Introduction to Minnesota Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
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Minnesota slot machine casino gambling consists of 19 tribal casinos with slot machines.
Theoretical payout limits exist due to tribal-state compacts. Actual return statistics are not publicly available.

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This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Minnesota*
The minimum legal gambling age in Minnesota depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 18/21
- Poker Rooms: 18
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
Minnesota prohibited gambling for nearly a century which, to this day, still influences legalized gambling. The Minnesota House Research Department documented the convoluted history of legalizing gambling from 1945 to 2005 in Gambling in Minnesota: A Short History.
Establishment of tribal gaming regulations was through compacts. Minnesota’s eleven federally-recognized American Indian tribes were the first to negotiate and sign tribal-state gaming compacts. The 22 negotiated compacts produced 19 tribal casinos in the state.
Each tribe has two compacts, one for video games-of-chance and a second for card games. Tribal casinos operate under a combination of state law, tribal ordinance, and tribal-state compacts. Class II games-of-skill machines are unregulated by the state.
These gaming compacts permit non-video Class III Vegas-style, games-of-chance, slot machines. However, blackjack and non-banked card games such as poker and video games-of-chance are explicitly restricted. Also banned are electronic video games like video poker, video keno, video slots, and others.
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The gaming compacts stipulate the Minnesota Department of Public Safety is responsible for the inspection and approval of these video gaming machines. Both parties agreed that the compacts should be effective in perpetuity but re-negotiations can occur if desired by both parties.
Minnesota makes all tribal-state compacts publicly available at Tribal-State Gaming Compacts, consisting of 100 downloadable pdf files.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Minnesota
It is legal to own a slot machine privately in Minnesota.
Gaming Control Board in Minnesota

Minnesota has six gaming control boards for various aspects of gambling oversight. The gaming compacts provide for inspection and approval of video gaming machines by the Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (AEGD).
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Further, compact gaming regulations approve the licensing casino employees, machine payout percentages, and regulation of the play of blackjack. Specific responsibilities of the AEGD includes:
- Licensing of manufacturers and distributors of gambling devices.
- Gambling criminal enforcement and investigation.
- Assure compliance with tribal-state compacts.
Casinos in Minnesota
There are 19 American Indian tribal casinos on reservations in Minnesota.
The largest casino in Minnesota is Mystic Lake Casino Hotel with 4,000 gaming machines.
The second-largest casino is Treasure Island Resort and Casino with 2,200 gaming machines.
Commercial Casinos in Minnesota
Minnesota’s two pari-mutuel facilities Canterbury Park and Running Aces offer blackjack and non-banked card games such as poker. However, both racetracks can’t offer slot machines.
Tribal Casinos in Minnesota
Minnesota’s 19 tribal casinos are:
- Black Bear Casino Resort in Carlton located 22 miles southwest of Duluth.
- Fond-du-Luth Casino near downtown Duluth.
- Fortune Bay Resort & Casino in Tower located 91 miles north of Duluth.
- Grand Casino Hinckley located 82 miles north of Minneapolis.
- Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Onamia located 97 miles north of Minneapolis.
- Grand Portage Lodge & Casino located 144 miles northeast of Duluth a few miles from the Canadian border.
- Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel in Morton located 113 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
- Little Six Casino in Prior Lake located 26 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
- Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake located 27 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
- Northern Lights Casino & Hotel in Walker located 128 miles west of Duluth.
- Palace Casino & Hotel in Cass Lake located 140 miles northwest of Duluth.
- Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort in Granite Falls located 129 miles west of Minneapolis.
- Seven Clans Casino Red Lake located 180 miles northwest of Duluth.
- Seven Clans Casino Thief River Falls located 235 miles northwest of Duluth.
- Seven Clans Casino Warroad located 251 miles northwest of Duluth a few miles from the Canadian border.
- Shooting Star Casino Bagley located 186 miles northwest of Duluth.
- Shooting Star Casino Hotel in Mahnomen located 211 miles west of Duluth.
- Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Welch located 46 miles southeast of Minneapolis.
- White Oak Casino in Deer River located 99 miles northwest of Duluth.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying Minnesota slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Minnesota is:
- North: The Canadian Provinces of Manitoba and Ontario
- East: Wisconsin Slots and, across Lake Superior, Michigan Slots
- South: Iowa Slots
- West: North Dakota Slots and South Dakota Slots
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Minnesota.
Our Minnesota Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Minnesota? If so, join our new Minnesota slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Minnesota. Join us!
Payout Returns in Minnesota
As written into tribal-state gaming compacts, the minimum and maximum theoretical payout for slot machines are 80% and 95%, respectively, over the lifetime of the game.
Further, video keno and similar games specifically cited have a theoretical payout requirement of no less than 75% applied to each number of spots marked per wager.
Video games of chance affected by player skill such as video poker and video blackjack have a minimum and maximum payout return of 83% and 98% again over the lifetime of the game. These limits assume optimal play.
Minnesota’s tribal casinos don’t offer return statistics to the public.
Summary of Minnesota Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Minnesota slot machine casino gambling consists of 19 tribal casinos with video-style slot machines.
Minimum and maximum theoretical payout limits are 80% and 95% for video slot machines. Video keno has a lower payout return limit of 75%. Skill-based games like video poker and video blackjack are instead 83% and 98%, but assume a perfect playing strategy for optimal play. No return statistics are publicly available.
Annual Progress in Minnesota Slot Machine Casino Gambling
In the last year, there has been no significant changes in slots gaming industry of Minnesota.
Related Articles from Professor Slots
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Previous: Michigan Slot Machine Casino Gambling
- Next: Mississippi Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC
As a result of the pandemic situation most Minnesota casinos are closed to the public. You may find the odd one open but we do not recommend frequenting those either. Gambling should be practiced responsibly at all times but especially these days when not only our hard earned money is at stake but also people’s health and very life.
A safe solution for everyone is to play your favourite casino games online, from the comfort of your home. You can find a list of such online casinos on this site. We also recommend reading these reviews of local casinos in Minnesota.
Use the interactive Minnesota casinos map below to determine which of the 20 casinos in Minnesota is closest to you.
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Please note: The legal situation of online gambling is changing across America. Make sure you know your rights when it comes to online casinos in Minnesota.
Minnesota Casino Proximity Table
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The table below displays the proximity in miles of each Minnesota casino to some of the largest cities in the region.
| Casino | Minneapolis | Madison | Des Moines | Fargo | Sioux Falls | Thunder Bay | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bear Casino | 135 Miles | 346 Miles | 375 Miles | 232 Miles | 371 Miles | 210 Miles | Link |
| Canterbury Park | 027 Miles | 289 Miles | 240 Miles | 246 Miles | 214 Miles | 368 Miles | Link |
| Fond-du-Luth Casino | 154 Miles | 329 Miles | 394 Miles | 242 Miles | 422 Miles | 189 Miles | Link |
| Fortune Bay Casino | 223 Miles | 418 Miles | 463 Miles | 253 Miles | 490 Miles | 208 Miles | Link |
| Grand Casino – Hinckley | 081 Miles | 333 Miles | 321 Miles | 218 Miles | 317 Miles | 264 Miles | Link |
| Grand Casino – Mille Lacs | 086 Miles | 351 Miles | 328 Miles | 178 Miles | 273 Miles | 303 Miles | Link |
| Grand Portage Casino | 294 Miles | 469 Miles | 534 Miles | 377 Miles | 530 Miles | 049 Miles | Link |
| Jackpot Junction Casino | 109 Miles | 353 Miles | 285 Miles | 208 Miles | 146 Miles | 453 Miles | Link |
| Little Six Casino | 026 Miles | 295 Miles | 229 Miles | 249 Miles | 215 Miles | 371 Miles | Link |
| Mystic Lake Casino | 026 Miles | 295 Miles | 229 Miles | 249 Miles | 215 Miles | 371 Miles | Link |
| Northern Lights Casino | 184 Miles | 459 Miles | 426 Miles | 113 Miles | 357 Miles | 322 Miles | Link |
| Palace Casino | 216 Miles | 467 Miles | 458 Miles | 144 Miles | 388 Miles | 323 Miles | Link |
| Prairie’s Edge Casino | 124 Miles | 395 Miles | 327 Miles | 173 Miles | 122 Miles | 436 Miles | Link |
| Running Aces Harness Park | 026 Miles | 290 Miles | 271 Miles | 244 Miles | 263 Miles | 319 Miles | Link |
| Seven Clans Casino – Red Lake | 249 Miles | 513 Miles | 492 Miles | 160 Miles | 404 Miles | 325 Miles | Link |
| Seven Clans Casino – Thief River Falls | 295 Miles | 570 Miles | 537 Miles | 110 Miles | 357 Miles | 398 Miles | Link |
| Seven Clans Casino – Warroad | 356 Miles | 577 Miles | 597 Miles | 218 Miles | 457 Miles | 322 Miles | Link |
| Shooting Star Casino | 236 Miles | 511 Miles | 478 Miles | 071 Miles | 315 Miles | 400 Miles | Link |
| Treasure Island Casino | 048 Miles | 248 Miles | 240 Miles | 285 Miles | 267 Miles | 381 Miles | Link |
| White Oak Casino | 193 Miles | 430 Miles | 435 Miles | 168 Miles | 364 Miles | 287 Miles | Link |