Stadium Watch Blog

April 16, 2013 1:51 PM

Six ideas for fixing e-pulltabs and getting Vikings stadium funding back on track

The House Commerce committee floated a whole handful of trial balloons for fixing the new gambling that’s an essential piece of the Vikings stadium funding. Today’s ideas ranged from tax relief to giving bonus machines to the best-performing locations in Minnesota. “We’re not looking to roll the charities, we’re not looking to roll the tribes,…

by Tim Nelson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

April 16, 2013 10:21 AM

Dayton: I don’t want to reopen the whole Vikings stadium financing plan

Gov. Mark Dayton today reacted coolly to the prospect of rebooting electronic pulltabs and possibly separating the games from a requirement that operators have traditional paper pulltabs before they blink on the electronic versions. Rep. Joe Atkins said he’d like to talk about that idea at a House Commerce Committee meeting today. Here’s how the…

by Tim Nelson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

April 16, 2013 1:42 AM

Vikings stadium: Lawmakers to consider changing paper, electronic gambling rules

The chair of Minnesota’s House Commerce Committee said he will initiate discussions about changing electronic gambling rules Tuesday, aiming to improve revenues that are falling far short of the amount needed to fund the state’s share of the $1 billion Vikings stadium. Rep. Joe Atkins (DFL-Inver Grove Heights) said the time to make changes is…

by Tim Nelson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

April 15, 2013 7:47 AM

E-Bingo on hold, hopes to relaunch electronic gambling game this week

Electronic linked bingo provider E-Tab said the company temporarily turned off the system the company considers the “killer app” for electronic gambling for repairs. The bingo application was running at eight different sites and the game’s manufacturer said it was getting a good response. It’s the only electronic linked bingo game approved in Minnesota so…

by Tim Nelson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

April 11, 2013 1:35 AM

Vikings stadium taxes unfair, say Twins, Wild, Timberwolves

The proposal to add a trio of new taxes to the Vikings stadium deal ran into major league opposition in a House tax committee meeting tonight. “We at the Twins have some concerns about this legislation,” Minnesota Twins spokesman Kevin Smith told the panel, as it weighed a memorabilia tax, a suite tax and a…

by Tim Nelson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

April 10, 2013 6:58 AM

New measure would make Vikings backup to state stadium financing

GOP Rep. Bob Barrett says he wants the Vikings to be the backup to the electronic pulltabs if the games can’t pay the debt service on a new stadium. The games are tens of millions of dollars behind expectations, almost six months after their debut in Minnesota bars. The second-term Republican from Lindstrom says he’ll…

by Tim Nelson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

April 9, 2013 2:32 PM

Charities to legislators: Gambling is not just for the Vikings stadium

Allied Charities of Minnesota says the expansion into electronics is going well, despite doubts about whether it will grow enough, soon enough, to pay the state’s share of a new Vikings stadium. The trade group represents about half of the state’s 1,200 licensed charitable gambling operators. Executive director Al Lund says charitable gambling is thriving,…

by Tim Nelson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

April 9, 2013 2:38 AM

Chart: E-pulltab gambling device profits compared

Sales of electronic pulltab gambling devices haven’t been measuring up to the state’s expectations, but some are a lot closer than others. Latest pulltab revenue figures The games from Las Vegas-based Acres 4.0 have significantly outperformed other systems, according to data from the Minnesota Gambling Control Board. With the largest share the market in terms…

by Tim Nelson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

April 8, 2013 4:32 PM

At the Capitol, stadium “Plan C” to emerge in House committee. Dayton commits to fix

What’s old is new again in the stadium debate at the Minnesota State Capitol. A proposal to tax sports memorabilia might be headed back towards a stadium deal, thanks to the House Taxes Committee chairwoman, Rep. Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington. She’s proposing a tax on licensed sportswear and other goods, including trading cards, photographs, autographed merchandise…

by Tim Nelson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

April 8, 2013 1:00 AM

MPR analysis: Electronic pulltab numbers aren’t turning around

The March numbers are in for the state’s electronic pulltab industry and a turnaround is nowhere in sight. An MPR analysis shows that games did take in a record $2.4 million in bets, up from $1.9 million the month before, or about 24 percent. The state also added 29 new bars to its electronic charitable gambling…

by Tim Nelson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.