Changes to Rochester gambling ordinance - KXLT - Fox 47 Rochester MN News, Weather and Sports

ROCHESTER, Minn. (FOX 47) -- The Rochester City Council met to discuss changes to the charitable gambling ordinance.

Council members discussed defining where charitable gambling organizations need to spend 95 percent of their income and raising the fee of a gambling license.

The trade area would include all of Rochester and other cities or townships nearby, including Byron and parts of Stewartville.

However, some license holders expressed concern that these restrictions could limit what they do.

For example, members of the Hiawatha Sno-Seekers Snowmobile Club said they cannot buy their grooming equipment in the Rochester area, so that would mean they wouldn't meet the 95 percent requirement.

The council said it would build in language to allow for these kinds of exceptions.

The city council also discussed raising the licensing fee for charitable gambling from $250 to $500, and some smaller groups expressed concern that would impact their giving.

However, the city council also discussed using a system of in house auditing that would not require raising the fee.