Other Fundraising Options

There are plenty of fundraising options that don't involve gambling. Popular choices include auctions and skill-based competitions (like dart tournaments or "shoot the puck" contests). However, if your nonprofit organization is exploring alternatives to gambling fundraisers, be careful not to accidentally pursue activities that are, in fact, classified as gambling. If you do, you'll need to follow all gambling regulations.

What Counts as Gambling?
In Minnesota, an activity is gambling if it has all three of these elements:

1. Consideration: participants must pay or do something of value to enter
2. Chance: the outcome is determined in a random fashion
3. Prize: there's an opportunity to win something of value

In simple terms: If you pay for a random chance to win a prize, it's gambling.

What Gambling Activities Are Allowed for Fundraisers?
Oganizations are limited to these five gambling activities:

1. Pull-tabs
2. Raffles
3. Bingo
4. Tipboards
5. Paddlewheels

Conclusion
If your activity includes all three gambling elements but isn't one of the five listed games, it's likely NOT permitted.

Have More Questions?
If you have any questions about whether your fundraising activity qualifies as gambling, please contact us for clarification.