Pull tabs are legal in Illinois, where they are treated as a form of charitable gaming rather than commercial gambling. The Illinois Department of Revenue, through its Office of Bingo and Charitable Games, licenses and regulates them under the Illinois Pull Tabs and Jar Games Act. Only qualified nonprofit organizations may sell them, and every player must be at least 18 years old. The rules cover paper pull tab and jar game tickets, and they set limits on ticket prices and prizes.
Who can run pull tabs in Illinois
Pull tabs in Illinois can only be sold by a licensed nonprofit organization, not by a bar owner or private business acting on its own. Eligible groups include bona fide religious, charitable, labor, fraternal, youth athletic, senior citizens', educational, and veterans' organizations that operate without profit.
To qualify, an organization generally must have existed continuously in Illinois for at least five years before applying, with an active membership pursuing its purpose throughout that time. That requirement drops to two years for a local group that is chartered by and affiliated with a national organization that already meets the five-year standard. The Office of Bingo and Charitable Games issues the licenses and collects the fees, which run about $500 a year for a regular license or $50 for a limited license.
How pull tabs work and where you find them
A pull tab is a small paper ticket with perforated tabs. You peel the tabs back to reveal a set of symbols or numbers, and matching combinations win a set prize. Jar games work the same way, with folded or rolled tickets drawn from a container. Because Illinois runs these as charitable gaming, the money raised is meant to support the sponsoring organization's mission.
In practice you will most often see pull tabs at the halls and events of the nonprofits that are licensed to sell them. That means veterans posts, fraternal lodges, and similar member organizations rather than ordinary retail counters. Illinois law also requires that anyone selling or playing be 18 or older, and a minor may only be in the area where games are conducted when accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Ticket limits, prize caps, and electronic games
Illinois sets clear limits on the games themselves. An individual pull tab or jar game ticket cannot cost more than $2, and no more than 6,000 tickets may be sold for a single game. A single prize is capped at $500, and the total value of all prizes awarded on any one day of games cannot exceed $5,000.
Illinois authorizes traditional paper pull tabs and jar games. It has not authorized electronic or tablet based pull tab machines as part of its charitable gaming framework, so the state's rules apply to physical tickets. Anyone planning to conduct games should confirm current requirements and any recent changes directly with the Illinois Department of Revenue before running an event.
Where can I play pull tabs in Illinois?
Pull tabs in Illinois are typically found at licensed nonprofit venues such as VFW and American Legion posts, fraternal lodges like the Elks, Moose, or Knights of Columbus, and church or charity event halls.
Find a spot864 places to play pull tabs in Illinois