District of Columbia Statewide Rule

DC Charitable Gaming: Bingo, Raffle & Monte Carlo Licenses

Significant RestrictionsApplies statewide across District of Columbia (2026)

Key Facts

Licensing agency: DC Office of Lottery and Gaming
Governing law: D.C. Code §§ 36-601.22 through 36-601.36
Minimum membership: 20 members in good standing
Minimum org age: 1 year of active operation before applying
Max penalty: $1,000 fine, 6 months jail, or both
MD/VA raffle sales: Require 30% of proceeds benefit D.C.
Commercial bingo: Alcohol retailers only, not before Oct. 1, 2025

Last verified: August 21, 2026

Summary

District of Columbia law bars any bingo game, raffle, or Monte Carlo night party without a license from the Office of Lottery and Gaming under D.C. Code § 36-601.23. Only nonprofits incorporated in D.C., with at least 20 members and one year of active operation, qualify. Aiding an unlicensed game carries a fine up to $1,000 or six months in jail, or both, under § 36-601.32.

No person, firm, partnership, association, organization, or corporation shall sponsor, conduct, or hold a bingo game, raffle, or Monte Carlo night party in the District of Columbia without a license issued by the Office. The Office may issue a license under this section to a person, firm, partnership, association, organization, or corporation engaged in or existing for charitable, benevolent, eleemosynary, humane, religious, philanthropic, recreational, social, educational, civic, fraternal, or other nonprofit purposes that conducts an activity to which contributions are deductible for federal or municipal income tax purposes if the applicant: ... Has at least 20 members in good standing, if an association or organization; ... Has been in existence for not less than 1 year immediately preceding application for a license, during which time the applicant's membership actively engaged in furthering the lawful purpose authorized by its constitution, articles, charter, or bylaws.

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Full Breakdown

The Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG), housed within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, is the sole licensing authority for bingo, raffles, and Monte Carlo night parties in the District. C. 23(a) makes it unlawful for any "person, firm, partnership, association, organization, or corporation" to sponsor, conduct, or hold any of these games without an OLG-issued license. as not-for-profit corporations under Chapter 4 of Title 29, holding at least 20 members in good standing if organized as an association, operating without profit to members, directing no net earnings to any private individual, and existing for at least one year immediately before applying, during which the membership actively pursued the group's stated lawful purpose.

C. program, and the same amendment bars OLG from issuing a commercial bingo license, limited to alcohol retailers, before October 1, 2025. 22a separately governs Monte Carlo night parties. 25 requires every licensed operator to designate an individual responsible for the proper use of gross receipts and post a financial responsibility bond, with per-occasion and annual fee amounts set by the Chief Financial Officer rather than fixed in the statute. 31 for rule violations. C. C. Law 26-55 in December 2025.

Violations & Penalties

Sponsoring or aiding an unlicensed bingo game, raffle, or Monte Carlo night party violates D.C. Code § 36-601.32. A conviction carries a fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to 6 months, or both; the Office of Lottery and Gaming may instead pursue a civil fine under Title 2, Chapter 18's administrative process. OLG can also suspend or revoke an existing license under § 36-601.31 for rule violations, cutting off a nonprofit's fundraising authority mid-license-term.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a license to run a bingo night in DC?

Yes. D.C. Code § 36-601.23(a) prohibits any person, firm, or organization from sponsoring, conducting, or holding a bingo game, raffle, or Monte Carlo night party without a license from the Office of Lottery and Gaming. This applies even to a one-time charity fundraiser: the statute carries no small-event or informal-gathering exemption.

Who qualifies for a DC charitable gaming license?

Only nonprofits incorporated in D.C. as not-for-profit corporations under Title 29, Chapter 4. Associations need at least 20 members in good standing, must operate without profit to members, and must have existed at least one year with an actively engaged membership before applying, per § 36-601.23(b).

Can a Maryland or Virginia nonprofit sell raffle tickets in DC?

Yes, if it meets D.C.'s comparable nonprofit standards and directs at least 30% of net raffle proceeds to a D.C.-licensed organization or D.C. program, under subsection (b-1), added by D.C. Law 26-55. Without meeting that proceeds threshold, an out-of-jurisdiction nonprofit cannot sell tickets in the District.

What happens if I run bingo without a license?

Aiding or conducting an unlicensed bingo game, raffle, or Monte Carlo night party is a criminal violation of § 36-601.32, punishable by a fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to 6 months, or both. The Office of Lottery and Gaming may instead pursue a civil fine under the District's Title 2, Chapter 18 administrative process.

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