Minnesota Vikings Right In The Middle Of Gambling Debate

The NFL has spent years trying to distance itself from gambling. In Minnesota, however, the key to a new Vikings stadium may end up being directly tied to gambling funding. A new push for slots at Canterbury Park could lead to the new stadium.

Former Senator Dick Day is now a lobbyist for Racino Now, and the former lawmakers is pushing hard for the slots, guaranteeing that revenue from the slots could be used to build the NFL stadium. On Thursday, Day claimed that his group would give $40 million a year towards the cost of a new stadium.

For the Vikings, this seems like a no-brainer. The team has been attempting to get funding for the new stadium for several years, and a group willing to throw that amount of money at the problem is certainly worth looking into.

This is not the first time, however, that lobbying groups have tried to bring slots to the racetrcak. In the past, legislators have been cold to the idea, and have shot it down several times. This time the economy and the need for funding for the stadium may be enough to change the minds of lawmakers.

The estimates that Day has offered has slot revenue at the track at $100 million annually. The Vikings have said that a new stadium would cost over $800 million, or just over $40 million annually. The revenue from the slots would almost completely cover that bill.

NFL owners in recent years have warmed to the idea of allowing gambling dollars into their game. Last season, several NFL teams cut deals with local lotteries to offer team-themed scratch-off tickets. The Washington Redskins actually promoted the sale of the gambling tickets on a telecast in a pre-season game.

April 10, 2010
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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