Blaine City Council Narrowly Approves Premise Permit for Community Charities

Blaine City Council Narrowly Approves Premise Permit for Community Charities

Blaine, MN – June 7, 2025 – The Blaine City Council recently granted a premise permit for lawful gambling activity to Community Charities of Minnesota, allowing the organization to operate at the X-Golf location at 298 Northtown Drive NE. While the approval signifies a new avenue for the charity to raise funds, the decision was reportedly a close one, reflecting ongoing discussions within the council regarding lawful gambling operations in the city.

The resolution to approve the premise permit for Community Charities of Minnesota was listed on the City Council agenda, under lawful gambling and additional regulations. Such permits are necessary for organizations to conduct activities like pull-tabs, bingo, or raffles, which are often utilized by non-profits to support their community initiatives.

While the specific details of the "narrow" approval or the dissenting votes were not immediately available in general public releases, city council agendas often include such resolutions on their consent agenda, meaning they are typically approved without separate discussion unless a council member requests it. The fact that it was described as "narrowly approved" suggests that the item was likely pulled from the consent agenda for individual consideration and faced some opposition.

Community Charities of Minnesota, like other charitable organizations, leverages lawful gambling to generate revenue for its programs. The X-Golf location provides a new venue for these activities within Blaine.

This approval comes amidst the city's existing regulations concerning lawful gambling. Blaine's municipal code includes provisions regarding organizations' ability to maintain lawful gambling locations, generally limiting them to four locations at one time, with exceptions for organizations operating at more locations prior to January 1, 2004, provided they comply with state and local laws. Furthermore, specific types of premises are permitted for lawful gambling, typically churches, fraternal, veterans, or other non-profit organizations.

The Blaine City Council regularly reviews and approves such permits as part of its oversight of lawful gambling within city limits, ensuring compliance with both state statutes and local ordinances. The close vote on this particular permit highlights the careful consideration given to such approvals and the balancing act between supporting charitable endeavors and managing the implications of gambling activities in the community.

MinneapoliMedia