New Jersey Statewide Rule

New Jersey Bingo and Raffles Licensing Law

Significant RestrictionsApplies statewide across New Jersey (2026)

Key Facts

Governing statutes: N.J.S.A. 5:8-24 et seq. (bingo); 5:8-50 et seq. (raffles)
Bingo prize cap: $1,000 per game, $3,000 aggregate per session
Local option: Requires municipal voter referendum before it applies
State registration: LGCCC registration certificate required before municipal license
Civil penalty: Up to $7,500 first offense, $15,000 repeat
Raffle door-prize exemption: No license needed under $200 merchandise prize
License term: Valid no more than one year

Last verified: August 21, 2026

Summary

New Jersey lets churches, veterans posts, fire companies, and other nonprofits run bingo or raffles only after two steps: registration with the state's Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission and a license from the municipality where the game is held. Bingo prizes cap at $1,000 per game and $3,000 per session under N.J.S.A. 5:8-27; violators face civil penalties up to $15,000 per offense.

5:8-24. Short title. This act shall be known as and may be cited as the "Bingo Licensing Law." 5:8-25. ... It shall be lawful for the governing body of any municipality, at any time after this act shall become operative within such municipality and except when prohibited by this act, to license bona fide organizations or associations of veterans of any war in which the United States has been engaged, churches or religious congregations and religious organizations, charitable, educational and fraternal organizations, civic and service clubs, senior citizen associations and clubs, officially recognized volunteer fire companies, and officially recognized volunteer first aid or rescue squads, to hold and operate games of chance ... restricted to ... bingo or lotto ... but only when the entire net proceeds thereof are devoted to the uses aforesaid. 5:8-51c. No license shall be required for the holding, operating or conducting of a raffle for a door prize of merchandise of the total retail value of $200.00 or less ... if the proceeds of such assemblage are devoted to the uses described in this section.

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Full Breakdown

A. 5:8-24 et seq. A. 5:8-50 et seq. 5). Neither law applies automatically. A. 5:8-43, each municipality must first put the question of adoption to its voters at a special election; only municipalities where voters approved adoption may issue licenses, and a later referendum can rescind that approval. A. 5:8-25 lets the governing body license veterans' associations, churches and religious organizations, charitable, educational and fraternal groups, civic and service clubs, senior citizen associations, and recognized volunteer fire or first-aid squads to run bingo or lotto, provided net proceeds go to educational, charitable, patriotic, religious, or public-spirited uses.

A. 5:8-51 extends the identical eligibility list to raffles, with a standing exemption in subsection c for a single merchandise door prize worth $200 or less. A. A. 5:8-26. A. 5:8-27 caps bingo prizes at $1,000 for any single game and $3,000 in aggregate per session, unless the LGCCC raises those figures by regulation, and no license runs longer than one year. A. 5:8-54 bars a raffle license for any game that could instead be licensed as bingo. A. A. 2 sets civil penalties of up to $7,500 for a first violation and $15,000 for each one after that.

Violations & Penalties

Running bingo or a raffle without both an LGCCC registration certificate and a municipal license is unlicensed conduct the control commission can enjoin in Superior Court under N.J.S.A. 5:8-30.1, on top of license suspension or revocation after a hearing under N.J.S.A. 5:8-30. N.J.S.A. 5:8-30.2 sets civil penalties up to $7,500 for a first offense and $15,000 for each repeat offense, with the Attorney General authorized to sue in the control commission's name to collect them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every New Jersey municipality allow bingo and raffles?

No. Under N.J.S.A. 5:8-43, the Bingo Licensing Law and the Raffles Licensing Law only take effect in a municipality after its voters approve adoption at a special election tied to the primary. Voters can later hold a rescission referendum to withdraw that approval. Where neither law has been adopted, the municipal clerk has no authority to issue a bingo or raffle license, regardless of the applicant's charitable purpose.

Who can get a license to run bingo or a raffle?

N.J.S.A. 5:8-25 and 5:8-51 limit eligibility to veterans' organizations, churches and religious congregations, charitable, educational and fraternal groups, civic and service clubs, senior citizen associations, and officially recognized volunteer fire companies or first-aid squads. The entire net proceeds must go to educational, charitable, patriotic, religious, or public-spirited uses, or, for veterans' and senior groups, to the organization's own support.

How big can bingo prizes be?

N.J.S.A. 5:8-27 caps any single bingo game's prize at $1,000 and the aggregate of all prizes given at one session at $3,000, unless the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission raises those figures by regulation. No bingo license issued under the act can run longer than one year, and games that pay a prize based on a percentage of ticket sales follow separate commission-set percentages instead of the flat caps.

What happens if an organization runs games without a license?

The control commission can seek a Superior Court injunction against unlicensed conduct under N.J.S.A. 5:8-30.1, and N.J.S.A. 5:8-30.2 authorizes civil penalties up to $7,500 for a first violation and $15,000 for each later one. The municipality and the commission can also suspend or revoke an existing license after a hearing under N.J.S.A. 5:8-30, and the Attorney General may sue in the commission's name to collect penalties owed.

Sources

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