Unlicensed bingo, etc.

AN ACT Relating to increasing the gross revenue threshold for 1
unlicensed bingo, raffles, and amusement games conducted by 2
charitable or nonprofit organizations; and amending RCW 9.46.0315, 3
9.46.0321, and 9.46.110. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 9.46.0315 and 2012 c 131 s 1 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
Bona fide charitable or bona fide nonprofit organizations 8
organized primarily for purposes other than the conduct of raffles, 9
are hereby authorized to conduct raffles without obtaining a license 10
to do so from the commission when such raffles are held in accordance 11
with all other requirements of this chapter, other applicable laws, 12
and rules of the commission; when gross revenues from all such 13
raffles held by the organization during the calendar year do not 14
exceed ((five thousand dollars )) $15,000; and when tickets to such 15
raffles are sold only to, and winners are determined only from among, 16
the regular members of the organization conducting the raffle. The 17
organization may provide unopened containers of beverages containing 18
alcohol as raffle prizes if the appropriate permit has been obtained 19
from the liquor ((control)) and cannabis board((: PROVIDED, That )). 20
However, raffles that exceed ((five thousand dollars )) $15,000 may 21
H-0119.1
HOUSE BILL 1364
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Orcutt, Klicker, Eslick, Jacobsen, Ley, and
Springer
Read first time 01/17/25. Referred to Committee on State Government
& Tribal Relations.
p. 1 HB 1364
also be conducted pursuant to ((the provisions of )) this section if 1
the organization obtains a license from the commission ((: PROVIDED 2
FURTHER, That the )). The term members for this purpose shall mean 3
only those persons who have become members prior to the commencement 4
of the raffle and whose qualification for membership was not 5
dependent upon, or in any way related to, the purchase of a ticket, 6
or tickets, for such raffles. 7
Sec. 2. RCW 9.46.0321 and 1987 c 4 s 28 are each amended to read 8
as follows: 9
Bona fide charitable or bona fide nonprofit organizations 10
organized primarily for purposes other than the conduct of such 11
activities are hereby authorized to conduct bingo, raffles, and 12
amusement games, without obtaining a license to do so from the 13
commission but only when: 14
(1) Such activities are held in accordance with all other 15
requirements of this chapter, other applicable laws, and rules of the 16
commission; 17
(2) Said activities are, alone or in any combination, conducted 18
no more than twice each calendar year and over a period of no more 19
than ((twelve)) 12 consecutive days each time, notwithstanding the 20
limitations of RCW 9.46.0205((: PROVIDED, That a )). A raffle 21
conducted under this subsection may be conducted for a period longer 22
than ((twelve)) 12 days; 23
(3) Only bona fide members of that organization, who are not paid 24
for such services, participate in the management or operation of the 25
activities; 26
(4) Gross revenues to the organization from all the activities 27
together do not exceed ((five thousand dollars )) $15,000 during any 28
calendar year; 29
(5) All revenue therefrom, after deducting the cost of prizes and 30
other expenses of the activity, is devoted solely to the purposes for 31
which the organization qualifies as a bona fide charitable or 32
nonprofit organization; 33
(6) The organization gives notice at least five days in advance 34
of the conduct of any of the activities to the local police agency of 35
the jurisdiction within which the activities are to be conducted of 36
the organization's intent to conduct the activities, the location of 37
the activities, and the date or dates they will be conducted; and38
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(7) The organization conducting the activities maintains records 1
for a period of one year from the date of the event which accurately 2
show at a minimum the gross revenue from each activity, details of 3
the expenses of conducting the activities, and details of the uses to 4
which the gross revenue therefrom is put. 5
Sec. 3. RCW 9.46.110 and 2020 c 70 s 1 are each amended to read 6
as follows: 7
(1) The legislative authority of any county, city-county, city, 8
or town, by local law and ordinance, and in accordance with the 9
provisions of this chapter and rules adopted under this chapter, may 10
provide for the taxing of any gambling activity authorized by this 11
chapter within its jurisdiction, the tax receipts to go to the 12
county, city-county, city, or town so taxing the activity. Any such 13
tax imposed by a county alone shall not apply to any gambling 14
activity within a city or town located in the county but the tax rate 15
established by a county, if any, shall constitute the tax rate 16
throughout the unincorporated areas of such county.17
(2) The operation of punchboards and pull-tabs are subject to the 18
following conditions: 19
(a) Chances may only be sold to adults; 20
(b) The price of a single chance may not exceed ((five dollars)) 21
$5; 22
(c) No punchboard or pull-tab license may award as a prize upon a 23
winning number or symbol being drawn the opportunity of taking a 24
chance upon any other punchboard or pull-tab; 25
(d) All prizes available to be won must be described on an 26
information flare. All merchandise prizes must be on display within 27
the immediate area of the premises in which any such punchboard or 28
pull-tab is located. Upon a winning number or symbol being drawn, a 29
merchandise prize must be immediately removed from the display and 30
awarded to the winner. All references to cash or merchandise prizes, 31
with a value over ((twenty dollars)) $20, must be removed immediately 32
from the information flare when won, or such omission shall be deemed 33
a fraud for the purposes of this chapter; and 34
(e) When any person wins money or merchandise from any punchboard 35
or pull-tab over an amount determined by the commission, every 36
licensee shall keep a public record of the award for at least 37
((ninety)) 90 days containing such information as the commission 38
shall deem necessary. 39
p. 3 HB 1364
(3)(a) Taxation of bingo and raffles shall never be in an amount 1
greater than five percent of the gross receipts from a bingo game or 2
raffle less the amount awarded as cash or merchandise prizes.3
(b) Taxation of amusement games shall only be in an amount 4
sufficient to pay the actual costs of enforcement of the provisions 5
of this chapter by the county, city or town law enforcement agency 6
and in no event shall such taxation exceed two percent of the gross 7
receipts from the amusement game less the amount awarded as prizes.8
(c) No tax shall be imposed under the authority of this chapter 9
on bingo or amusement games when such activities or any combination 10
thereof are conducted by any bona fide charitable or nonprofit 11
organization as defined in this chapter, which organization has no 12
paid operating or management personnel and has gross receipts from 13
bingo or amusement games, or a combination thereof, not exceeding 14
((five thousand dollars )) $15,000 per year, less the amount awarded 15
as cash or merchandise prizes. 16
(d) No tax shall be imposed on the first ((ten thousand dollars)) 17
$15,000 of gross receipts less the amount awarded as cash or 18
merchandise prizes from raffles conducted by any bona fide charitable 19
or nonprofit organization as defined in this chapter.20
(e) Taxation of punchboards and pull-tabs for bona fide 21
charitable or nonprofit organizations is based on gross receipts from 22
the operation of the games less the amount awarded as cash or 23
merchandise prizes, and shall not exceed a rate of ((ten)) 10 24
percent. At the option of the county, city-county, city, or town, the 25
taxation of punchboards and pull-tabs for commercial stimulant 26
operators may be based on gross receipts from the operation of the 27
games, and may not exceed a rate of five percent, or may be based on 28
gross receipts from the operation of the games less the amount 29
awarded as cash or merchandise prizes, and may not exceed a rate of 30
((ten)) 10 percent. 31
(f) Taxation of social card games may not exceed ((twenty)) 20 32
percent of the gross revenue from such games. 33
(4) Taxes imposed under this chapter become a lien upon personal 34
and real property used in the gambling activity in the same manner as 35
provided for under RCW 84.60.010. The lien shall attach on the date 36
the tax becomes due and shall relate back and have priority against 37
real and personal property to the same extent as ad valorem taxes.38
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