulation in Wisconsin.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
