The long-running debate at the Minnesota Capitol over sports gambling is moot for now: Prediction markets essentially allow gamblers to wager on anything they could with a sportsbook — and more.

Why it matters: Opponents say prediction markets operate like the Wild West — and the state of Minnesota, Indian tribes and casinos don't get a cut of their revenue, as they would from sportsbooks.

Catch up quick: Operators like Kalshi and Polymarket have surged in popularity, allowing users to speculate on everything from sporting events to politics to wars.

• Online sportsbooks FanDuel and DraftKings have also launched prediction markets, which allow them to operate in states like Minnesota, where sports betting remains illegal.
• Prediction market operators counter this isn't sports betting, but more akin to buying and selling shares in a stock exchange.

What they're saying: "It's the exact same thing as sports gambling, they're just using different words," former GOP state Rep. Pat Garofalo, who authored sports betting legislation, told Axios. "Even for proponents of sports gambling legalization like myself, it'd be kind of nice if we had some rules."

Zoom in: State Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville) believes these prediction markets are illegal and ripe for corruption, and will only worsen gambling addiction and mental health problems.

• He told Axios he'll pursue legislation to "do anything we can to block the prediction markets" in Minnesota.
• "The federal government is not doing its share, so until the courts step in we have to do everything we can."

Yes, but: Regulating the industry on a state level could be tough: The federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission has promised to fight state efforts to regulate or ban prediction markets.

What we're watching: If the rise of prediction markets actually kills efforts to legalize sports betting in Minnesota.

• The Sports Business Journal reported that states with legal sports betting are likely to lose revenue as customers switch to prediction markets.

The bottom line: DFL House Leader Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids), who spent years trying to negotiate a deal on the issue, told Axios the sports betting debate isn't dead.

• But he said it's "issue number 27 on the agenda this year."

On Polymarket, you can bet (the parlance is that you "buy" a contract) on the Wild to win the Stanley Cup. A $10 buy would pay $212 if Minnesota wins.

Yes, but: It gets darker and more serious. Some other markets on the website:

Will Gov. Tim Walz be charged with a crime by the end of the year? Polymarket users give it a 21% chance.

Will a federal agent be charged with a crime related to the shooting death of Alex Pretti? As of Tuesday, there was a 9% chance.

What was U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar sprayed with at a recent town hall? Urine, poison and bacon grease are all options, with chances below 1%.

The bottom line: These are the type of wagers that worry Marty, especially when people could manipulate the outcomes. For example, he said, a lawmaker could bet on the passage of a policy they vote on.

• "It could corrupt every aspect of our society," he said.

⚡️ Google announced plans to build a large data center in Pine Island, about 15 miles north of Rochester. (Star Tribune)

• The tech giant agreed to pay for new wind, solar and battery power projects to alleviate concerns about consumer rate hikes.

🎤 In his State of the Union address, President Trump labeled the perpetrators in Minnesota's fraud scandals "Somali pirates." Rep. Ilhan Omar responded by shouting from the floor that Trump was a liar. (The Hill)

A man who police say fatally shot two of his cousins on Monday had been released from Hennepin County Jail earlier that day. Prosecutors said a judge agreed to set a higher-than-usual bail amount because the suspect was a public safety risk. (KSTP)

✈️ Sun Country is sending two planes to pick up tourists who were stranded in Puerto Vallarta after cartel violence caused flight cancellations. (Kyle Potter via X)

🛍️ Woodbury Lakes is getting an Anthropologie, a Herman Miller and a Shake Shack this spring. (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)

Empty desks honoring Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski sat in the State Capitol yesterday, as Annunciation families advocated for tougher gun laws.

Zoom in: The solemn push came as Gov. Tim Walz threw his support behind a package of gun violence prevention proposals, including bans on assault rifles and magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

The DFL governor was joined by Lydia Kaiser, an Annunciation eighth grader who was shot in the head in the attack.

• "Elected officials have a duty to protect us from guns," she said. "No one should have to go through what we went through."

Friction point: While some pieces of Walz's package, such as more funding for mental health and school safety, are likely to attract bipartisan support, lawmakers in the narrowly divided Legislature remain split over new gun laws.

• Top legislative Republicans and gun rights groups say the proposed assault rifle ban is overly broad, too onerous for legal firearm owners and could violate both the 2nd and 4th Amendments.

Hours after Lydia spoke, the assault weapons and high-capacity magazines bans failed to advance out of a committee in the tied House on a party-line vote.

The fate in the DFL-majority Senate is also unclear, as some rural Democrats have opposed similar measures in the past.

• "There are certainly some... Democrats and Republicans who have some hesitation," Judiciary and Public Safety Chair Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park) acknowledged. "So we've got our work cut out for us."

Watch Annunciation families sing in the Rotunda ... Go deeper on the debate via MPR...

Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl" sold 1.6 million vinyl copies in the U.S. last year, representing over 3% of all units sold, per industry data firm Luminate.

Why it matters: Swift helped as U.S. vinyl sales rose for the 19th straight year in 2025, with nearly 48 million units purchased.

State of the turntables: U.S. vinyl sales rose for the 19th straight year in 2025.

The local angle: Swifties flocked to Target last fall for an exclusive pink vinyl edition that hit shelves the night the album dropped.

Worth noting: Around two in five vinyl records were sold at indie stores, per the report.

💭 Audrey's thought bubble: Agharta Records, Down in the Valley and Disco Death Records are all worth a visit.

Keep reading for Record Day details