Pull tabs are legal in Kentucky as a form of charitable gaming. State law refers to them as charity game tickets, and they cover the familiar paper break-open tickets, seal cards, and electronic pulltab devices. Only qualified nonprofit and charitable organizations that hold the proper license may sell them. The activity is governed by Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 238 and overseen by the state's charitable gaming regulator.
Who can run pull tabs
Pull tabs in Kentucky may only be sold by licensed charitable organizations. This includes veterans and fraternal groups such as VFW and American Legion posts and Elks, Moose, and Eagles lodges, along with churches, volunteer fire departments, and civic and nonprofit organizations that qualify under state law.
Kentucky offers only a narrow exemption from licensing for very small-scale gaming, such as small raffles that stay at or below roughly $25,000 in gross annual receipts. That exemption does not cover pull tabs. To sell charity game tickets, a group needs a full charitable gaming license from the state, and licensed charities must devote a portion of their gaming proceeds to the charitable purposes named in their license.
How pull tabs work and where you find them
A charity game ticket is a folded or banded paper ticket, or a card with perforated break-open tabs, that hides a set of numbers or symbols. Some tickets are designated in advance as winners, so you buy a ticket, open the tabs, and check whether your symbols match a posted prize. Kentucky law also recognizes electronic pulltab devices that present the same game on a screen.
You will most often come across pull tabs at veterans posts, fraternal lodges, and charitable bingo halls, as well as at church festivals and other fundraising events run by licensed groups. Electronic pulltab machines have also spread to many of these locations across the state.
Notable rules and recent changes
No one under 18 may purchase or open a charity game ticket in Kentucky. That age limit applies to both paper pull tabs and electronic versions.
Oversight of charitable gaming was reorganized in recent years. The former Department of Charitable Gaming, which had sat under the Public Protection Cabinet, was folded into a new independent body, Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming, where it now operates as the Office of Charitable Gaming. By statute, electronic pulltab devices must meet state construction standards, be certified before use, and be used only for charitable gaming.
Where can I play pull tabs in Kentucky?
Pull tabs in Kentucky are commonly found at VFW and American Legion posts, fraternal lodges such as Elks, Moose, and Eagles, church and parish festivals, volunteer fire departments, and licensed charitable bingo halls.
Find a spot207 places to play pull tabs in Kentucky