Are punch boards legal in Ohio?

Yes, when a licensed charitable organization runs them. Ohio law defines a punch board as a form of instant bingo, so it falls under the state's instant bingo license and rules.

How much can you win on a punch board?

It depends on the board and the state's limits. North Dakota, for example, caps a punch at $2 and a top prize at $500.

Why were punch boards banned?

They were a hugely popular gambling game in the early 1900s, with about 50 million sold in 1939 alone. After World War II, as more people objected to their gambling side, many states outlawed them.

Can a charity use a punch board to raise money?

Only in a state that licenses them, under that state's charitable gaming license and rules. Ask the state's charitable gaming office first. This is general information, not legal advice.

The short answer

Are punch boards illegal?

In most of the country, yes. A punch board is a gambling device, and unless your state licenses it, selling punches is illegal. A handful of states still license punch boards as charitable or tavern gaming, and that's the only legal way to play one today.

Checked against each state's statute or regulator, October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

What a punch board is

A punch board is a board drilled with rows of small holes, each holding a tightly folded, numbered slip of paper. You pay for a punch, push a slip out, and win if its number is on the board's prize list. Ohio's law describes it almost exactly that way: a board of uniform holes holding randomly placed, serially numbered slips that a player punches or draws out.

Where punch boards are legal

Washington. The State Gambling Commission licenses punch boards and pull-tabs, both for charities and nonprofits and for businesses that sell food and drink. More in Washington pull-tab law.
North Dakota. Licensed organizations can run punchboards along with pull tabs, at up to $2 a punch and a top prize of $500. More in North Dakota pull-tab law.
Pennsylvania. Punchboards are one of the state's small games of chance, run by licensed nonprofits and clubs, and by taverns with a tavern games license. More in Pennsylvania pull-tab law.
Ohio. State law defines a punch board as a form of instant bingo, so licensed charities can run one under Ohio's instant bingo rules. More in Ohio pull-tab law.
Indiana. Taverns with a Type II gaming endorsement can sell punchboards, along with pull tabs and tip boards. More in Indiana pull-tab law.

Where they are banned by name

Montana's gambling code lists the punchboard among illegal gambling devices, and Tennessee's nonprofit gaming law names punchboards among the games it prohibits. In states with no gaming program that covers them, punch boards fall under the general ban on gambling. The pull-tab laws by state show which states have a program at all.

Why so many states banned them

Punch boards were everywhere in the first half of the 1900s, on drugstore and diner counters, and about 50 million were sold in 1939 alone, at the peak. After World War II, as more people objected to their gambling side, many states outlawed them. Most of the boards you see today are collectors' pieces, apart from the licensed charity and tavern boards in the states above.

Using one for a fundraiser

Where punch boards are legal, a licensed group runs them under the state's rules, which set who can sell them, where, and limits like North Dakota's $2 punch and $500 top prize. In any other state, check with the charitable gaming office before you sell a single punch.

Punch boards, tip boards, pull tabs

All three are paper games of chance with the winners fixed in advance, and the states that license one often license the others. See are tip boards legal for the tip board version of this question.

Sources

Punch board FAQ

Are punch boards illegal?: In most states, yes, unless a licensed group runs them under the state's gaming rules. Washington, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana license them in some form, while Montana and Tennessee ban them by name.
Are punch boards legal in Ohio?: Yes, when a licensed charitable organization runs them. Ohio law defines a punch board as a form of instant bingo, so it falls under the state's instant bingo license and rules.
How much can you win on a punch board?: It depends on the board and the state's limits. North Dakota, for example, caps a punch at $2 and a top prize at $500.
Why were punch boards banned?: They were a hugely popular gambling game in the early 1900s, with about 50 million sold in 1939 alone. After World War II, as more people objected to their gambling side, many states outlawed them.
Can a charity use a punch board to raise money?: Only in a state that licenses them, under that state's charitable gaming license and rules. Ask the state's charitable gaming office first. This is general information, not legal advice.

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