Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Stadium Watch Blog
Tim Nelson

Chart: E-pulltab gambling device profits compared

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Win Machine - Express Games

Sales of electronic pulltab gambling devices haven't been measuring up to the state's expectations, but some are a lot closer than others.

The games from Las Vegas-based Acres 4.0 have significantly outperformed other systems, according to data from the Minnesota Gambling Control Board.

With the largest share the market in terms of the number of devices (48 percent), Acres and its distributor, Express Games, have been responsible for more than 85 percent of the most recent month's revenue. That includes a $31,000 day at Mully's on Madison, on March 23rd.

Jon Weaver, founder of Minneapolis-based Express Games, credits attention to the real-time data provided by the games.

jon.weaver2

"We watch our data and we watch our sales numbers as they come in on games. We try to understand what people like. We go out, we interview players, we interview operators as it relates to the games, try to figure out what people like. Once again, it's a brand new market, we're six, seven months into it now, so we're still in that phase that we're understanding where the players want us to be with the games."

The smallest distributor on the market, M Peters Enterprises, has been running a distant second in terms of machine vs. machine performance. They were also hurt by one notable day: Easter Sunday the M Peters 84 machines took just $3 in bets, according to the Gambling Control Board, and paid out $25 in prizes for a record 833% payback for the day. (M Peters did not return a call about their games.)

Here's a look at the breakdown of most of the games operating in Minnesota in March. Figures reflect average daily totals, and are derived from data from the Minnesota Gambling Control Board. (A fourth distributor, Twin Cities Gaming Supplies, had only one site operating for four days, and was not included in this chart.)