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Washington Statewide Rule

Washington Charitable Raffle and Bingo Exemption Limits

Some RestrictionsApplies statewide across Washington (2026)

Key Facts

Unlicensed raffle revenue cap
$5,000 gross revenue per calendar year
Members-only raffle limit
No event cap; tickets/winners restricted to regular members
Public event exemption
Up to 2 events/year, 12 consecutive days each
Public event revenue cap
$5,000 combined gross revenue across both annual events
Police notice requirement
5 days' advance notice to local police agency
Recordkeeping requirement
1 year retention of gross revenue records per activity
Enforcing agency
Washington State Gambling Commission, under Title 230 WAC
Last verified: August 21, 2026

Summary

Washington exempts bona fide charitable and nonprofit organizations from Gambling Commission licensing when raffle, bingo, or amusement-game revenue stays under $5,000 a year. Members-only raffles under RCW 9.46.0315 face no event cap, while public bingo, raffle, or amusement-game events under RCW 9.46.0321 are limited to two per calendar year, twelve consecutive days each, with the same $5,000 combined ceiling. Cross either threshold and a WSGC license becomes mandatory.

Bona fide charitable or bona fide nonprofit organizations organized primarily for purposes other than the conduct of raffles are authorized to conduct raffles without obtaining a license when such raffles comply with all other chapter requirements, applicable laws, and commission rules; when gross revenues from all raffles held by the organization during the calendar year do not exceed five thousand dollars; and when tickets are sold only to, and winners determined only from among, the regular members of the organization conducting the raffle. The organization may provide unopened containers of beverages containing alcohol as raffle prizes if the appropriate permit has been obtained from the liquor control board.

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Full Breakdown

RCW 9.46.0315 lets a bona fide charitable or nonprofit organization run raffles without a Washington State Gambling Commission (WSGC) license if the group is organized for purposes other than running raffles, gross revenue from all its raffles stays at or under $5,000 in a calendar year, and tickets are sold, and winners drawn, only from the organization's regular members, whose membership can't depend on buying a ticket. The statute also lets the organization award unopened containers of alcohol as prizes if it separately holds a Liquor and Cannabis Board permit for that. There's no cap on how many members-only raffles a qualifying organization can hold in a year, only on the combined dollar total.

A separate, broader exemption in RCW 9.46.0321 covers bingo, raffles, and amusement games open to the public, not just members. An organization may run up to two such unlicensed events per calendar year, each running no more than twelve consecutive days (a raffle alone may run longer), with combined gross revenue from both events capped at $5,000. All net revenue after prizes and costs must go to the purposes that qualify the organization as charitable or nonprofit. The organization must give the local police agency at least five days' notice before each event and keep records for one year showing, at minimum, the gross revenue from each activity.

Any charitable gaming that exceeds these thresholds, runs more often, or skips the notice and recordkeeping conditions falls outside the exemption and needs a license from the WSGC, the state agency created by chapter 9.46 RCW to regulate all authorized gambling, including bingo, raffles, amusement games, and card rooms, under rules in Title 230 WAC.

Violations & Penalties

Operating a licensable gambling activity without the required Washington State Gambling Commission license is a gross misdemeanor under RCW 9.46.198, punishable by up to 364 days in county jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. Exceeding the RCW 9.46.0315 or 9.46.0321 thresholds, or ignoring the police-notice and recordkeeping conditions, forfeits the exemption. Larger unpermitted operations can also draw professional gambling charges under RCW 9.46.220 (class B felony) or 9.46.221 (class C felony), since RCW 9.46.225 shields only activities actually conducted in compliance with chapter 9.46.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a small charity raffle in Washington need a Gambling Commission license?
No, not if the raffle is members-only and gross revenue from all the organization's raffles stays at or under $5,000 for the calendar year. RCW 9.46.0315 exempts bona fide charitable and nonprofit organizations from licensing under those conditions, with no limit on how many members-only raffles can be held in that year, only on the combined revenue.
Can our nonprofit run a public raffle in Washington without a license?
Yes, but only twice a calendar year under RCW 9.46.0321. Each unlicensed bingo, raffle, or amusement-game event open to the public can run up to twelve consecutive days (raffles may run longer), the combined gross revenue from both events can't exceed $5,000, and the organization must notify local police at least five days beforehand and keep one year of revenue records.
What happens if a Washington charity gambling event goes over the $5,000 limit?
It stops qualifying for the unlicensed exemption and needs a license from the Washington State Gambling Commission before continuing. Running a licensable activity without that license is a gross misdemeanor under RCW 9.46.198, carrying up to 364 days in county jail, a $5,000 fine, or both, and repeated or large-scale unlicensed operations can trigger professional gambling charges under RCW 9.46.220 or 9.46.221.
Can a Washington nonprofit give away alcohol as a raffle prize?
Yes, but only unopened containers of alcohol, and only if the organization separately holds the required permit from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. RCW 9.46.0315 authorizes an unopened alcohol container as a members-only raffle prize on that condition: it's the specific carve-out the legislature wrote into the raffle exemption itself, not a general gambling-prize rule.
Who enforces Washington's charitable gambling rules?
The Washington State Gambling Commission (WSGC), the agency chapter 9.46 RCW creates to license and regulate all authorized gambling in the state, including charitable bingo, raffles, amusement games, and card rooms, under rules adopted in Title 230 WAC. Local police also play a role in the public-event exemption, since RCW 9.46.0321 requires organizations to notify the local police agency at least five days before each unlicensed public event.

Sources

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