Minnesota Governor’s Appointments to Racing Commission Raise Questions

Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz appointed two new members to the state’s Racing Commission on June 21. Mille Lacs, Chief Executive of the Band of Ojibew, and Johnny Johnson, former president of the Prairie Island Indian Community, will join the nine-member commission regulating the state's horse racing. Some of our best sports betting sites offer horse racing.

The appointments were announced late Friday, surprising track operators and others involved in the Minnesota sports betting scene. Both Benjamin and Johoson submitted their nominations for the positions just a day before their announcement. 

The appointments

The appointments come following the commission’s approval in April in a 5-1 margin of the use of game terminals that allow bets on horse races from the past that are selected randomly.

As the tribes of both Lacs and Johnson operate casinos in Minnesota, questions were raised about whether the commission would face conflicts of interest, as potential competitors would be regulating industry rivals and would have access to confidential information about their operations. Bettors interested in horse racing should check out our guide on how to bet on horse racing and our best horse racing betting sites.

Governor Waltz defended his decisions, saying, “The Racing Commission’s job is to regulate the industry, and our two leaders, President Johnson, and Chief Executive Benjamin, are more familiar than probably anybody in the state on the regulation of gambling.”

When referring to the pair, Waltz said they are “two good folks who understand that responsibility.”