Same game, different name

What pull tabs are called in each state

In Ohio they're instant bingo. In Nebraska, pickle cards. In New York, bell jars. Pull tabs go by a different name almost everywhere, so here's what to ask for where you are, and where to find them.

ArizonaInstant Tabs
Sold as Arizona Lottery Instant Tab games at licensed bars, restaurants and clubs.
Where to play in Arizona · Arizona rules
IdahoPull tabs, tab games, TouchTab
The Idaho Lottery sells paper pull tabs, and TouchTab is its electronic version.
Where to play in Idaho · Idaho rules
IllinoisPull tabs and jar games
That's the state's own term: the law is the Illinois Pull Tabs and Jar Games Act.
Where to play in Illinois · Illinois rules
IndianaPull tabs, punchboards and tip boards
Bars with a Type II gaming endorsement sell all three.
Where to play in Indiana · Indiana rules
MarylandTip jars
Licensed county by county; Frederick and Washington counties run gaming commissions for them.
Where to play in Maryland · Maryland rules
MichiganCharity game tickets
Michigan's charitable gaming name for pull tabs.
Where to play in Michigan · Michigan rules
MinnesotaPull-tabs, e-tabs and tipboards
Paper pull-tabs, electronic pull-tabs (e-tabs) and tipboards, all licensed charitable gambling.
Where to play in Minnesota · Minnesota rules
NebraskaPickle cards
Nebraska's official term; you have to be 18 to play or sell them.
Where to play in Nebraska · Nebraska rules
New YorkBell jars
Bell jar tickets, plus seal cards and coin boards, run by licensed charities.
Where to play in New York · New York rules
North DakotaPull tabs, e-tabs and tipboards
Paper and electronic pull tabs, plus tipboards, at licensed sites.
Where to play in North Dakota · North Dakota rules
OhioInstant bingo
Ohio licenses pull tabs as instant bingo; search that name and you'll find them.
Where to play in Ohio · Ohio rules
TexasPull-tab bingo
Sold alongside charitable bingo at licensed halls.
Where to play in Texas · Texas rules
VirginiaInstant bingo, pull tabs and seal cards
Virginia's charitable gaming law uses all three names.
Where to play in Virginia · Virginia rules
WashingtonPunch boards and pull-tabs
Licensed for charities and for bars that sell food and drink.
Where to play in Washington · Washington rules
WisconsinMilkcap pull tabs
Wisconsin bar tabs are legal as souvenir milkcap pull tabs.
Where to play in Wisconsin · Wisconsin rules

Other names you'll hear

Around the bar you'll also hear break-opens, jar tickets and Nevada tickets. Those are nicknames rather than any state's legal term, and they all mean the same thing: a ticket you peel open to see if it's a winner. More on that in what are Nevada tickets.

Pull tab name questions

What are pull tabs called in Ohio?

Instant bingo. Ohio licenses pull tabs as instant bingo, so that's the name to search for there.

What are pickle cards?

Pickle cards are Nebraska's name for pull tabs: the same break-open tickets with predetermined winners, sold by licensed charities.

What is a bell jar?

Bell jars are New York's name for pull tabs. Charities sell bell jar tickets, along with seal cards and coin boards.

What is a tip jar in Maryland?

Tip jars are Maryland's name for pull tabs, licensed county by county, most commonly in Frederick and Washington counties.

Sources

Names come from each state's own charitable gaming or lottery wording, checked in October 2026: the Nebraska Department of Revenue's Charitable Gaming Division, the New York State Gaming Commission, the Illinois Pull Tabs and Jar Games Act, Maryland's county gaming commissions, the Code of Virginia, the Washington State Gambling Commission, Indiana's Type II gaming law, and the state agencies behind each of our state guides.

Keep reading