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Stadium Watch Blog
Tim Nelson

The Shape of Tabs to Come

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Here's what the new electronic pull tab machines from e-tab Manufacturing look like. They were approved by the Minnesota Gambling Control Board this morning, and they'll be rolling out in bars starting on Thursday. Company spokesman Jim Walbourne said they hope to have 500 of these a month rolling out over the next year for a total of 6,000 machines. He also says they'll incorporate electronic linked bingo.

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MPR Photos/Tim Nelson

For comparison's sake, state officials estimate there need to be about 15,400 pull tab machines, and about 6,900 linked bingo machines to make the $100 million a month they'll need to pay the stadium mortgage starting next year.

Here's what the screen looks like when it's up and running -- Gambling Control Board executive director Tom Barrett didn't have an internet connection to get the machine up and running in their offices today.

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