LEGISLATURE PASSES BILL LIMITING ONLINE LOTTERY SALES

Just days before the end of the 2015 session, the Minnesota Legislature has passed a bill requiring the Minnesota Lottery to stop offering online scratch-off games. Governor Dayton has indicated he will not veto the bill, which passed with overwhelming support in both chambers. Dayton vetoed a similar bill in 2014.

This year's version of the bill allows lottery officials four months to terminate its contracts with vendors of the online games.

According to a May 14 Associated Press report, the measure had strong legislative support because lawmakers believed the lottery had "overstepped its bounds" by expanding into online sales without legislative authorization. Bill sponsor Rep. Tim Sanders (R-Blaine) said it's up to lawmakers to decide how far gambling goes.