Welcome to MNCharitableGambling.com

November 13, 2010

I’m very excited to be introducing MNCharitableGambling.com and the Charitable Gambling Manager application to the charities of Minnesota. I became involved in charitable gambling a little over 4 years as an assistant gambling manager and became a gambling manager a little over 3 years ago. From my first couple months on the job, I thought, “Holy cow, this stuff shouldn’t be so hard. There’s got to be a better way!” This website and this application have been in the works ever since — because I believe there is a better way.

Whether it’s selling, tracking, or auditing pull-tab deals; receiving, verifying, or reporting inventory; entering, tracking, or compiling employee hours; or just tracking down a form, an address, or an answer to a question — it has always been a frustrating challenge. It usually involves a lot of paper, a lot of calculations done by hand, a lot of head-scratching, often some errors, and always more time than necessary.

I’d like to do my part to change all that. Information should be all in one place, up-to-date, and easy to find. Organizations should be able to put their heads together and share what does and does not work for them. Most importantly, an organization’s data should be compiled, stored, secured, sorted, visible, accessible, and reportable in an easy, intuitive, useful way.

When I’m not working for the fire department or managing our charitable gambling operations, I’m developing state-of-the art web applications for companies big and small. I decided it was time to put my professional expertise to work to help bring the charitable gambling industry in Minnesota up to the state-of-the art. MNCharitableGambling.com and the Charitable Gambling Manager web application were designed to do just that.

Check them out. Stop back often. Make this your community. Share your expertise. The charitable gambling industry is facing grave challenges from all directions. Together we can learn some new tricks, forge ahead, and pull through.

Finally, don’t hesitate to share your comments, questions, or suggestions with me. I’d love to hear them so that I can improve the website and the application so that you have all the information and tools you need to succeed.

Thanks and enjoy!
Mike

2 Responses to “Welcome to MNCharitableGambling.com”

  1. I am seeking directions on regulations for spending Charitable Gambling funds that have been given to our non profit club by a non profit that runs pull tab operation.

  2. Hello Joan,

    As we are not a government agency, we cannot answer specific questions regarding the distribution of charitable gambling funds.

    I would refer you to the Minnesota Gambling Control Board, who are always very helpful in answering these sorts of questions. You can visit their website here:

    http://www.gcb.state.mn.us

    Or give them a call at (651) 639-4000.

    Also, you may want to take a look at Chapter 12 of the Lawful Gambling Manual, which deals with “Lawful Purpose Expenditures” — that is, spending charitable gambling funds. You can view that chapter on the Gambling Control Board’s website here (PDF):

    http://www.gcb.state.mn.us/PDF_Files/LGM%20Chapt%2012%20Lawful%20Purpose.pdf

    I hope this helps you find the answers you need!

    Mike