In Ohio, the paper pull tabs you buy at a veterans post or fraternal club are legally known as "instant bingo," a type of charitable gaming. They are authorized under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 2915 and are regulated by the Ohio Attorney General's Charitable Law Section. Only licensed charitable organizations may sell them, and the proceeds are meant to support charitable purposes. Ohio also legalized an electronic version, called electronic instant bingo, in 2021.
Who can run pull tabs in Ohio
Ohio does not let just anyone sell pull tabs. Instant bingo may only be conducted by charitable organizations that hold a license from the Ohio Attorney General. That group includes qualifying nonprofit charities as well as veterans organizations, fraternal organizations, and sporting organizations that meet the state's requirements.
Organizations apply and renew through the Attorney General's online charitable licensing system, must keep bingo proceeds in a separate checking account, and file regular financial reports. People with disqualifying gambling or felony convictions are barred from serving as bingo game operators, and the money raised is expected to go toward the charitable mission behind the license.
How instant bingo works and where you find it
Instant bingo is the Ohio name for the classic pull-tab ticket. You buy a paper ticket, pull back the perforated tabs, and see instantly whether the symbols reveal a winner. Ohio law treats this as a form of bingo, which is why the rules live alongside traditional bingo in Chapter 2915.
Veterans and fraternal organizations that hold the right license can also offer electronic instant bingo, a tablet and cabinet based version that modernizes the paper pull tab. Electronic play was legalized in 2021. It is restricted to qualified veterans and fraternal groups, capped at ten devices per location, and offered only at the organization's principal place of business to its members and invited guests.
Rules and recent changes to know
You must be at least 18 years old to play bingo, including instant bingo, in Ohio. Veterans, fraternal, and sporting organizations that run instant bingo outside of a traditional bingo session do so under what the state calls a Type III license, with limits on the hours of sale and, for members-only play, on where and to whom tickets can be sold.
The biggest recent shift is the arrival of electronic instant bingo. It brought paper pull tabs into digital form for veterans and fraternal posts, added a licensing track for the manufacturers and distributors that supply the equipment, and remains a distinct and more tightly limited category than the long-standing paper game.
Where can I play pull tabs in Ohio?
You will typically find Ohio instant bingo pull tabs at licensed nonprofit halls and at veterans posts and fraternal clubs such as VFW, American Legion, AMVETS, Eagles, Elks, and Moose lodges.
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