Georgia Charitable Bingo and Raffle Licensing Law

Georgia bans commercial gambling but carves out two narrow exceptions for nonprofits: raffles under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-22.1 and bingo under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-50 et seq., administered by two different regulators.

Raffles are licensed by the sheriff of the county where the organization operates. Only churches, schools, civic groups, 501(c) nonprofits, or organizations the sheriff separately approves as bona fide nonprofits qualify. The statute defines a raffle broadly, covering any scheme distributing prizes by chance for paid or promised consideration, including door prizes at events where admission doesn't exceed the normal cost. An organization applies on the sheriff's prescribed forms and pays a $100 annual fee, which the sheriff may waive on request. Sheriffs may adopt their own implementing rules as long as they don't conflict with the statute.

Bingo is licensed instead by the Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, administered day-to-day through the Secretary of State's Charity Bingo Division (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Ch. 92-2). Applicants need 24 months of continuous IRS 501(c) status, a Georgia Department of Revenue exemption letter, fingerprint background checks on every officer and worker, and a $100 annual license fee. Once licensed, an organization may run only one bingo session per day, capped at five hours, and cash and gift prizes may not exceed $1,500 per day or $3,000 per week. Bingo workers can be paid no more than $50 per day, and no one under 18 may play unaccompanied or help run a game. Two licensees can't jointly operate or share a premises within any 18-hour window. Records of receipts, expenses, and winners of $50 or more must be kept for three years and posted for six sessions.

Operating either game without the required license is prosecuted as commercial gambling under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-22, Georgia's general anti-gambling statute.

Running a raffle or bingo game without the sheriff's or GBI's license is charged as commercial gambling under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-22, a felony on a repeat offense, punishable by one to five years in prison, a fine up to $10,000, or both. A first raffle violation of any other part of § 16-12-22.1 is a high-and-aggravated misdemeanor. Bingo licenses can be suspended or revoked by the GBI Director for rule violations, with a 12-month bar on reapplying after revocation.