E-tabs bring controversy to area bars, restaurants

Controversy is brewing at bars, restaurants and for area charities in southeastern Minnesota and beyond, as electronic pull tabs come under scrutiny from tribes.
Minnesota tribes have all of the rights to gambling, with pull tabs and charitable gambling, but when the Vikings stadium was being built the question of how to pay for it was presented. In 2012 options came forward and one was for something called electronic pull tabs. They brought a new aspect to the whole field of gaming and were basically laptops with games on them connected to the Internet.
“They were very rudimentary,” said Sen. Dave Senjem. “Not fancy or anything like that.”
In the early days of electronic pull tabs the state expected they would be successful, but they weren’t very successful at all. Then developers or programmers started to make a better product and electronic pull tabs have gotten more like casino slot machines in appearance.
Tribes are saying that wasn’t the agreement. Electronic pull tabs should be a paper pull tab except electronic and would not look like a slot machine. So the tribes are working to intervene with the state of  Minnesota.
Tribes challenged the whole thing in court, and lost. Now they’re coming back to the state legislature, with the request to have electronic pull tabs revert back to pull tabs on a lap pad. Meanwhile, because electronic pull tabs have been wildly successful, charities are getting good profits from them from bars and restaurants.
“The idea of reverting back to electronic pull tab in its original form lacks enthusiasm,” Senjem said, “and is concerning to charities and bar and restaurant owners and places that have these devices.”
There’s been tremendous interest in the issue, with Senjem getting phone calls, emails and paper letters. “So the public is really honed in on it in support of the charities and in keeping these devices the way they are.”
The tribes have historically been linked with the Democratic party, Senjem said, so there’s a house DFL majority with a bill with language that would take electronic pull tabs back to their original form. Republicans are loudly supportive of the charities and bar owners and advancement of electronic pull tabs, he said.
The decision will be made before the end of the session, which is scheduled for May 17, or if not May 17 whenever the session does end.
“That’s where we are right now,” Senjem said. “I personally strongly support the charities and bars and restaurant owners, I cannot imagine that we would accept the idea of going back to the original pull tabs.”
“Ending e-tabs and linked bingo games would devastate small town establishments after they’ve already endured a brutal year because of COVID restrictions,” said Jane Olive, president of the Mantorville Restoration Association. “We need to get this right for our local charities and small businesses. Our local American Legions, VFWs, youth sports and volunteer fire departments are counting on the help of e-tabs.”
“We will have no income,” she said. “We will have zero income, very, very limited income.”
“This is not going to go away,” Olive said. “What’s unfortunate is I’m a huge proponent of the casinos, it’s been a godsend. I’m so thrilled. And the same people who are playing our pull tabs aren’t the ones going to casinos or maybe going there too. I don’t understand the concern on their part. It’s been a huge help for us.”