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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 3
HOUSE BILL 424
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/1/25
Committee Substitute #2 Favorable 4/15/25
Short Title: Gaming Laws/Allow Certain Social Games. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 19, 2025
*H424-v-3*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT THE LAWS REGULATING GAMING DO NOT APP LY TO 2
CERTAIN SOCIAL GAMES PLAYED IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE, HOME, OR 3
COMMUNITY CLUBHOUSE AND TO MODIFY THE LA W RELATED TO GAME 4
NIGHTS FOR A QUALIFIED FACILITY. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
SECTION 1. Part 1 of Article 37 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended 7
by adding a new section to read: 8
"§ 14-309.4. Certain social games not unlawful under certain circumstances. 9
Notwithstanding any provision of this Article to the contrary, it is not unlawful for persons 10
to gather for the purpose of engaging in board games or games of tiles, cards, or dice, including 11
canasta, mahjong, and bridge, where any money, property, or other thing o f value is bet, if the 12
games are played in a private residence, home, or community clubhouse, and all of the following 13
requirements are met: 14
(1) No mechanical or electronic devices or machines of any kind, slot machines, 15
pull tabs, punch boards, pull boards, or video games, devices, or machines of 16
any kind are used for, or incorporated in, the games in any way. 17
(2) No person receives any direct or indirect economic, financial, or monetary 18
benefit other than personal winnings. 19
(3) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this section, t he host of the game or 20
owner or lessee of the location in which the games are played does not receive 21
any direct or indirect economic, financial, or monetary benefit of any kind. 22
(4) Except for the advantage of skill or luck, the risks of losing or winning are the 23
same for all parties. 24
(5) The games are played no more than on e day in any seven-day period at any 25
private residence, home, or community clubhouse." 26
SECTION 2. G.S. 14-309.28 reads as rewritten: 27
"§ 14-309.28. Limits on game night events. 28
The following limitations apply to game night events: 29
(1) The number of game night events conducted or sponsored by an exempt 30
organization shall be limited to four events per year. 31
(2) The event shall not exceed a period of five hours each per event. No more than 32
one game night event shall be held in any quarter of a calendar year that begins 33
January 1. 34
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 424-Third Edition
(3) No more than two game night events shall be operated or conducted in any 1
one building, hall, or structure during any one calendar week, and if two events 2
are held, they must be held by different exempt organizations on different 3
nights of the week. 4
(4) There shall be no operation of a game night event between the hours of 2:00 5
A.M. and 12:00 noon Monday through Saturday or between the hours of 2:00 6
A.M. and 2:00 P.M. Sunday. 7
(5) A facility authorized to host a game night under this Part shall not host more 8
than two 24 game nights in any calendar month.calendar year." 9
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to offenses 10
committed on or after that date. 11