Wisconsin has myriad wacky and hypocritical laws when it comes to drinking and bars. The restriction of buying alcohol in most places after 9 p.m. – despite the constant cultural message for Wisconsinites to imbibe heavily – immediately comes to mind. 

But there are plenty of other wonky rules lurking on the Badger State's "books," including the legality to sell pull tabs in bars. 

Pull tabs are kind of an “if you know, you know” aspect of tavern culture. I went to bars and corner taps for years before I bought my first pull tab, but occasionally noticed it was a ritual for some customers and as much a part of the bar experience as playing the jukebox or getting a shot for an acquaintance sitting three stools away.

Backing up, pull tabs are cousins to the scratch-off card, but instead of scratching off silver ink, players peel back perforated tabs to reveal symbols that determine if they are winners. Pull tabs are sold from freestanding kiosks and usually cost $1 each. 

Like scratch-off cards, pull tab winnings aren’t “quit your job asap” amounts of cash. The most one can win with pull tabs is $500 or $250, depending on the game. It's enough to buy a round of drinks for your friends – possibly even to “spin the bar” – and still have cash left over to throw at something frivolous.

At the same time, Wisconsin has strict rules when it comes to gambling. The laws says “any activity that involves the elements of payment, prize and chance is gambling and illegal unless authorized by Wisconsin Law.” Pull-tabs fall into this category, so how are they legally sold in bars when other lottery-type games are not?

This is where the genius of Wisconsin Souvenir Milkcaps comes in, the company that distributes pull tabs to bars in our state. They found a way around the law by creating pull tabs that have pop-out, collectible discs called “milkcaps” that are similar to the 90s-popular pogs. Thus, they can claim that people are buying pull tabs for game pieces which may or may not have a prize attached to them.

Robin Koutecky owns Clementine’s Tavern in Bay View and says she sells about 1,500 pull tabs a week. There are 3,000 pull tabs in every box which she buys for about $730. After the payout of winners, she still nets about $1,000 profit per box.

“But by law, I can only buy the pull tabs from Wisconsin Souvenir Milkcaps,” says Koutecky. “Other companies sell them, but they are not legal.”

There are other stipulations that hinge on the legality of pull tabs in Wisconsin bars. In addition to the collectible value of the pog-like milkcaps, players don’t actually have to pay to play. Anyone can mail in this form to the company and receive a game piece. Plus, winners can mail in the same form with the chance to win again.

Although pull tabs are a bar game that's played almost entirely in the Midwest, Wisconsin does not top the list of pull tab-playing states. That honor, according to The National Association Of Fundraising Ticket Manufacturers (NAFTM) records, goes to Minnesota.

So why are pull tabs so popular? There’s definitely the low-key thrill aspect – it's a few seconds of hope and excitement in a sometimes dull world. Plus, it only costs a buck to play.

“People love them because they are literally cardboard crack," says Koutecky. "They're cheap and fun and mandatory for some when they're in a bar that sells them."

Indeed pull tabs can lead to addictive behavior, but chances are it's not a behavior that a person's gonna lose the farm over. It's a small risk with the possibility of a small – but momentarily impactful – reward. And that's as good as it gets sometimes.