Charitable or Nonprofit Organization.

Generally, bona fide charitable or nonprofit organizations are authorized to conduct bingo games, raffles, amusement games, and fundraising events, and to be used by members and guests to play social card games authorized by the Washington State Gambling Commission (Commission) when such organizations are licensed or are operated pursuant to exceptions provided by law. 

"Bona fide charitable or nonprofit organization" means an organization that is established for charitable, educational, civic, patriotic, political, religious, scientific, social, fraternal, athletic, or agricultural purposes that the Commission determines has been organized and is operated primarily for purposes other than the operation of gambling activities.  An organization must have been organized and continuously operating and demonstrated significant progress towards the purposes of the organization for at least 12 months before operating a gambling activity or applying for any license to operate a gambling activity.  For the purposes of conducting raffles, a "bona fide charitable or nonprofit organization" includes a county, city, or town, as long as all revenue less prizes and expenses from raffles conducted by the county, city, or town are used for community activities or tourism-promotion activities.

Authorized Conduct of Certain Games.

Bona fide charitable or nonprofit organizations are authorized to conduct bingo games subject to certain restrictions.  "Bingo" is defined as a game in which prizes are awarded by designated numbers or symbols on a card conforming to numbers or symbols selected at random and in which no cards are sold except at the time and place of the game.  The game must be conducted by a bona fide charitable or nonprofit organization which does not conduct bingo on more than twelve consecutive days in any calendar year, and no person other than a bona fide member or an employee of said organization takes any part in the management or operation of the bingo game and no part of the proceeds go to any person other than the organization conducting the game.

There is no license required for a bona fide charitable or nonprofit organization organized primarily for purposes other than the conduct of bingo, raffles, and amusement games to conduct such games when:

• the activities are held in accordance with all other requirements of law and the Commission;
• the activities are conducted no more than twice each calendar year and over a period of no more than twelve consecutive days each time;
• only bona fide members of that organization, who are not paid for such services, participate in the management or operation of the activities;
• gross revenues to the organization from all the activities together do not amount to more than $5,000 during any calendar year;
• all revenue remaining after the payment of prizes and other expenses of the activity is devoted solely to the charitable or nonprofit purposes of the organization;
• the organization gives five days' notice of any of the activities to the local police agency of the jurisdiction within which the activities are to be conducted; and
• the organization conducting the activities maintains records for a period of one year from the date of the event which accurately show the gross revenue from each activity, details of the expenses of conducting the activities, and details of the uses of the revenues.

An "amusement game" is a game played for entertainment in which:  the contestant actively participates; the outcome depends in a material degree upon the skill of the contestant; only merchandise prizes are awarded; the outcome is not in the control of the operator; the wagers are placed, the winners are determined, and a distribution of prizes or property is made in the presence of all persons placing wagers at such game; and the game is conducted or operated by an entity in such manner and at such locations that is authorized by rules adopted by the Commission.

The definition of "bona fide charitable or nonprofit organization" includes a county, city, or town community center or a nonprofit senior housing organization for the purposes of conducting bingo pursuant to the requirements for a bona fide nonprofit organization operating without a license from the Washington State Gambling Commission.

Bona fide charitable or nonprofit organizations organized primarily for purposes other than the conduct of bingo, raffles, and amusement games are authorized to conduct such games no more than 12 times each calendar year, instead of no more than twice each calendar year.