A
Aces high
A pull tab game format where the ace is the highest-value symbol. Common in games styled around playing cards.
B
Bar box
Also called: jar box, pull tab box
The clear plastic display case on the bar top that holds a pull tab deal. Players pull tabs directly from the box after paying the bartender.
Booth
A dedicated pull tab sales area, typically staffed by a booth attendant. Common at VFW halls, American Legion posts, and larger venues. Distinguished from bar-sold tabs where the bartender handles sales.
C
Charitable gambling
Regulated gambling where proceeds go to a licensed nonprofit organization. Pull tabs, bingo, raffles, tipboards, and paddlewheels all qualify as charitable gambling in Minnesota and other states.
Charitable gambling license
A permit issued by a state gambling control board (like the Minnesota Gambling Control Board) that allows a nonprofit organization to conduct charitable gambling at licensed sites.
Consolation prize
A small prize awarded for a specific losing combination. Some deals include consolation prizes for near-misses like three matching symbols with no fourth match.
D
Deal
A complete set of pull tabs sold together as one game. A deal has a fixed number of tabs, a fixed price per tab, and a predetermined prize structure shown on the flare.
Dispenser
An electronic or manual machine that dispenses paper pull tabs. Not to be confused with an e-tab machine, which plays electronic pull tabs digitally.
E
E-tab
Also called: electronic pull tab
Electronic pull tab. A digital version of paper pull tabs played on a tablet-like device. E-tabs are legal in Minnesota bars and clubs licensed for electronic gambling. Each e-tab game has a fixed outcome pool just like a paper deal.
F
Flare
The colorful printed sign posted next to a pull tab deal that shows every prize tier, the number of winning tickets at each tier, the total number of tabs in the deal, and the cost per tab. The flare is the source of truth for a deals payout math.
G
Gambling manager
A licensed individual designated by a nonprofit to oversee its charitable gambling operations. Every licensed charity must have a gambling manager on record with the state.
Gross receipts
Total revenue collected from a pull tab deal before any prizes are paid out. Used to calculate payout percentage.
H
Hot box
A pull tab deal that many players believe is due to hit or has recently paid out well. Often marked as such at the bar. There is no mathematical reason a hot box would be more likely to pay soon.
J
Jar
A pull tab deal, or the physical container holding one. The term jar dates back to when deals were sold from large glass jars on the bar. See also: pickle jar.
Jar deal
A complete pull tab deal sold from a jar or bar box. Often used interchangeably with deal.
L
Last sale
The final tab sold in a deal. Some players believe last sales are more likely to be winners because the top prizes have not yet been claimed, but the math depends on which tabs remain unsold.
Line game
A pull tab format where winners are determined by matching symbols along a line (top row, middle, bottom, or diagonal). Similar visually to a slot machine payline.
M
Meat raffle
A Minnesota bar tradition where players buy tickets for a chance to win packages of meat. Technically a raffle, not pull tabs, but common at the same venues.
Minnesota Gambling Control Board
Also called: MN GCB
The state agency that regulates charitable gambling in Minnesota, including pull tabs, bingo, e-tabs, raffles, tipboards, and paddlewheels.
N
Net receipts
Gross receipts minus prizes paid out. The remainder is what the licensed nonprofit keeps to fund operations and its charitable mission.
O
Odds
The probability of winning any prize on a single pull tab. Odds are calculated from the number of winning tabs divided by the total tabs in the deal. Not to be confused with payout percentage.
P
Paper pull tab
A traditional printed pull tab ticket. Contrasts with e-tabs, which are digital.
Payout percentage
The share of total revenue from a deal that goes back to players as prizes. Calculated as total prize payout divided by gross receipts. Minnesota requires charities to average at least 75% payout across all deals.
Pickle jar
Another name for a pull tab jar or bar box, especially the large clear container that holds the deal. Originally referred to actual repurposed pickle jars.
Pull tab
Also called: break-open ticket, nevada ticket
A paper ticket with perforated tabs covering hidden symbols. Players tear open the tabs to reveal whether they have won. Also called a break-open ticket in some jurisdictions.
R
Rip
To open a pull tab. Also used as a noun: a rip is the act of playing a tab. Common phrasing: rippin tabs.
S
Seal card
A separate card, sealed until claimed, that reveals an additional prize when a player pulls a specific winning tab. Not all deals have seal cards.
Seal game
A pull tab deal that includes a seal card component, adding a bonus prize layer to the base deal.
Serial number
The unique identifier printed on every pull tab deal by the manufacturer. Used by regulators to track deals and by charities to verify authenticity.
Site
A location licensed by the state where a nonprofit conducts charitable gambling. Bars, VFW halls, and Legion posts are all common gambling sites.
T
Tabs remaining
The number of unsold tabs left in a deal. Some players watch for deals with a high number of remaining top prizes and few tabs left, since the odds of hitting shift as tabs are sold.
Ticket
Another name for a pull tab. Interchangeable in most conversation.
Tipboard
A charitable gambling format where players buy numbered tickets and the winning numbers are revealed on a posted board. Legal in Minnesota alongside pull tabs.
Top prize
The largest prize available in a pull tab deal. Shown at the top of the flare with the number of top-prize winners in the deal.
V
Verified
On FindPullTabs, a venue that has been claimed and confirmed by its owner or gambling manager. Verified venues show a green badge on their listing.
VFW
Veterans of Foreign Wars. VFW posts commonly run pull tabs and other charitable gambling to fund veterans services and community programs. Open to the public at most posts, not just members.