Lots and Lots of Racino Bills 

It would appear that there is no shortage of racino type bills coming into the Minnesota legislature. Every time you turn around there is another idea for a racino in order to bring in more slot machines and thus more revenue for the state. They say that they have such a budget shortfall that they have to do something – and slot machines are a great way to bring in extra money each year that could help off set the budgetary woes.  

Legislation allowing slot machines at the Canterbury park race track in Shakopee has sat there for years. It has been difficult for them to get any one to agree to allow the slot machines to come into the track as they say that they are not a necessity. However, after all of these years it would appear that the necessities have changed and that they might get their slot machines after all. 

Some of them think that with the estimates coming in at $125 million a year possible from the slot machines being at the tracks that it is something they really should consider. They say that if they put slot machines at all of the tracks they could bring in a significant amount of money, help the horse racing industry, and clean up some of the short fall in the budget, which is currently at $12 billion. 

Minnesota lawmakers say that there are several bills sitting there that would bring in slot machines to a variety of locations, and that really they just need to pass one for the rest to shortly follow suit. They say that if they push just a little harder, they could see slot machines at racetracks within two years. The slot machine revenue would go towards early-childhood programs, the development of bioscience and medical technology within the state, assisting the more rural areas of Minnesota and building new facilities such as a new Vikings stadium.