Connecticut Statewide Rule

Connecticut Charitable Gaming Permits Run Through the Town

Significant RestrictionsApplies statewide across Connecticut (2026)

Key Facts

Bingo authorization: Requires a 5% elector petition and town vote
Bazaar/raffle default: Legal statewide since Oct. 2023 unless town opts out
Permitting authority: Municipal official: the police chief or town CEO
Bingo prize cap: $250 standard; up to $2,500/day under exceptions
Raffle permit classes: Seven classes; prizes range $100 to $100,000
DCP's role: Registers bingo/pull-tab product manufacturers and dealers only
Unpermitted bingo penalty: Class D misdemeanor under Sec. 7-169(j)

Last verified: August 21, 2026

Summary

Connecticut's charitable gaming law splits by game type: bingo needs an affirmative town vote before any organization can apply for a permit, while bazaars and raffles have been legal statewide by default since October 2023 unless a town opts out. Either way, the police chief, not a state agency, issues the permit, sets the fee, and can suspend it.

Upon a written petition of five per cent or more of the electors of any municipality requesting the selectmen, common council or other governing body of such municipality to vote upon the question of permitting the playing of bingo within such municipality, such governing body shall vote upon such question and, if the vote is in the affirmative, it shall be permitted, subject to the restrictions herein set forth, and if the vote is in the negative, bingo games shall not be permitted to be played in such municipality. When the selectmen, common council or other governing body of any municipality have voted favorably upon the question of permitting the playing of bingo games within such municipality, the playing of bingo games shall be permitted in such municipality indefinitely thereafter, without further petition or action by such governing body, unless such governing body has forbidden the playing of bingo games upon a similar written petition of five per cent or more of the electors of such municipality, whereupon bingo games shall not be permitted to be played after such negative vote.

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Full Breakdown

Chapter 98 of Title 7, the Municipal Powers title, splits charitable gaming into two statutory tracks with opposite defaults. Bingo (Sec. 7-169 through Sec. 7-169i) is opt-in: a municipality only allows bingo after five percent of its electors petition for a vote and the town's governing body votes yes, per Sec. 7-169(b). Once a town votes yes, bingo stays legal indefinitely unless a later petition forces a reversing vote. Only charitable, civic, educational, fraternal, veterans', or religious organizations, volunteer fire departments, or granges that have existed at least two years can sponsor a game, per Sec. 7-169(c). The "municipal official", the police chief, or the town's chief executive where there's no police department, issues Class A (weekly), Class B (up to ten days), or Class C (monthly) permits, caps games at 15-40 per session, caps prizes at $250 (with narrow exceptions up to $2,500/day), and collects a 5% fee on net receipts for the town treasury, per Sec. 7-169(e) through (i).

Bazaars and raffles (Sec. 7-170 through Sec. 7-186) flipped from opt-in to opt-out on October 1, 2023, under Public Act 23-98: every town, city, and borough is now deemed to have adopted the law automatically, and must instead petition and vote to opt out under Sec. 7-171(b). Sponsoring organizations apply to the same municipal official for one of seven permit classes (Sec. 7-175), with raffle prize caps ranging from $100 (Class No. 4) to $100,000 (Class No. 6) and consummation windows from one month to fifteen months.

The Department of Consumer Protection's role is narrower than the name suggests: since a 2017 reform (P.A. 17-231) moved event permitting to municipal officials, DCP now only registers bingo-product manufacturers and equipment dealers ($2,500/year, Sec. 7-169d) and licenses sealed-ticket ("pull-tab") manufacturers and distributors ($2,500-$5,000/year, Sec. 7-169h), supply-chain oversight, not the local permit itself.

Violations & Penalties

Promoting or operating bingo without the required permit, or otherwise violating Sec. 7-169 or Sec. 7-169a, is a class D misdemeanor, and a revoked permit can't be reissued to the same holder for one year (Sec. 7-169(j)). The municipal official can suspend or revoke a permit after investigating a violation or a false statement on an application, with appeal to Superior Court. Sealed-ticket manufacturers, distributors, or permittees who violate DCP rules face a civil penalty of up to $500 per violation plus suspension (Sec. 7-169h(n)).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every town in Connecticut allow bingo?

No. Under Sec. 7-169(b), a town only permits bingo after five percent of its electors petition for a vote and the town's governing body votes in favor. Once approved, bingo stays legal indefinitely unless a later petition forces a vote to reverse it, so coverage varies town by town, and there's no statewide default.

Who issues a bingo or raffle permit in Connecticut?

The "municipal official" does: the police chief, or the town's chief executive officer where there's no police department (Sec. 7-169(a), Sec. 7-173(a)). The Department of Consumer Protection doesn't issue these permits; its role is limited to registering bingo-product manufacturers, equipment dealers, and sealed-ticket vendors.

What changed for bazaars and raffles in 2023?

Public Act 23-98 flipped the default. Before October 1, 2023, a town had to affirmatively adopt Sec. 7-170 through Sec. 7-186 by ordinance or vote before bazaars and raffles were legal there. Since that date, every town, city, and borough is deemed to have adopted the law automatically; a town must instead petition and vote to opt out under Sec. 7-171(b).

How big can a charitable raffle prize be in Connecticut?

It depends on the permit class issued under Sec. 7-175. A Class No. 4 permit caps the prize at $100 and must be consummated within a month; a Class No. 6 permit allows up to $100,000 with a full year to consummate. Organizations can hold several permits in a calendar year, but the statute limits how many of each class.

Sources

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