ST. PAUL – As Minnesota charities brace for a massive decline in charitable gaming revenue this year due to changes made to electronic pull tabs, State Representative Marj Fogelman (R-Fulda) said she supports legislation that would bring back the original gaming devices.
“Because Democrat leadership unnecessarily changed electronic pull tabs to make them less interesting, residents are abandoning the games,” Fogelman said. “People have now decided they don’t want to play electronic pull tabs anymore because they’re not as much fun. That means the local groups who rely on the charitable gambling proceeds are going to suffer.”
Fogelman said electronic pull tab popularity has soared over the past few years, and they have been a godsend for bars and other establishments that offer them. Last year $386 million was generated in net revenue from the gaming devices, and the charitable gaming proceeds from them were distributed to needy organizations in our communities.
In 2023, Governor Walz and legislative Democrats approved a law eliminating the “open all” feature that made the electronic pull-tab games popular. Fogelman said it took a year and a half to implement the new law as e-pull tab technology without the “open all” feature did not exist in the United States.
The watered-down electronic pull tabs became available January 1, and local veterans’ organizations, such as American Legions and VFW’s, have noticed a dramatic drop in activity, ranging from 20% - 44% statewide. Even at a 30% revenue decline, those relying on charitable proceeds in Minnesota - EMS groups, food shelves, youth sports teams and associations, Boys and Girl Scouts, and other local charities – could be looking at a $115 million annual loss due to the electronic pull tab change.
“These are devastating losses that could have been easily avoided by just leaving the successful electronic pull tabs alone,” Fogelman said. “It’s time to restore the original electronic pull tabs in Minnesota.”