North Carolina HB 988: Averasboro Township TDA Changes.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 988

Short Title: Revise Law on Instant Bingo. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative Hawkins.
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 14, 2025
*H988-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REVISE THE LAWS GOVERNING INSTANT BINGO GAMES, TO REVISE 2
THE METHOD BY WHICH FUNDS RECEIVED IN CONNECTION WITH A BINGO 3
GAME MAY BE DISBURSED, AND TO MAKE VARIOUS TECHNICAL 4
CORRECTIONS. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
SECTION 1. G.S. 14-309.6 reads as rewritten: 7
"§ 14-309.6. Definitions. 8
For purposes of this Part, the term:following definitions apply: 9
(1) "Exempt organization" means anExempt organization. – An organization that 10
has been in continuous existence in the county of operation of the bingo game 11
for at least one year and that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3), 12
501(c)(4), 501(c)(8), 501(c)(10), 501(c)(19), or 501(d) of the Internal 13
Revenue Code and is exempt under similar provisions of the General Statutes 14
as a bona fide nonprofit charitable, civic, religious, fraternal, patriotic or 15
veterans' organization or as a nonprofit volunteer fire department, or as a 16
nonprofit volunteer rescue squad or a bona fide homeowners' or property 17
owners' association. (If the organization has local branches or chapters, the 18
term "exempt organization" means the local branch or chapter operating the 19
bingo game);game). 20
(2) "Bingo game" means aBingo game. – A specific game of chance played with 21
individual cards having numbered squares ranging from one to 75, in which 22
prizes are awarded on the basis of designated numbers on such cards 23
conforming to a predetermined pattern of numbers (but shall not include 24
"instant bingo" which is a game of chance played by the selection of one or 25
more prepackaged cards, with winners determined by the appearance of a 26
preselected designation on the card);numbers. This term includes instant 27
bingo. 28
(2a) Instant bingo. – A game of chance played by the selection of one or more 29
predesignated paper or digital tickets, with winners determined by the 30
appearance of a preselected designation on the ticket. 31
... 32
(4) "Local law-enforcement agency" means forLocal law enforcement agency. – 33
For any bingo game conducted outside the corporate limits of a municipality 34

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 988-First Edition
or inside the corporate limits of a municipality having no municipal police 1
force:force, this term means either of the following: 2
a. The county police force; orforce. 3
b. The county sheriff's office in a county with no county police 4
force;force. 5
(5) "Local law-enforcement agency" means theLocal law enforcement agency. – 6
The municipal police for any bingo game conducted within the corporate 7
limits of a municipality having a police force;force. 8
(6) "Beach bingo games" means bingoBeach bingo games. – Bingo games which 9
have prizes of ten dollars ($10.00) or less or merchandise that is not 10
redeemable for cash and that has a value of ten dollars ($10.00) or less; 11
andless. This term does not include instant bingo. 12
(7) "Licensed exempt organization" means anLicensed exempt organization. – An 13
exempt organization which possesses a currently valid license. 14
(8) "Nonprofit organization" means anNonprofit organization. – An organization 15
or association recognized by the Department of Revenue as tax exempt 16
pursuant to G.S. 105-130.11(a), or any bona fide branch, chapter, or affiliate 17
of that organization." 18
SECTION 2. G.S. 14-309.8 reads as rewritten: 19
"§ 14-309.8. Limit on sessions. 20
The number of sessions of bingo conducted or sponsored by an exempt organization shall be 21
limited to two sessions per week and such sessions must not exceed a period of five hours each 22
per session. No two sessions of bingo shall be held within a 48-hour period of time. No more 23
than two sessions of bingo shall be operated or conducted in any one building, hall or structure 24
during any one calendar week and if two sessions are held, they must be held by the same exempt 25
organization. This section shall not apply to bingo games conducted (i) at a fair or other 26
exhibition conducted pursuant to Article 45 of Chapter 106 of the General Statutes.Statutes or 27
(ii) by an organization exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(8), 501(c)(10), or 501(c)(19) 28
of the Internal Revenue Code." 29
SECTION 3. G.S. 14-309.9(a) reads as rewritten: 30
"(a) TheExcept as otherwise provided in this section, the maximum prize in cash or 31
merchandise that may be offered or paid for any one game of bingo is five hundred dollars 32
($500.00). The maximum aggregate amount of prizes, in cash and/orcash, merchandise, or cash 33
and merchandise, that may be offered or paid at any one session of