Indiana Charity Gaming Licensing Requirement

IC 4-32.3-4-1 states plainly that "a qualified organization must obtain a license under this chapter to conduct an allowable activity" -- allowable activities being bingo, casino game nights, raffles, and the sale of pull tabs, punchboards, and tip boards. The Indiana Gaming Commission issues five license types: a single activity license for one bingo, raffle, or casino night; an annual activity license for repeat events at one location; a three-year charity gaming license; a festival license covering up to five consecutive days and multiple activity types (capped at three per organization per year); and an annual affiliate license letting a national organization's Indiana chapters gain under one umbrella. Each application must list the organization's officers, the activity type, and the proposed dates and location, plus a fee set under IC 4-32.3-6.

A qualified organization can skip licensing entirely under IC 4-32.3-4-3(a) if total prizes at a single event stay at or under $2,500, and total prizes for the calendar year stay at or under $7,500. Groups running more than one exempt event a year must send the Commission written notice at least 30 days before the first event, listing expected frequency, locations, and prize values, and must keep accurate financial records the Commission can inspect.

"Qualified organization" under IC 4-32.3-2-31 covers bona fide charitable, civic, fraternal, and veterans groups with a dissolution clause dedicating assets to their stated purpose, plus bona fide political organizations, state educational institutions, national organizations and foundations, and professional sports team foundations. The Commission can deny or refuse to reissue a license under IC 4-32.3-4-2 for fraud, deceit, or a violation showing the applicant lacks good moral character.

Operating without a required license, or violating any provision of IC 4-32.3, lets the Commission suspend or revoke the organization's license and levy a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for a first violation, $2,500 for a second, and $5,000 for each one after that -- with an added $100-a-day penalty for unpaid fines under IC 4-32.3-8-2 and 4-32.3-8-3. Recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally violating the article is also a Class B misdemeanor under IC 4-32.3-8-4(a); entering a prohibited third-party gaming contract under IC 4-32.3-5-2 escalates to a Level 6 felony.