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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, even if it is less lucrative than the state hoped. He put out a statement this afternoon:

But he also offered a caution, as talk has grown of a "fix" for the stadium funding.

And Rep. Joe Atkins, (DFL-Inver Grove Heights) suggested that may well be the case at the Legislature, during an appearance on 

 program today. He's the chair of the House Commerce Committe, which has jurisdiction over the lottery, the Minnesota Racing Commission and the Minnesota Gambling Control Board.

Atkins is also one of the half dozen DFL lawmakers on the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Sports Facilities, the 12-member group appointed earlier this year to oversee the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority and progress on the new Vikings stadium. They're expected to have a hearing on the electronic pulltab issue in coming weeks.

Here's what he told Daily Circuit host Kerri Miller this morning:

Also at the Capitol today, there was a sign of movement on another stadium matter: the proposed rehab at Duluth's Wade Stadium. The city is asking for $250,000 in planning money to do a study of what the 1941 ballpark needs, and the House DFL bonding bill has precisely that amount 

t, released today. Gov. Mark Dayton offered a slightly lesser amount -- $200,000 -- in 

Duluth Mayor Don Ness says the study will scope out what the stadium might need. He also hopes the city will be able to identify some possible funding sources for $8 to $10 million in construction work.

Ness says property taxes are an option, but city officials might also ask to continue a tourist tax that paid off improvements at the 

"The initial authorization would have allowed a tax to be in place until 2019, so would there be a possibility in going back and saying because it generated more than anticipated, it paid off sooner than anticipated and then blinked off," Ness said in an interview today. "So one potential thought would be to reinstate that through the original expiration date."

Tim Nelson

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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,…

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

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