House veterans committee re-refers bill to Commerce after divided testimony on electronic pull-tab rules

The Minnesota House Veterans and Military Affairs Division voted 6-5 to re-refer House File 733 to the Commerce Finance and Policy Committee after more than an hour of testimony and member discussion on whether to restore electronic pull-tab game features removed by the 2023 law.

Supporters of the bill, including charitable groups and American Legion representatives, told the committee that the 2023 restrictions on e‑pull tab features have sharply reduced fundraising revenue that local charities, veteran groups and school foundations use to fund community programs. “We have long relied on stable and predictable income from charitable gambling,” Rachel Jenner, executive director of Allied Charities of Minnesota, told the committee. Jenner said some organizations reported revenue declines of 20 percent or more after the new rules took effect on Jan. 1.

The bill's opponents, including the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association and Citizens Against Gambling Expansion, argued that the changes are necessary to preserve the legal distinction between charitable pull-tabs and slot machines and to uphold tribal gaming interests. “Tribes strongly stand by the clarified game feature rules of 2023 and ask the committee to oppose this bill,” Andy Plato, executive director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, said.

Why it matters: Charitable e‑pull tabs are a major fundraising source for many small community organizations and veterans posts, and the dispute raises competing priorities: restoring features that charities say boost revenue versus maintaining the post‑2012,…