Alabama is one of the strictest states in the country when it comes to gambling, and charitable pull tabs are not part of the picture. The state constitution bans lotteries, and Alabama's criminal code treats games where players pay for a chance at a prize as illegal gambling. Unlike most states, Alabama has no statewide charitable gaming law and no gaming commission that issues pull-tab licenses to nonprofits. The only legal charitable gaming is traditional bingo, and even that exists only in select counties under local rules.
Are pull tabs legal in Alabama?
No. Pull tabs, sometimes called break-opens, Nevada tickets, or jar tickets, are not authorized in Alabama. Article IV, Section 65 of the Alabama Constitution prohibits lotteries and gift enterprises unless a specific constitutional amendment allows them, and no amendment authorizes pull tabs. On top of that, the state's gambling offenses statute at Alabama Code Section 13A-12-20 defines a lottery scheme as one where players pay something of value for numbered chances and the winning chances are picked by a drawing or some other fortuitous method, which describes exactly how pull tabs work.
Because there is no carve-out for charitable pull tabs, a nonprofit cannot get a license to sell them. There is no application, no fee schedule, and no regulator that oversees them, because the activity itself is not permitted. Running pull tabs in Alabama would be treated as unlawful gambling.
What charitable gaming is actually allowed?
The only form of charitable gaming with any legal footing in Alabama is traditional bingo, and it is not authorized statewide. Instead, individual counties have adopted their own local constitutional amendments over the years to permit charitable bingo, and those games are overseen at the local level by the county sheriff or, in some cities, the police chief. The specific counties, the organizations that qualify, and the limits on play vary widely, so the rules in one county tell you little about another.
There is no statewide charitable gaming agency in Alabama. Enforcement of the gambling laws is handled by the Alabama Attorney General's Office along with local district attorneys and sheriffs. If you are researching what a nonprofit can legally do to raise money in a particular county, the county authorities and a local attorney are the right people to ask.
Recent legal developments and electronic games
Alabama's gambling landscape has been contested for years. The Alabama Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that electronic bingo machines, which resemble slot machines, are illegal gambling devices, and the Attorney General has pursued lawsuits and search warrants against casinos operating them. That makes electronic or tablet-based pull tabs clearly off the table as well, since even electronic bingo has been struck down.
More recently, the Attorney General issued an opinion concluding that even charitable bingo and raffle events can run afoul of Alabama's gaming laws, which prompted lawmakers to propose a constitutional amendment that would carve out an exception for traditional charity bingo and raffles. Because gaming changes in Alabama must be approved by voters, such a measure cannot take effect through the Legislature alone, and as of mid 2026 no such amendment had become law, so the safest assumption is that charitable pull tabs remain prohibited across the state.
Where can I play pull tabs in Alabama?
Pull tabs are not legally offered anywhere in Alabama, so you will not find them at bars, clubs, or veterans and fraternal posts here.
Find a spot171 places to play pull tabs in Alabama