Pull tabs, sometimes called break-opens or charitable gaming tickets, are legal in Massachusetts when they are run by a qualified nonprofit under a state license. They are not part of the state Lottery's instant scratch games, and they are separate from casino gaming. Instead, they fall under the state's charitable gaming rules, which the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission administers through its Charitable Gaming Division. In practice, this means you will find them tied to nonprofit beano (bingo) operations rather than sold at ordinary lottery retailers.
Who can run pull tabs in Massachusetts
Only nonprofit organizations may be licensed to offer pull tabs, and the license comes from the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission. Eligible groups include the kinds of organizations that already run charitable beano, such as veterans' posts, fraternal orders, religious organizations, volunteer fire companies, and nonprofit athletic associations. A group generally must have been organized and active for several years before it qualifies.
Under state law, pull tabs are treated as lottery tickets that a beano-licensed organization may be authorized to sell. That is why pull tabs in Massachusetts are closely linked to beano licensing. The proceeds must be used for charitable, religious, or educational purposes, not distributed to the members of the organization.
How they work and where you find them
A pull tab is a small paper ticket with a covered window. You peel or pull back the tab to reveal symbols or numbers, and matching combinations win a set cash prize. Under state regulations the tickets are sold at the price set by the Lottery, and winning tickets are validated and paid on the spot at the place of sale.
Because these are charitable games, you will not find them at gas stations or convenience stores the way you find Lottery scratch tickets. State rules require that pull tabs be sold only on the licensed organization's own premises and only from dispensers or vending machines approved by the Lottery. That usually means the hall or club where the nonprofit holds its beano nights.
Notable rules and the electronic question
The minimum age to play is 18, consistent with the state's charitable gaming and beano rules, and minors are not permitted in the gaming area while games are underway. Organizations pay the Lottery for their ticket inventory and follow recordkeeping and reporting requirements set out in the state regulations.
Massachusetts authorizes paper pull tabs dispensed from approved machines. It does not run a charitable electronic pull-tab program of the kind seen in some other states, where players use handheld tablets or e-tab terminals. If that ever changes, it would require action by the Lottery and the Legislature, so for now the charitable pull-tab framework here is a paper-ticket system.
Where can I play pull tabs in Massachusetts?
You will typically find charitable pull tabs at nonprofit beano halls and club rooms run by groups such as VFW and American Legion posts, fraternal orders, religious organizations, and volunteer fire associations, sold from Lottery-approved dispensers on the organization's own premises.
Find a spot401 places to play pull tabs in Massachusetts