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The Dayton administration seems to be of several minds regarding the role the gambling industry played in the revenue estimates for electronic pulltabs, now of such concern for the financing of the Vikings stadium.

The revenues are coming in far below the initial estimates, and the locations that have the machines are lagging far behind what the state thought would be up and running by now.

Here's what Gov. Mark Dayton told the Associated Press, in the wake of a story over the weekend noting that the administration's figures were based on gambling industry estimates:

But the Dayton administration -- in estimates made in 2011 -- said its own projection of pulltab revenue was

a letter issued by Dayton's Department of Revenue

, a fiscal note on electronic gambling. It is dated October 17, 2011 and was published on MPR's Capitol View blog on 

The Dayton administration even rethought that projection and pared it back -- from an original estimate of machines making $250, down to making $225 a day -- in a 

MPR interview with Minnesota Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans

cited "the industry" as one of two factors his department used to make its business prediction for electronic pulltabs.

Skeptics, like GOP Sen. Sean Nienow, of Cambridge, say they find Dayton's explanation that he didn't know wanting. "You can't tell me that Commissioner Frans didn't brief the governor about this revenue," says Nienow, who opposed the Vikings stadium last year. "[Dayton] maybe just didn't remember. But this isn't like a local ball field in New Brighton, and he just couldn't be expected to keep up on the details."

Nienow says he thinks Dayton and his fellow DFLers are trying to avoid responsibility for the disappointing results. "They don't want to own up to it," Nienow says. "They wanted a funding plan that arguably might work, and they said, 'Go for it'."

Tim Nelson

Author

The Dayton administration seems to be of several minds regarding the role the gambling industry played in the revenue estimates for electronic pulltabs, now of such concern for the financing of the Vikings stadium. The revenues are coming in far below the initial estimates, and the locations that have the machines are lagging far behind…

Dayton administration said in 2011 e-pulltab predictions relied on gambling industry

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