Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to amend the Minnesota Statutes related to lawful gambling by providing clearer guidelines for organizations when filing fund loss requests due to theft. It aims to define the conditions under which a fund loss request can be denied or approved by the related board.

Main Provisions and Objectives

• Approval of Fund Loss Requests: The bill specifies that the board responsible for overseeing lawful gambling should not deny a fund loss request if:

  1. The loss is due to theft of cash, inventory, or prizes.
  2. The organization reports the theft promptly to local law enforcement.
  3. The organization submits a timely fund loss request following the appropriate Minnesota Rules.

• Denial Conditions: Despite the above, the board may deny a fund loss request if the organization has filed two or more such requests in the past 12 months, and the denial is based on criteria specified in existing rules.

• Notification of Denial: If a request is denied, the board must provide a written statement to the organization with reasons for the denial and suggest actions to prevent future losses.

• Prohibition on Reimbursement Requirement: If a fund loss request is denied, the board cannot require the organization to reimburse its gambling account from nongambling funds if the loss was due to theft.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This bill adds a new subdivision to the Minnesota Statutes section 349.19, focusing on the procedures and requirements for handling fund loss requests due to theft, clarifying when these requests can be denied, and ensuring organizations are not unfairly burdened when such losses occur.

Relevant Terms

lawful gambling, fund loss request, theft, Minnesota Statutes, board, inventory, prizes, nonprofit organization, reimbursement, Minnesota Rules.