North Carolina Statewide Rule

North Carolina Charitable Bingo and Raffle Rules

Significant RestrictionsApplies statewide across North Carolina (2026)

Key Facts

Bingo license fee: $200 annual fee to Alcohol Law Enforcement Division
Bingo prize caps: $500 per game, $1,500 per session (or $2,500 weekly)
Raffle frequency limit: No more than five raffles per year
Raffle prize caps: $125,000 per raffle, $250,000 total per year
Raffle proceeds rule: At least 90% of net proceeds to charity
Unlicensed bingo penalty: Class I felony under G.S. 14-309.5(b)
Real property raffle prize cap: $2,250,000 in appraised value per year

Last verified: August 21, 2026

Summary

North Carolina lets exempt nonprofits run bingo and raffles under Chapter 14, Part 2's charitable-gaming statutes. Bingo requires a $200 annual license from the Alcohol Law Enforcement Division and caps prizes at $500 per game, $1,500 per session, or $2,500 if the group holds only one session a week. Raffles need no license but are capped at five per year, $125,000 per raffle, $250,000 total annually, with at least 90% of net proceeds going to charity.

§ 14-309.7(a): "An exempt organization shall not operate a bingo game at a location without a license. Application for a bingo license shall be made to the Alcohol Law Enforcement Division of the Department of Public Safety... The Division shall charge an annual application fee of two hundred dollars ($200.00) to defray the cost of issuing bingo licenses..." § 14-309.9(a): "The maximum prize in cash or merchandise that may be offered or paid for any one game of bingo is five hundred dollars ($500.00). The maximum aggregate amount of prizes... at any one session of bingo is one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500)... if an exempt organization holds only one session... during a calendar week, the maximum aggregate... is two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500)." § 14-309.15: "It is lawful for any nonprofit organization... to conduct raffles... Any person who conducts a raffle in violation of any provision of this section is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor." (c) "A nonprofit organization may hold no more than five raffles per year." (d) "...the maximum cash prize...for any one raffle is one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000)..."

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Full Breakdown

S. 19) is the entire charitable-gaming code: bingo and raffles are legal only for tax-exempt nonprofits and only within these numeric limits. S. S. 7). S. 11. A group holding only an annual or semiannual game can instead file a limited-occasion permit 30 days ahead in lieu of a full license. 25% of the building's assessed ad valorem tax value per month. S. 9). Raffles need no license at all. A nonprofit, candidate, or political committee may run up to five raffles per year, capped at $125,000 cash or merchandise per raffle and $250,000 total per calendar year, or up to $2,250,000 in real property. S. 15). Raffles cannot be conducted together with bingo at the same event.

Violations & Penalties

Operating bingo without a license, operating during a suspension or revocation, misusing bingo receipts, or contracting with an outside consultant to run games is a Class I felony under G.S. 14-309.5(b). A licensed operator who breaks a licensing rule instead commits a Class 2 misdemeanor and loses bingo privileges for a year. Illegal raffles carry the same Class 2 misdemeanor penalty and a one-year raffle ban under G.S. 14-309.15(a). The Alcohol Law Enforcement Division and local law enforcement both receive a copy of every bingo application before games begin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can legally run a bingo game in North Carolina?

Only an "exempt organization" with IRS and North Carolina Department of Revenue tax-exempt status, and only after getting a license from the Alcohol Law Enforcement Division under G.S. 14-309.7. The $200 annual license application requires listing officers, directors, and a special committee, plus proof of ownership or lease of the building where bingo is played. Groups holding just one or two games a year can use a cheaper limited-occasion permit instead of a full license.

How much can a nonprofit raffle prize be worth in North Carolina?

Under G.S. 14-309.15(d), a single raffle's cash or merchandise prize tops out at $125,000, and total prizes across all raffles a nonprofit runs in one calendar year cannot exceed $250,000. Real property is capped separately at $2,250,000 in appraised value per year, but the property must be free of liens and come with a title commitment the organization makes available for inspection on request.

Is a charity raffle considered gambling in North Carolina?

No. G.S. 14-309.15(a) states directly that "a raffle conducted pursuant to this section is not gambling." The same treatment applies to licensed bingo under Part 2 of Chapter 14. Both activities are carved out of the state's general gambling law specifically because their proceeds must support charitable, religious, educational, civic, or other nonprofit purposes rather than private profit.

What happens if a nonprofit holds more than five raffles a year?

G.S. 14-309.15(c) caps any nonprofit at five raffles per calendar year, and running a sixth violates the statute. Any violation of the raffle section, including exceeding the frequency limit, is a Class 2 misdemeanor, and a conviction bars that person from conducting any raffle for one full year afterward.

Sources

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