What kinds of gaming activities are regulated?
Raffles, in which a chance to win is sold to participants and the winner or winners are selected from the chances actually sold, are regulated by law. Whenever money is charged for the ticket or chance, the raffle can be legally operated only by a qualified nonprofit organization. The funds received must be used only for the purposes specified in the law. If no money is charged, anyone may legally operate a raffle, and businesses often do so for promotional purposes. Consumer protection laws apply to all raffles, however. Casino or Las Vegas nights (also referred to as “bazaars”) are also regulated because they offer the opportunity to play games of chance, such as roulette, craps, blackjack and poker (including Texas Hold’em) for a prize. These gaming events may be legally operated only by a qualified nonprofit organization, and the funds must be used for specified purposes. Beano or Bingo games are regulated by the Lottery Commission. For more information, visit the Lottery Commissio
