Right now, companies, developers, including the developer who has an 80 percent market share in this state of games, charge 31 percent to the charities,” Stephenson said. “When you wager a dollar on electronic pull tab, only three cents of that dollar goes to the charitable mission. The tribes have since been fighting the way e-pull-tabs operate in court but haven't convinced judges the games are an infringement on tribal rights.Ī lot of the profit generated by e-tabs also goes to bars that host them and the developers that offer the games.

That's already drawn fire from Minnesota's Native American gaming industry, which initially agreed not to oppose the e-pull-tabs and let them pay for the Viking stadium.

Potential prizes are a few hundred bucks.īut they're also big business: projected to have about $2.3 billion in sales this year, e-pull-tabs have now eclipsed the paper version of the game and become a statewide phenomenon. They play through a fixed set of prizes that players can actually tally up, not hitting jackpots at random. His company, Pilot Games, is a major supplier of the games and equipment, which he says are very different from casino gambling machines. You're there to have fun, hang out and socialize,” Weaver said. You're there not to win a million dollars. You go to the bar, you're with your friends you're with your spouse, you play these games. The electronic games also attract younger and more female players, keeping Minnesota's traditional charitable gambling industry alive, according to Jon Weaver. We're supporting our communities,” said Ray Kane, gambling manager for the Lions Club in St. Paul Park food shelves that we're giving thousands of dollars to a year. “We talk about e-tabs doing the great things for our community. This year's tax bill will draw that line more clearly, although the consequences are a matter of fierce debate as lawmakers wrap up their annual session today.Įlectronic pull-tab fans say the changes to the way they're played will make the games less attractive and be a serious setback for state charities and the more than $120 million a year that they give away. But the difference with e-tabs can be subtle - even too subtle for some people. Tribal gaming agreements give them the right to certain forms of gambling, like slot machines. “The fact of the matter is that the courts of have ruled that these things cannot mimic slot machines,” said Gov. It's the latest skirmish in the long-running battle over gambling in Minnesota and who runs it.

What is pull tab gambling