What's New                                        Specific What's New information, by month

March 23, 2020

To facilitate social distancing and minimize health risks, many of our Gambling Control Board staff are teleworking.  However, the Board continues to be available to assist organizations with questions you may have.

 

To best facilitate communication, we are asking that you contact your Licensing or Compliance Specialist via email.  This will be the most efficient method of communication.  To find your Specialist, please go to www.mn.gov/gcb/board-staff.

 

Thank you for your continued patience as we all work through these trying times.

 

March 20, 2020

• GCBREPORTS Filing Extension – The deadline for filing your February 2020 monthly reports (LG100A, LG100C, and LG100F) with the Gambling Control Board has been extended one week to Friday, March 27.  This one-time extension is granted in light of the extra work involved in temporarily shutting down your gambling operations and other delays due to COVID-19.

• Gaming News (PDF)

March 17, 2020 (UPDATES IN RED)

COVID-19 Update (PDF)

In accordance with Governor Tim Walz’s emergency order and to ensure the integrity of lawful gambling, all licensed organizations’ lawful gambling activities conducted at all restaurants and bars or other places of public accommodation must be discontinued by 5:00 p.m. today, March 17, 2020.

 

The Gambling Control Board will not be accepting walk-in appointments at any of its four locations, but strongly encourages contact via email, or alternatively via phone to your assigned Compliance or Licensing Specialist.

 

For those organizations with exempt permit activities, go to the Exempt/Excluded page.

 

The following internal control procedures are required for all other licensed organizations:

 

Owned or Leased Premises

Required site closure procedures for licensed organizations using either owned or leased premises:

• Remove all cash from the site including starting cash banks and deposit the funds into your gambling bank account at your retail bank no later than March 23 (four business days).

 

This must be done for both owned premises and leased premises.  DO NOT leave cash in a safe or cash drawer at any location.

 

You must withdraw the starting cash bank amounts from your bank account when lawful gambling resumes.

 

• Electronics:  Electronic pull-tabs and electronic linked bingo will be unavailable for sale as of 5:00 p.m. today, March 17, 2020.  The point of sale (POS) will be functional to allow for transactions to credit players and reconcile the day’s activity.  Deposit all funds into the gambling bank account by March 23.  Gambling managers will have portal access to close any games they wish.  Games will resume upon reopening in the future.  Discuss with your distributor any planned removal of electronic gambling equipment from the owned or leased premises.  If you remove the devices to a secure location, the invoice must accompany the equipment.  Inform your Compliance Specialist via email of the location.  When lawful gambling resumes, it is essential that the exact device returns to the exact same premises site.

 

• You are required to close all paper games (see further details below) in play.  All open paper games must be audited and reported on your monthly reports for March.  These games may not be placed back into play.  Do not leave any tickets or games at the site.

 

• If you have any perishable merchandise prizes at the site, donate these items to a local food shelf or sell them at cost and deposit the proceeds into the gambling account.

 

• Tipboards:  Pull the seal and close the tipboard game.  Pay any winner accordingly.

 

• Raffles:  The raffle drawing location must be at one of your permitted premises locations.

 

If holding raffle drawing or any other gambling activity as originally scheduled, you must still follow all lawful raffle conduct requirements plus any health advisory requirements.

 

If delaying drawing or any other gambling activity date or moving drawing location, publicize the delayed date or changed location so people who have purchased raffle tickets understand the reason for the delay.  Please email your Licensing Specialist with your permit number, location, and original date of your postponed activity.  Once the information is complete on when and where your event will take place, send the new information to your Licensing Specialist.

 

If you intend to cancel a raffle, your organization will need to return any money received from sales of raffle tickets.

 

• Paper pull-tabs:  Invoices must be accompanied with each pull-tab game at a storage location.  Unopened games may be able to be returned to the distributor.

 

• Pull-tab dispensing devices:  Games must be removed and closed.  Turn off and secure the device.  The device may be stored onsite.

 

• Bingo:  Permanent equipment may be secured on site.  You may be able to return unopened case paper to your distributor.  Invoices must be accompanied with each bingo pack at any storage location.

 

• Paddlewheels:  Permanent equipment may be secured on site.  Paddletickets should be removed and stored in a secure location.  Unopened games may be able to be returned to distributor.  Invoices must be accompanied with each unopened paddleticket pack at storage location.

 

Additional Requirements for Leased Premises

• Remove all games (played and unplayed games, bingo paper, paddletickets, etc.) from the leased premises and securely store them so that they are in your organization’s possession.  Do not leave any tickets, games, or cash at the site.

 

• Conduct an inventory of all your permanent gambling equipment (paddlewheels, bingo ball selection devices, etc.).  Upon reopening of the site, take another inventory to compare to the one that was taken when the site was closed to make sure all inventory is accounted for.

 

Canceling an Organization Monthly Meeting

If your organization’s monthly member meeting is postponed or canceled, the Gambling Control Board will give organizations a one-month waiver on requiring expenditures to be pre-approved by your membership at a regular monthly meeting.  Instead, your organization’s CEO and gambling manager can approve any necessary expenditures for the upcoming month without prior membership approval.  Then, the next month the membership can approve those expenditures retroactively.

 

In the meantime, if possible, your organization should make the gambling report available to members electronically rather than presented at a meeting.

 

April Gambling Manager Seminar

The Gambling Manager Seminar scheduled for April 8-9 has been canceled.  Gambling managers who need to attend the April seminar to obtain or retain their gambling manager’s license should contact their Licensing Specialist for additional information.

 

Paying Employees During Shutdown

If your organization decides to pay its gambling employees some or all of their regular wages--in line with historic compensation--while gambling activity is shut down, this compensation would be considered an allowable expense.

 

Another option during the lawful gambling activity shutdown is to have your employees do other gambling-related projects.  For example, previously closed games could be re-audited for accuracy, storage areas could be cleaned out, and new house rules signs made.