Yes, pull tabs are legal in Arizona, but the state runs them differently from most others. Rather than issuing standalone charitable pull-tab licenses, Arizona folds pull tabs into the state Lottery, where they are sold as Instant Tab games. Licensed Lottery retailers, including many bars, restaurants, and charitable and fraternal organizations, sell these paper tickets. Participating nonprofits buy and resell the tabs as a fundraising activity and earn commissions that support their programs.
Who can offer pull tabs in Arizona
In Arizona, pull tabs are a product of the Arizona State Lottery, branded as Instant Tab games. Any business or organization that becomes a licensed Arizona Lottery retailer can sell them. That group includes everyday outlets like bars and restaurants as well as charitable and fraternal organizations.
For nonprofits, selling Instant Tabs works as a permitted fundraising activity. Charitable organizations purchase the tickets and resell them to the public, and because charitable retailers earn a higher commission than other retailers, the earnings help fund their ongoing operations. Veterans and fraternal posts are among the most common charitable sellers.
How Instant Tab pull tabs work
An Instant Tab is a paper pull-tab ticket. You open the perforated window tabs to reveal play symbols, and matching three identical symbols in a winning combination pays the set prize shown on the ticket. There is no drawing to wait for, so results are instant, similar to a scratch ticket but with pull-open tabs instead of a scratch-off surface. Prizes are claimed at the place of purchase on the same day.
Because these are Lottery products, the games, prizes, and payouts are set by the Arizona Lottery rather than by each individual seller. Proceeds from Lottery Instant Tab sales also help support statewide programs in areas such as higher education, health and human services, and the environment.
Rules, age limits, and who regulates them
You must be 21 or older to buy or redeem any Arizona Lottery ticket, including Instant Tabs. That age floor is higher than the pull-tab age in many other states, so it is worth noting for players and sellers alike.
Regulation is the part that surprises people. Even though pull tabs are a form of charitable fundraising here, they are not overseen by the Arizona Department of Gaming, which handles tribal gaming and racing, nor by the Department of Revenue, which handles bingo. Instant Tabs are regulated by the Arizona Lottery under the state Lottery statutes in A.R.S. Title 5, Chapter 5.1. Arizona does not run a separate tablet-based electronic pull-tab program, so the Instant Tabs you will encounter are paper tickets.
Where can I play pull tabs in Arizona?
You can find Instant Tab pull tabs at Arizona Lottery retailers such as bars and restaurants and at charitable organizations like VFW and American Legion posts, Elks and Moose lodges, and Fraternal Order of Eagles clubs.
Find a spot145 places to play pull tabs in Arizona