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LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED NINTH LEGISLATURE
SECOND SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 1047
Introduced by Holdcroft, 36.
Read first time January 14, 2026
Committee: General Affairs
A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to the Nebraska Bingo Act; to amend sections1
9-204.01, 9-230, 9-230.01, 9-241.08, and 9-255, Reissue Revised2
Statutes of Nebraska, and sections 9-204 and 9-204.04, Revised3
Statutes Cumulative Supplement, 2024; to redefine terms; to4
authorize certain types of music bingo under the act; to change5
provisions relating to restrictions on the dollar amount of prizes6
that can be awarded under the act; to change provisions relating to7
special event bingo; to harmonize provisions; and to repeal the8
original sections. 9
Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,10
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Section 1. Section 9-204, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement,1
2024, is amended to read: 2
9-204 (1) Bingo means shall mean that form of gambling in which:3
(a) The winning numbers or song titles, musical artists, or music4
genres are determined by random selection from a pool of seventy-five or5
ninety numbered designators or song titles, musical artists, or music6
genres; and 7
(b) A player marks by physically daubing or covering or,8
automatically or manually with the aid of a bingo card monitoring device,9
enters or otherwise conceals those randomly selected numbers or song10
titles, musical artists, or music genres which match on a bingo card that11
the player has purchased or leased only at the time and place of the12
bingo occasion. 13
(2) Bingo does not shall not mean or include:14
(a) Any scheme which uses any mechanical gaming device, computer15
gaming device, electronic gaming device, or video gaming device which has16
the capability of awarding something of value, free games redeemable for17
something of value, or tickets or stubs redeemable for something of18
value; 19
(b) Any activity which is authorized or regulated under the Nebraska20
County and City Lottery Act, the Nebraska Lottery and Raffle Act, the21
Nebraska Pickle Card Lottery Act, the Nebraska Small Lottery and Raffle22
Act, the State Lottery Act, section 9-701, or Chapter 2, article 12; or23
(c) Any activity which is prohibited under Chapter 28, article 11.24
Sec. 2. Section 9-204.01, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is25
amended to read: 26
9-204.01 Bingo card means shall mean: 27
(1) In the case of seventy-five-square seventy-five-number bingo, a28
disposable paper bingo card, a facsimile of a bingo card electronically29
displayed on a bingo card monitoring device, or a reusable hard bingo30
card or shutter card, which has letters and numbers or song titles,31
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musical artists, or music genres preprinted or predetermined by a1
manufacturer and which: 2
(a) Contains five columns with five squares in each column;3
(b) Identifies the five columns from left to right by the letters B-4
I-N-G-O; and 5
(c) Contains in each square, except for the center square identified6
as "free", one number or song title, musical artist, or music genre from7
a pool of seventy-five numbers or song titles, musical artists, or music8
genres; or 9
(2) In the case of ninety-number bingo, a disposable paper bingo10
card or facsimile of a bingo card electronically displayed on a bingo11
card monitoring device which has numbers preprinted or predetermined by a12
manufacturer and which: 13
(a) Contains six faces with each face containing twenty-seven14
squares arranged in nine columns of three squares each; and15
(b) Contains in fifteen squares of each face a number from one to16
ninety which is not repeated on the same card. 17
The department may approve variations to the card formats described18
in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this section if such variations result in19
a bingo game which is conducted in a manner that is consistent with20
section 9-204. 21
Sec. 3. Section 9-204.04, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement,22
2024, is amended to read: 23
9-204.04 Bingo card monitoring device means shall mean a24
technological aid which allows a bingo player to automatically or25
manually enter bingo numbers or song titles, musical artists, or music26
genres as they are announced at a bingo occasion and which enters or27
otherwise conceals those numbers or song titles, musical artists, or28
music genres on bingo cards which are electronically stored in and29
displayed on the device. A bingo card monitoring device shall not mean or30
include any device (1) into which currency, coins, or tokens may be31
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inserted or from which currency, coins, tokens, or any receipt for1
monetary value can be dispensed or (2) which, once provided to a bingo2
player, is capable of communicating with any other bingo card monitoring3
device or any other form of electronic device or computer, except that4
such device may communicate with its host system. 5
Sec. 4. Section 9-230, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is6
amended to read: 7
9-230 No person, except a licensed organization or qualifying8
nonprofit organization operating pursuant to the Nebraska Bingo Act,9
shall conduct any game of bingo for which a charge is made, and no person10
except a licensed organization shall award any prize with a value in11
excess of fifty twenty-five dollars for any bingo game. Any such game12
conducted in violation of this section is hereby declared to be a public13
nuisance. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be14
guilty of a Class III misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class I15
misdemeanor for the second or subsequent offense. 16
Sec. 5. Section 9-230.01, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is17
amended to read: 18
9-230.01 (1) A qualifying nonprofit organization may apply to the19
department for a permit to conduct a special event bingo in conjunction20
with a special event at which bingo is not the primary function. Such21
special event bingo shall be exempt from (a) the licensing requirements22
found in the Nebraska Bingo Act for Class I and Class II licenses, (b)23
the record-keeping and reporting requirements found in the act for24
licensed organizations, and (c) any tax on the gross receipts derived25
from the conduct of bingo as provided in the act for licensed26
organizations. 27
(2) A qualifying nonprofit organization may apply for and obtain two28
special event bingo permits per calendar year, not to exceed a total of29
fourteen days in duration. An application for a permit shall be made, on30
a form prescribed by the department, at least ten days prior to the31
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desired starting date of the special event bingo. The form shall be1
accompanied by a permit fee of fifteen dollars and shall contain:2
(a) The name and address of the nonprofit organization applying for3
the permit; 4
(b) Sufficient facts relating to the nature of the organization to5
enable the department to determine if the organization is eligible for6
the permit; 7
(c) The date, time, place, duration, and nature of the special event8
at which the special event bingo will be conducted;9
(d) The name, address, and telephone number of the individual who10
will be in charge of the special event bingo; and 11
(e) Any other information which the department deems necessary.12
(3) An organization must have a permit issued by the department13
before it can conduct a special event bingo. The permit shall be clearly14
posted and visible to all participants at the special event bingo.15
(4) Special event bingo shall be subject to the following:16
(a) Special event bingo shall be conducted only within the county in17
which the qualifying nonprofit organization has its principal office;18
(b) Bingo equipment, other than disposable paper bingo cards,19
necessary to conduct bingo may be obtained from any source. Disposable20
paper bingo cards may be obtained only from (i) a licensed distributor or21
(ii) a licensed organization as provided in subdivision (4)(e) of section22
9-241.05; 23
(c) No bingo card used at a special event bingo shall be sold,24
rented, or leased for more than one dollar twenty-five cents per card;25
(d) No single prize shall be offered or awarded at a special event26
bingo which exceeds fifty twenty-five dollars in value;27
(e) A special event bingo shall be conducted by individuals who are28
at least eighteen years of age. The qualifying nonprofit organization may29
permit individuals under eighteen years of age to play special event30
bingo when no alcoholic beverages are served, sold, or consumed in the31
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immediate vicinity of where the special event bingo is conducted;1
(f) No wage, commission, or salary shall be paid to any person in2
connection with the conduct of a special event bingo; and3
(g) The gross receipts from the conduct of a special event bingo4
shall be used solely for the awarding of prizes and reasonable and5
necessary expenses associated with the conduct of the special event bingo6
such as the permit fee and the purchase or rental of bingo cards or other7
equipment needed to conduct bingo. The remaining receipts shall be used8
solely for a lawful purpose. 9
Sec. 6. Section 9-241.08, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is10
amended to read: 11
9-241.08 (1) No person under eighteen years of age shall play or12
participate in any bingo game, except that any person may play bingo at a13
limited period bingo or special event bingo if (a) no alcoholic beverages14
are served and (b) no prize or prizes to be awarded exceed fifty twenty-15
five dollars in value per game. 16
(2) All persons involved in the conduct of bingo must be at least17
eighteen years of age. 18
(3) No person who is conducting or assisting in the conduct of a19
bingo occasion shall be permitted to participate as a player at that20
bingo occasion. 21
(4) No licensed commercial lessor, distributor, or manufacturer,22
person having a substantial interest in a licensed commercial lessor,23
distributor, or manufacturer, or employee or agent of a licensed24
commercial lessor, distributor, or manufacturer shall operate, manage,25
conduct, advise, or assist in the operating, managing, conducting,26
promoting, or administering of any bingo game or occasion. For purposes27
of this subsection, the term assist shall include, but not be limited to,28
the payment of any expense of a licensed organization, whether such29
payment is by loan or otherwise. 30
(5) No person, licensee, or permittee or employee or agent thereof31
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shall knowingly permit an individual under eighteen years of age to play1
or participate in any way in a bingo game conducted pursuant to the2
Nebraska Bingo Act, excluding those individuals allowed by law to play at3
a limited period bingo or special event bingo when (a) no alcoholic4
beverages are served and (b) no prize or prizes that will be awarded5
exceed fifty twenty-five dollars in value per game.6
Sec. 7. Section 9-255, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is7
amended to read: 8
9-255 (1)(a) Only the following means of random selection of the9
numbered designators shall be used in the conduct of any bingo game:10
(i) (1) An electrically operated blower machine containing balls11
which the operator may take from the air one at a time while the blower12
is in operation, or which provides a trap or other mechanical means for13
automatically catching not more than one ball at a time while the blower14
is in operation; or 15
(ii) (2) A mechanically or manually operated cage which provides a16
trap or other mechanical means for automatically catching not more than17
one ball at a time while the cage is in operation.18
(b) For any means of selection permitted by subdivisions (1) and (2)19
of this section, the balls to be drawn shall be essentially the same in20
size, shape, weight, balance, and all other characteristics so that at21
all times during the conduct of bingo each ball possesses the capacity22
for equal agitation with any other ball within the receptacle. All balls23
within the total set shall be subject to random selection at the24
beginning of each bingo game. 25
(2) For purposes of bingo utilizing song titles, musical artists, or26
music genres, only a mechanical, manually operated, or electronic device27
that ensures song titles, musical artists, or music genres are randomly28
selected shall be used in the conduct of such a bingo game.29
Sec. 8. Original sections 9-204.01, 9-230, 9-230.01, 9-241.08, and30
9-255, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, and sections 9-204 and31
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9-204.04, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement, 2024, are repealed.1
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