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Hello from the State Capitol,
In an effort to assist our local charities and the people in need that they serve, I am supporting a bill that is expected to significantly increase charitable gambling revenues. The legislation would restore electronic pull tabs in this state to their original form.
Local establishments that offer electronic pull tabs have noticed their popularity is on the decline. Interest in the gaming devices has dwindled since Governor Walz and a Democrat-led legislature banned popular features in the devices such as free plays, bonus games, and the “open-all feature.”
Decreased play means decreased revenue in southeastern Minnesota, as money generated from electronic pull tabs is given back to local groups in need through charitable gambling proceeds. Those funds help food shelves, EMS groups, and youth sports and scouting organizations pay for items and programs they normally could not afford.
The popular gaming features were removed in January, and players have noticed. When comparing monthly numbers from January 2024 to January 2025, play has declined between 20% - 44% depending on the reporting organization.
Last year $386 million was generated in net revenue from electronic pull tabs. If you projected a 30% decrease in funding, that would result in a $115 million loss this year for charities statewide.
This was a change that did not have to be made, and unless we bring back the original pull tabs, available charitable gambling proceeds are going to plummet this year.
Have a good weekend,
Greg
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