Authorized card games expanded to include the game of hasenpfeffer.
Summary
HF357 amends Minnesota’s social skill game law to add hasenpfeffer to the list of card games that may be played in otherwise exempt tournaments or contests. Under current law, certain card-game tournaments are not prohibited by the state’s gambling statutes if they meet specified conditions; this bill simply expands the enumerated games to include hasenpfeffer alongside games such as cribbage, bridge, euchre, pinochle, gin, 500, smear, Texas hold’em, and whist.
The bill does not change the basic structure of the exemption. The tournament or contest still must not provide any direct financial benefit to the promoter or organizer, and the total value of prizes for each event remains capped at $200. The existing Texas hold’em-specific rules remain unchanged, including the prohibition on participation by minors, the ban on entry fees, the daily prize limit, and the requirement for reasonable accommodations for players with disabilities. The bill takes effect the day after final enactment.
Impact
HF357 would make a narrow amendment to Minnesota Statutes section 609.761, subdivision 3, by adding hasenpfeffer to the list of card games covered by the social skill game exemption. As a result, hasenpfeffer tournaments or contests that meet the statute’s conditions would be treated like other exempt card-game events and would not be prohibited under the referenced gambling provisions. The bill affects organizers, promoters, and participants in small-scale card-game competitions, but it does not alter prize limits, fee restrictions, or other regulatory requirements for the covered events.
Sentiment
The available record suggests little to no controversy around the bill. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided materials, and the bill’s language is limited to a single, technical expansion of an existing exemption. The overall tone implied by the bill is practical and permissive, aimed at recognizing another card game within the state’s existing framework for low-stakes social skill game tournaments.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential issues, if raised, would likely center on whether adding another game to the exemption could broaden gambling-related activity or create enforcement questions about what qualifies as hasenpfeffer. However, the bill preserves the existing safeguards—no direct financial benefit to organizers and a $200 prize cap—so any debate would likely be limited to the scope of the exemption rather than the regulatory structure itself.
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