Authorizing Legislation

Gaming Studio regulated innovative wheel games for wagering

  Minnesota

 

In 2012, Minnesota authorized electronic simulated wheels.  That aimed to resolve issues with spin-bias caused by natural balance related anomalies, including variations in humidity in bars it also would solve the inadvertent and, possibly, intentional human spin bias ("pitching").  Additionally, the cost of using paper tickets with each and every wager, as required without this legislative fix, is so high that it is difficult for organizations to bear that electronic wheels become too expensive.  With an alternative method of wagering that is more efficient and less expensive, the electronic wheels will be part of the solution and the only table game in Minnesota Lawful Gambling (the most social of games allowed in the charitable gaming taverns) will have a market large enough to justify development costs.

Paddle Wheel Legislation - Minnesota

 

For the 2019 and 2020 Minnesota legislative session, the bills (House and Senate were identical), and in the House, the Chief Author was Representative Ben Lien of Moorhead and in the Senate, the Chief Author was Senator Koran of North Branch.

The bills were among Allied Charities of Minnesota's priority legislation for 2019.  In 2020 the coronavirus hit making for an environment whereby only critical legislation was going to be heard and voted upon.  And, given that several legislative measures were deemed critical to the very survival or organizations engaging in charitable gaming, the paddle wheel bill was stripped and rebuilt entirely with emergency clauses.  Our bill was deemed the best vehicle for carrying the emergency legislation and we actually understood that and endorsed wiping out the paddle wheel legislation and replacing with the critically needed, must-pass, clauses.

 

Our legislation fell victim of the virus.

 

What The Bills Intended to Do

 

Essentially they were technical bills in that every other game in Lawful Gambling or Charitable Gambling in Minnesota is offered in both paper and electronic editions.  This legislation did not legalize electronic paddle wheels, the 2012 legislature already did that.

 

Therefore, it/they:

 

•  Reduced the amount of secured paper consumed (all of it imported into Minnesota) by allowing one ticket, printed on site, to contain all of a players selected wagers for each of up to ten consecutive spins, or in the case of a wheel used with a table, provides for the use of virtual tickets or chips for specific wagers - converted to a printed ticket for cashing out.  In both cases, the player must deliver a printed paper ticket to the cashier on site to collect winnings.

 

•  The value of very wager is recorded by computer, providing certain knowledge of gross wager per spin in real time.  This information is not known (for instance where every wager was placed) under the existing system.  Assurance that the wager was placed prior to the wheel being spun.

 

•  Alleviated the need to physically write payout amounts on each and every winning ticket.

 

•  Reduced the opening and closing work for organizations significantly.

 

•  All payouts are calculated by computer, reducing potential "human error."

 

•  Provided the Control Board with the explicit authority to scrutinize every element of electronic wheel games.  Currently there is no electronic wheel game review and regulatory processes.

 

•  Provided the use of symbols in addition to numerals on a wheel.  Symbols sometimes add a humorous element - like the very popular Pig Wheel™ in North Dakota.  So long as symbols are distinguishable, they should not be precluded.

 

•  Applied limits on bets and payouts to each wager made.

 

What They Did NOT DO

 

•  Allow for player activated play.  Does not allow individual player terminals.

 

•  Does not allow for remote play.  You must be at the site and pay cash.

 

•  Does not increase the speed of the game play over the existing wheels.

 

•  Does not require change if organization wishes to continue the paper games.

 

•  Does not increase the bet limit over that currently allowed for Bingo, Pulltabs and Raffles.

Other associated Websites

 

                 www.tri-wheel.com

 

                 www.pigwheel.com

 

                 wheelgames.app

 

                 www.minnesotatri-wheel.blogspot.com

 

                 www.thepigwheel.blogspot.com