January 6, 2021

Resuming the Conduct of Lawful Gambling at Sites Now Open for Indoor On-site Eating and Drinking

 

In accordance with Executive Order 21-01, effective Monday, January 11 at 12:00 AM, the following restrictions affect lawful gambling above and beyond those restrictions in existing statute, executive order, and rule:

 

1. Business Hours – Lawful gambling may be conducted until 10:00 p.m. each day;
2. Capacity – In places of public accommodation (including bars, restaurants, and bingo halls), capacity is limited to 50% of the location’s normal capacity limits;
3. These lawful gambling activities must be conducted in compliance with all applicable statutes, executive orders and rules, as well as Minnesota Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

 

Restart Checklist

Gambling managers are encouraged to use the Gambling Control Board’s “Checklist for Lawful Gambling Restart” as a to-do list for restarting lawful gambling activity at their sites.

 

Paused Games

In conformance with Executive Order 21-01 organizations, on January 11, 2021 organizations may resume play of games that were “paused” when Executive Order 20-99 went into effect on November 20, 2020.

 

Restarting Paused Paper Pull-tab Games

To resume play of a paused paper pull-tab game:

1. Paused games may only be placed back into play at the site where they were originally in play.
2. Audit the game (count the unsold and winning tickets).  The results of your audit should be identical to the game audit that was conducted when the game was paused.  If the amounts of your current game audit vary from the amounts of the November audit, close the game and report the results on your January monthly reports.
3. Withdraw the game’s starting cash bank amount from your gambling bank account and place it in the game’s cash drawer at your site.
4. When the game’s cash proceeds and starting cash bank were deposited into the gambling account in November, the amount taken for deposit should have been recorded in the “Funds added/removed” column of the game’s LG861 tracking form.  The “$ Cash out” column should then have been recorded as “$0”.  When placing money back into the game’s cash drawer, enter the amount added in the “Funds added/removed” and the “$ Cash out” columns.

 

Restarting Paused Electronic Pull-tab Games

1. Coordinate with the electronic-game distributor to resume play of paused electronic pull-tab games.
2. In November, the amount taken for deposit should have been recorded on the LG861e in Column G (“Amount removed from cash drawer for deposit”). Double-check the LG861e form for November 2020 to ensure that it was completed correctly.
3. Start a new LG861e form for January 2021.  Once the electronic game starting cash back has been placed into the cash drawer, enter that amount in Column B (“Amount in cash drawer at start of business day”).