North Carolina Charitable Gaming Laws

Part 2. Bingo and Raffles.

§ 14-309.5.Bingo.

(a) The purpose of the conduct of bingo is to insure a maximum availability of the net proceeds exclusively for application to the charitable, nonprofit causes and undertakings specified herein; that the only justification for this Part is to support such charitable, nonprofit causes; and such purpose should be carried out to prevent the operation of bingo by professionals for profit, prevent commercialized gambling, prevent the disguise of bingo and other game forms or promotional schemes, prevent participation by criminal and other undesirable elements, and prevent the diversion of funds for the purpose herein authorized.

(b) It is lawful for an exempt organization to conduct bingo games in accordance with the provisions of this Part. Any licensed exempt organization who conducts a bingo game in violation of any provision of this Part shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor….

§ 14-309.6.Definitions.

For purposes of this Part, the term:

(1)”Exempt organization” means an organization that has been in continuous existence in the county of operation of the bingo game for at least one year and that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(8), 501(c)(10), 501(c)(19), or 501(d) of the Internal Revenue Code and is exempt under similar provisions of the General Statutes as a bona fide nonprofit charitable, civic, religious, fraternal, patriotic or veterans’ organization or as a nonprofit volunteer fire department, or as a nonprofit volunteer rescue squad or a bona fide homeowners’ or property owners’ association. (If the organization has local branches or chapters, the term “exempt organization” means the local branch or chapter operating the bingo game);

(2)”Bingo game” means a specific game of chance played with individual cards having numbered squares ranging from one to 75, in which prizes are awarded on the basis of designated numbers on such cards conforming to a predetermined pattern of numbers (but shall not include “instant bingo” which is a game of chance played by the selection of one or more prepackaged cards, with winners determined by the appearance of a preselected designation on the card);….

§ 14-309.7.Licensing procedure.

(a) An exempt organization may not operate a bingo game at a location without a license. Application for a bingo license shall be made to the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety on a form prescribed by the Department….

§ 14-309.8.Limit on sessions.

The number of sessions of bingo conducted or sponsored by an exempt organization shall be limited to two sessions per week and such sessions must not exceed a period of five hours each per session. No two sessions of bingo shall be held within a 48-hour period of time….

§ 14-309.9.Bingo prizes.

(a) The maximum prize in cash or merchandise that may be offered or paid for any one game of bingo is five hundred dollars ($500.00). The maximum aggregate amount of prizes, in cash and/or merchandise, that may be offered or paid at any one session of bingo is one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500). Provided, however, that if an exempt organization holds only one session of bingo during a calendar week, the maximum aggregate amount of prizes, in cash and/or merchandise, that may be offered or paid at any one session is two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500)….

§ 14-309.12.Violation is gambling.

A bingo game conducted otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of this Part is “gambling” within the meaning of G.S. 19-1 et seq., and proceedings against such bingo game may be instituted as provided for in Chapter 19 of the General Statutes….

§ 14-309.15.Raffles.

(a) It is lawful for any nonprofit organization or association, recognized by the Department of Revenue as tax-exempt pursuant to G.S. 105-130.11(a), to conduct raffles in accordance with this section. Any person who conducts a raffle in violation of any provision of this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. Upon conviction that person shall not conduct a raffle for a period of one year. It is lawful to participate in a raffle conducted pursuant to this section. It shall not constitute a violation of State law to advertise a raffle conducted in accordance with this section. A raffle conducted pursuant to this section is not “gambling”.

(b) For purposes of this section “raffle” means a game in which the prize is won by random drawing of the name or number of one or more persons purchasing chances.

(c) Raffles shall be limited to two per nonprofit organization per year.

(d) The maximum cash prize that may be offered or paid for any one raffle is ten thousand dollars ($10,000) and if merchandise is used as a prize, and it is not redeemable for cash, the maximum fair market value of that prize may be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). No real property may be offered as a prize in a raffle. The total cash prizes offered or paid by any nonprofit organization or association may not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) in any calendar year. The total fair market value of all prizes offered by any nonprofit organization or association, either in cash or in merchandise that is not redeemable for cash, may not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in any calendar year.

(e) Raffles shall not be conducted in conjunction with bingo.

(f) As used in this subsection, “net proceeds of a raffle” means the receipts less the cost of prizes awarded. No less than ninety percent (90%) of the net proceeds of a raffle shall be used by the nonprofit organization or association for charitable, religious, educational, civic, or other nonprofit purposes. None of the net proceeds of the raffle may be used to pay any person to conduct the raffle, or to rent a building where the tickets are received or sold or the drawing is conducted.

(g) Real property may be offered as a prize in a raffle. The maximum appraised value of real property that may be offered for any one raffle is five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). The total appraised value of all real estate prizes offered by any nonprofit organization or association may not exceed five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) in any calendar year.