Electronic pulltab gambling revenues fall, per-machine bets hit all-time low

There's still no sign at all of a turnaround in electronic pulltab gambling in Minnesota. Eight months into the state's experiment with the Internet-based version of the bar gambling staple, the games are still falling farther and farther short of projections, looking at average daily use on a per-machine basis.

The total sales also fell for the first time in the eight-month run of the games, from $2.4 million in March to $2.09 million in April -- even though the games were available in more places than ever. Here's what the numbers from the Minnesota Gambling Control Board look like, in a month-to-month comparison.

But there's another problem, as well: the rollout rate of the new games halved in April. The state had a goal of 2,500 sites to host the games, and had only 209 as of the end of April. Distributors added only 13 sites last month, the poorest full-month showing yet to date. Here's what those numbers look like, as provided by the Minnesota Gambling Control Board:

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