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Pulltabs bring in big money for some Minnesota nonprofits, but others struggle

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 8:37 PM
Image aggregated from The Minnesota Star Tribune.
  • Eleanor Hildebrandt, The Minnesota Star Tribune

Bob Luehne knocks three times on his pulltabs before he cracks them open, always starting with the strip in the middle. Sometimes, he gets lucky.

“That’s a winner,” he exclaimed, after pulling a $250 ticket at the Sports Page in Bloomington. He stops in weekly for a beer and a hamburger, a chat with friends and a stack of pulltabs, piled 20-high on the table.

Pulltabs are Minnesota tradition, gambling with a hint of benevolence because the proceeds go to charity.

And the little paper tickets — and their electronic counterparts — sold at local restaurants and watering holes across the state, are worth a fortune.