Local Charitable Gambling Ordinance - Bloomington Survey

The City of Bloomington is exploring potential ordinance changes to city code regarding charitable gambling. The purpose of this survey is to gain feedback from the public to help the City understand the interest in potential ordinance changes.

Charitable gambling in Minnesota is regulated by the Minnesota Gambling Control Board and allows registered nonprofits to conduct specific gambling activities to raise funds for charitable purposes. Examples of charitable gambling activities include pulltabs, raffles, bingo, paddlewheels, and tipboards.

Cities are allowed to regulate charitable gambling more strictly than state statute.

• Bloomington City Code Chapter 12 regulates charitable gambling in the city. https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/bloomington/latest/bloomington_mn/0-0-0-94029

Currently, Bloomington City Code requires:

• Charitable gambling organizations must spend at least 60% of their lawful purpose expenditures on lawful purposes conducted or located within the trade area, which is defined as the city or any city adjacent to Bloomington.
• Charitable gambling organizations may have no more than four authorized locations within the city.
• Locations may have no more than three organizations conduct lawful gambling on their premise.

Things the city could change with an ordinance amendment:

• Increase or decrease the percent of lawful purpose expenditure requirement (in other words: the percent that the charitable gambling organization must spend within Bloomington or a city adjacent to Bloomington).
• Require charitable gambling organizations to contribute up to ten percent of net profits to a fund administered by the city either for 1) specified charitable contributions or for 2) police, fire, or other emergency or public safety related services.
• Require charitable gambling organizations to have a tie to the City of Bloomington (a “tie” would mean having a certain number of members that live here, the organization is headquartered here, or the organization is headquartered in a city adjacent to Bloomington).

Things the city cannot change:

• The trade area, defined as the city and any city adjacent to Bloomington.
• The ways in which the proceeds from the 10% net profit revenue from charitable gambling can be used by the city.

Please complete the following survey to let the city council know what changes, if any, you would like to see regarding the charitable gambling ordinance in the City of Bloomington. This survey will close on Friday, April 17.

With any questions, please contact the City of Bloomington City Clerk at 952-563-4946, jlhanson@bloomingtonmn.gov.