Minnesotans plunked down more than a billion dollars for charitable gambling during the last fiscal year, according to the annual report released this week by the Minnesota Gambling Control Board.
The pulltab and bingo games, long enjoyed by Minnesotans at area bars and restaurants, have taken on new importance since the state has promised that taxes from pulltabs and bingo will pay the state's $350 million share of the new Vikings stadium.
The figures were tallied before the recent arrival of electronic pulltab games, which will be the source of stadium funding. But they show that gambling is on the upswing in the state. Here's a look at the numbers from the report.
$1.06 billion
Gross charitable gambling receipts during the year ending June 30, 2012. It's the biggest number since 2009.
7.3 percent
The increase in gambling from the previous year.
$41.4 million
