Bingo Gambling Laws

• Most gambling laws apply to bingo.Bingo image by John Sandoy from Fotolia.com
  
  Laws governing bingo in the U.S. vary dramatically in different states. Playing bingo with money at stake is legal in most, but not all, states. In certain states, it is legal to play bingo in person but illegal to play bingo online. There are also laws governing financial transactions with online gambling sites; it is illegal for American banks to carry out financial transactions with gambling websites, and this includes bingo websites. In some states where it is illegal to host bingo games for personal financial gain, it is legal to host bingo games for charitable purposes.
  
  

Illegality

• There are eleven states in which it is illegal to do any form of gambling online: Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. This applies to bingo. Anyone within these states who plays bingo online is breaking the law. In every other state in the U.S., it is legal both to play bingo in person and to play bingo online, providing no other laws are broken.
  
  

Financial Transactions

• In 2006, Congress amended the "Safe Port Act," making all transactions between gambling websites and financial institutions or banks illegal. However, this act does not make it illegal for individuals to put money into a gambling account on a website or to make wagers on websites. An individual can do this without breaking the law, but banks can ban their clients from sending transactions to online gambling sites. The act only applies to banks or financial institutions in the United States. The Safe Port Act has caused some bingo websites to no longer accept players within the U.S.; however, other sites have found ways to carry out financial transactions with U.S. players while still remaining legal.
  
  

Charitable Bingo

• Some states that ban bingo both online and in person, such as Florida, make exceptions for bingo that is played to raise money for charity. Charitable bingo games must be hosted by a charitable, veterans' or nonprofit organization, provided the organization has existed for three years or more and is exempt from federal income taxes under either sections 501(c) or 528 of the Internal Revenue Code. The money raised during such games must be used for civic, charitable, benevolent, religious or scholastic purposes. There are laws governing the size of the jackpot, the distribution of prize money and the number of games, and these vary from state to state. Charitable bingo is not legal in all states.