General Tax for Vikings Stadium 'Doesn't Stand a Chance,' Atkins Says

Editor's note: House Rep. Joe Atkins replied to Patch at 9:35 p.m. Tuesday night. His comments have been included in the new version of this story.  

Inver Grove Heights representative Joe Atkins was adamant Tuesday night that using general tax dollars for a new Vikings stadium "does not stand a chance of passage in the legislature."

Atkins is the is the DFL leader of the House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee, the same committee that signed off on the stadium plan Monday evening. 

"When I talk to constituents about the proposed stadium, most seem to feel a lot like I do: if there is going to be (a stadium), those who benefit from it ought to be the ones who pay for it," Atkins told Patch via email. "That means, for example, the owners and players, the fans who go to games, and those businesses that profit from having a stadium nearby."

According to an Apr. 2 Star Tribune article, passage of a stadium bill is still a long way off, as a Senate panel has yet to approve the plan.

The article states Sunday's proposal to create funding options for the state's share of stadium costs drew criticism from all directions, including from Gov. Mark Dayton. 

"Working something out with charitable gambling organizations, that provides tax relief for the charities and some revenue for a stadium, also seems to be gaining support," Atkins said. 

But the most difficult issue appears to be a financing option allowing "tip board" betting, which, if allowed, could bring in as much as $16 million in additional annual revenue.

Put simply, a tip board is a ticket-based game in which users can buy a ticket with two numbers on it. If the numbers match the final score of the game—in the right combination—the ticket is a winner.

Several charitable organizations already sell sports-based tip boards to raise money for various causes.  

The problem, as Gov. Dayton sees it, is that tip boards violate a 1992 nationwide law barring most states from involvement in sports betting.

But King Wilson, executive director of Allied Charities of Minnesota, contradicted the Governor when he testified before the committee on Monday that tip boards do not constitute sports bookmaking.

Instead, Wilson said, tip boards are based on numerical outcomes—not winners and losers or odds—and thus do not violate the law.