Minnesota Residents Pick Expanded Gambling Over Vikings Departure

Minnesota residents have been against gambling expansion for a long time, but lawmakers are tugging at the voters' heart strings to try and push through a bill that would bring increased casino gambling to the city in the next few years.

The Vikings have been in Minnesota since the team's inception, and residents are now facing the real possibility that Minnesota could be without a pro football team in the future. The Vikings have been pressing for help in building a state-of-the-art football stadium, and several times they have failed to win support for such a measure.

State Senator Julie Rosen, however, is attempting again to use revenue from gambling to help fund the new stadium and keep the Vikings in Minnesota. A recent KSTP/Survey USA poll shows that residents may finally be willing to drop some cash in a slot machine in order to save their NFL team from relocating elsewhere.

There were several different options offered to pollsters regarding gambling expansion, and the one that the subjects liked most was a downtown Minneapolis casino. Slots at state race tracks received 23% support from those polled, while the downtown casino proposition garnered 38% approval. Electronic pull tabs were the gambling option of choice for 10%, and 21% wanted some other form of gambling expansion that was not yet proposed.

"I am in favor of anything that keeps the Vikings in Minnesota," said Walter Neron. "When you grow up rooting for one team your entire life, and then there's a chance that team disappears to another city. That is not something I can wrap my brain around. I would much rather lawmakers finalize this deal as soon as possible, even if it means bringing a casino to the area."

Currently, the state has tribal owned casinos. The tribe's have already gone on record as saying they would oppose any attempt to bring slots to the state race tracks, or any expansion that would add new gaming facilities. According to Sen. Rosen, the tribe's would not interfere with an attempt to add electronic pull tabs.

February 13, 2012
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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