Pull tabs, sometimes called break-opens or Nevada tickets, are legal in Missouri as part of the state's charitable gaming program. They are regulated by the Missouri Gaming Commission's Charitable Games Division, which oversees charitable bingo and its associated games. Only qualified nonprofit organizations that hold the proper license may sell them, and every game must follow rules set out in state law. This is charitable gaming, which is separate from the Missouri Lottery, the state's riverboat casinos, and any commercial slot machines.
Who can run pull tabs in Missouri
Missouri limits pull-tab games to qualified, licensed organizations. State law and the Missouri Gaming Commission recognize religious, charitable, fraternal, veteran, and service organizations as the only groups eligible to conduct them. No individual member may profit from the games, and the net proceeds must go to lawful charitable, religious, or philanthropic purposes.
Pull tabs are treated as an associated game under Missouri's bingo framework. An organization generally needs a bingo license, and pull-tab cards must be offered in conjunction with a licensed bingo game. Missouri also offers a pull-tab-only license path for groups that want to hold a limited number of pull-tab occasions each year. The Commission licenses not only the organizations but also the halls, suppliers, and manufacturers involved.
How pull tabs work and where you find them
A pull tab is a small paper card with perforated windows. You pull back the tabs to reveal a set of symbols, and matching combinations win a prize. In Missouri the price for a single pull-tab card may not exceed one dollar, and prizes are paid directly, not through a machine.
Because pull tabs are tied to charitable bingo here, you tend to encounter them at organized bingo sessions and at nonprofit and members' clubs rather than at ordinary retail stores. They show up wherever a licensed charitable organization is running its games.
Notable rules and the electronic question
Missouri sets a minimum age of 16 to play or help conduct bingo and its associated pull-tab games. Pull-tab sales are capped at one dollar per card, and the games do not count against the daily limit on regular bingo games, although at least one qualifying bingo game must be held.
Electronic or tablet based pull tabs are not authorized in Missouri. State law expressly prohibits using any vending machine or mechanized coin-operated machine to sell pull-tab cards or to pay out prizes, so games must be conducted with paper cards and prizes paid in person. Missouri also issues a pull-tab-only license for short events lasting no more than twenty-four hours, capped at fifteen such occasions per calendar year.
Where can I play pull tabs in Missouri?
In Missouri you typically find pull tabs at licensed charitable bingo sessions and at nonprofit and members' venues such as VFW and American Legion posts, fraternal lodges, and church and service-club events.
Find a spot439 places to play pull tabs in Missouri