In New Jersey, the game most people call a pull tab goes by the official name "instant raffle game." It is a form of charitable gaming, which means it is legal but only when a qualified nonprofit organization runs it under a license. The state treats these break-open paper tickets as a type of raffle, so they fall under the same rules that cover charity bingo and raffle drawings. Everything is overseen by the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission, part of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
Who can run pull tabs in New Jersey
Pull tabs are not a commercial product in New Jersey. Only bona fide nonprofit groups may conduct them, including charitable, religious, educational, veterans, fraternal, and civic organizations, along with senior citizen clubs, volunteer fire companies, and rescue squads.
To offer instant raffle games, a group first registers with the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission and then obtains a raffle license from the municipality where the game will be held. The organization must also buy its tickets only from suppliers licensed by the Commission and pay for them by check from a dedicated games of chance account, since cash and credit purchases are prohibited.
How the game works and where you find it
A New Jersey instant raffle ticket is a folded paper ticket or a card with perforated break-open tabs. You peel back the tabs to reveal numbers or symbols, and if they match a winning combination printed on the deal, you turn the ticket in for a prize. The winners are already built into a single finite batch of tickets, so it plays much like an instant lottery scratch game.
Because these games are tied to licensed charities rather than stores, you will typically encounter them at the host organization's own hall or event rather than at a retail counter.
Notable rules and the electronic question
Players must be at least 18 years old to take part in a raffle that awards cash or money as a prize, which includes instant raffle pull tabs. This age rule is set out in the state's games of chance regulations.
New Jersey's rules describe instant raffle tickets specifically as paper break-open tickets, and the state does not authorize electronic or tablet-based pull tab machines the way some other states do. Groups that try to run unlicensed games, or games not covered by the Raffles Licensing Law, can face penalties, so it is worth confirming a game is properly licensed.
Where can I play pull tabs in New Jersey?
You will usually find pull tabs at licensed nonprofit venues such as VFW and American Legion posts, fraternal clubs like the Elks or Moose, volunteer fire companies, churches, and senior citizen clubs, rather than at bars or stores.
Find a spot164 places to play pull tabs in New Jersey