1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to lawful gambling; removing certain restrictions on electronic devices
1.3 and games; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 349.12, subdivisions 12a,
1.4 12b, 12c; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 349.12, subdivision 25e.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 349.12, subdivision 12a, is amended to read:
1.7 Subd. 12a.Electronic bingo device."Electronic bingo device" means a handheld and
1.8portable electronic device that:
1.9 (1) is used by a bingo player to:
1.10 (i) monitor bingo paper sheets or a facsimile of a bingo paper sheet purchased and played
1.11at the time and place of an organization's bingo occasion, or to play an electronic bingo
1.12game that is linked with other permitted premises;
1.13 (ii) activate numbers announced or displayed, and to compare the numbers to the bingo
1.14faces previously stored in the memory of the device;
1.15 (iii) identify a winning bingo pattern or game requirement; and
1.16 (iv) play against other bingo players;
1.17 (2) limits the play of bingo faces to 36 faces per game;
1.18 (3) requires coded entry to activate play but does not allow the use of a coin, currency,
1.19or tokens to be inserted to activate play;
1.20 (4) may only be used for play against other bingo players in a bingo game;
1Section 1.
REVISOR JSK/CH 25-0345402/07/25
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 733
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
Authored by Olson, Skraba, Burkel, McDonald and Dippel02/13/2025
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Veterans and Military Affairs Division 2.1 (5) has no additional function as an amusement or gambling device other than as an
2.2electronic pull-tab game defined under section 349.12, subdivision 12c;
2.3 (6) has the capability to ensure adequate levels of security internal controls;
2.4 (7) has the capability to permit the board to electronically monitor the operation of the
2.5device and the internal accounting systems; and
2.6 (8) has the capability to allow use by a player who is visually impaired; and.
2.7 (9) contains no spinning reels or other representations that mimic a video slot machine,
2.8including but not limited to free plays, bonus games, screens, or game features that are
2.9triggered after the initial symbols are revealed that display the results of the game.
2.10 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 349.12, subdivision 12b, is amended to read:
2.11 Subd. 12b.Electronic pull-tab device.(a) "Electronic pull-tab device" means a handheld
2.12and portable electronic device that:
2.13 (1) is used to play one or more electronic pull-tab games;
2.14 (2) requires coded entry to activate play but does not allow the use of coin, currency, or
2.15tokens to be inserted to activate play;
2.16 (3) requires that a player must individually activate or individually open each electronic
2.17pull-tab ticket and each individual line, row, or column of each electronic pull-tab ticket;
2.18 (4) maintains information pertaining to accumulated win credits that may be applied to
2.19games in play or redeemed upon termination of play;
2.20 (5) has no spinning reels or other representations that mimic a video slot machine;
2.21 (6) has no additional function as a gambling device other than as an electronic-linked
2.22bingo game played on a device defined under section 349.12, subdivision 12a;
2.23 (7) may incorporate an amusement game feature as part of the pull-tab game but may
2.24not require additional consideration for that feature or award any prize, or other benefit for
2.25that feature;
2.26 (8) may have auditory or visual enhancements to promote or provide information about
2.27the game being played, provided the component does not affect the outcome of a game or
2.28display the results of a game;
2.29 (9) maintains, on nonresettable meters, a printable, permanent record of all transactions
2.30involving each device and electronic pull-tab games played on the device;
2Sec. 2.
REVISOR JSK/CH 25-0345402/07/25 3.1 (10) is not a pull-tab dispensing device as defined under subdivision 32a; and
3.2 (11) has the capability to allow use by a player who is visually impaired.
3.3 (b) An electronic pull-tab device must not include representations that mimic the display
3.4or user interface of a video slot machine by requiring a player to manually activate the reveal
3.5or result of each single row of symbols with a separate and distinct action for each electronic
3.6pull-tab ticket.
3.7 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 349.12, subdivision 12c, is amended to read:
3.8 Subd. 12c.Electronic pull-tab game.(a) "Electronic pull-tab game" means a pull-tab
3.9game containing:
3.10 (1) facsimiles of pull-tab tickets that are played on an electronic pull-tab device;
3.11 (2) a predetermined, finite number of winning and losing tickets, not to exceed 7,500
3.12tickets;
3.13 (3) the same price for each ticket in the game;
3.14 (4) a price paid by the player of not less than 25 cents per ticket;
3.15 (5) tickets that are in conformance with applicable board rules for pull-tabs;
3.16 (6) winning tickets that comply with prize limits under section 349.211;
3.17 (7) a unique serial number that may not be regenerated;
3.18 (8) an electronic flare that displays the game name; form number; predetermined, finite
3.19number of tickets in the game; and prize tier; and
3.20 (9) no spinning reels or other representations that mimic a video slot machine, including
3.21but not limited to free plays, bonus games, screens, or game features that are triggered after
3.22the initial symbols are revealed that display the results of the game;.
3.23 (10) a mechanism requiring a player to manually activate each electronic pull-tab ticket
3.24to be opened; and
3.25 (11) a mechanism requiring a player to manually activate the reveal of each single row
3.26of symbols with a separate and distinct action.
3.27 (b) Each electronic pull-tab game shall include a certification from a board-approved
3.28testing laboratory that the game and device meets the standards and requirements established
3.29in Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota Rules and is in conformance with game procedures
3.30provided by the manufacturer.
3Sec. 3.
REVISOR JSK/CH 25-0345402/07/25 4.1 Sec. 4. REPEALER.
4.2 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 349.12, subdivision 25e, is repealed.
4Sec. 4.
REVISOR JSK/CH 25-0345402/07/25 349.12 DEFINITIONS.
Subd. 25e.Manually activate.For purposes of this section, "manually activate" means that a
person must either touch an icon on the electronic pull-tab device screen or press a button located
elsewhere on the electronic pull-tab device, or, exclusively for purposes of accommodating use by
a player who is visually impaired, perform some other action that initiates activity on an electronic
pull-tab device.
1R
APPENDIX
Repealed Minnesota Statutes: 25-03454