Delaware Administrative Code
Title 10 - Charitable Gaming, Lottery, and Fantasy Sports
100 - Board of Charitable Gaming
101 - Regulations Governing Bingo
Section 101-4.0 - Conduct of Bingo

Universal Citation: 10 DE Admin Code 101-4.0

Current through Register Vol. 28, No. 3, September 1, 2024

4.1 The officers of a licensee shall designate a bona fide, active member to be in charge of and primarily responsible for the conduct of the game of chance on each occasion. The member in charge shall supervise all activities on the occasions for which he or she is in charge and shall be responsible for the making of the required report thereof. The member in charge shall be familiar with the provisions of the Bingo Statute, and these rules and regulations.

4.1.1 Neither the member in charge of conducting the event, nor any other member of the sponsoring organization who is assisting in conducting the event or otherwise working at the event shall be permitted to play the bingo games.

4.2 The room where any game is being held, operated, or conducted, or where it is intended that any game shall be held, operated, or conducted, or where it is intended that any equipment be used, shall at all times be open to inspection by the appropriate law enforcement officers and agents of the District in which the premises are situated, and to the Board and its agents and employees. Bingo games shall not be commenced prior to 12:00 p.m. and the operation of a function shall be limited to six hours.

4.3 No person under the age of eighteen (18) may participate in any bingo game. Persons between the ages of 16 through 18 may conduct or assist in conducting the bingo game and persons over the age of fourteen (14) may act as waiters and waitresses in the handling of food or drinks at an occasion on which a licensee conducts bingo.

4.4 No organization licensed prior to enactment of 71 Del. Law 444 (July 14, 1998), may hold, operate, or conduct bingo more often than ten (10) days in any calendar month. No bingo licensee licensed after the enactment of 71 Del. Laws 444 (July 14, 1998) shall conduct more than one bingo event per week. A bingo licensee licensed prior to the enactment of 71 Del. Laws 444 (July 14, 1998), whose license lapses for six (6) months or more due to nonrenewal or suspension or any other reason shall, upon licensing thereafter, be considered a licensee licensed after the enactment of 71 Del. Laws 444 (July 14, 1998).

4.5 The Board and its duly authorized agents and employees may examine the books and records of any licensee, so far as those books and records relate to any transaction connected with the holding, operating, and conducting of the game of bingo, and may examine any manager, officer, director, agent, member, employee, or assistant of the licensee under oath in relation to the conduct of the game of bingo.

4.6 No prize in an amount or value greater than $350 shall be offered or given in any single game and the aggregate amount or value of all prizes offered or given in all games played on a single occasion shall not exceed $3,000. The amount of the prize in each bingo game shall be announced at the start of the game. At the end of each game, there will be an announcement of the total number of winners and the amount paid to each. All winners shall be determined and all prizes shall be awarded in any game played on any occasion within the same calendar day as that upon which the game is played. The value of any promotional giveaways, which shall be no more than $500 per annum to be distributed at an organizational anniversary date and no more than three (3) holiday dates per year, shall not be counted towards the dollar amounts described in this section. Holiday dates means those holiday dates officially recognized by the State of Delaware as holidays. The event itself must take place within the period of seven days before the holiday or on the holiday itself. However, a licensee may offer inducements, free refreshments, and free transportation of players to and from bingo events, to attract bingo players to the bingo event, provided that the fair market value of inducements is limited to 15% of the total amount of all other prizes offered or given during the bingo event.

4.7 Two or more organizations may not hold games of bingo at the same place on the same day. Unless a bingo licensee has been licensed prior to the enactment of 71 Del. Laws 444 (July 14, 1998), only one licensed organization may hold bingo games in a licensed organization's building during any given week.

4.8 No alcoholic beverages shall be permitted in the room from the time the bingo hall opens until the conclusion of the last bingo game of the occasion.

4.9 All games shall be conducted with equipment that is owned absolutely by the licensee or that is leased for fees not in excess of those allowable under the Schedule of Rental for leasing of equipment on file with the Board. Equipment shall include bingo playing cards. If the licensee uses cards that are for more than one session of playing bingo, these cards should be identified as the property of the licensee.

4.10 All winners shall be determined and all prizes shall be awarded in any game played on any occasion within the same calendar day as that upon which the game is played.

4.11 When more than one player is found to be the winner on the call of the same number in the same game, the designated prize, if monetary, shall be divided as equally as possible. When the prize is not a monetary prize, a single winner may be determined in accordance with the organization's own house rules. The other players who qualified to win the game may be given a chance to win a later game or drawing with the winner of that game or drawing receiving the prize offered at that time. The value of the prize at the subsequent game or drawing shall be counted toward the maximum allowable prizes for the entire event.

4.12 The equipment used in the playing of bingo and the method of play shall be such that each card shall have an equal opportunity to be a winner. The objects drawn shall be essentially equal as to size, shape, weight, and balance, and as to all other characteristics that may control their selection, and all shall be present in the receptacle before each game is begun. All numbers shall be announced so as to be visible or audible to all players present.

4.13 The particular arrangement of numbers required to be covered in order to win the game shall be clearly described and announced to the players immediately before each game is begun.

4.14 No arrangement of numbers shall be required to be covered in order to win the game other than the following:

4.14.1 one unspecified horizontal row;

4.14.2 one unspecified vertical row;

4.14.3 one unspecified full diagonal row;

4.14.4 one unspecified row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal);

4.14.5 Two or more of the foregoing, forming a specified arrangement;

4.14.6 The entire card;

4.14.7 Four corners;

4.14.8 Eight spaces surrounding the free space.

4.14.9 Any other configuration or shape on the card established by an organization, provided the players are informed of the shape needed to win before play commences.

4.15 Within the limits contained in Title 28 of the Delaware Code, alternate prizes may be offered depending upon the number of calls within which bingo is reached, provided the application for the bingo license and the license so specify.

4.16 Any player shall be entitled to call for a verification of all numbers drawn at the time a winner is determined, and for a verification of the objects remaining in the receptacle and not yet drawn. The verification shall be made in the immediate presence of the member designated to be in charge on the occasion, but if such member is also the announcer, then in the immediate presence of an officer of the licensee.

4.17 No licensee shall conduct more than forty (40) games on a single occasion.

4.18 Within the limits contained in Title 28 of the Delaware Code, the prizes offered may be varied depending upon the number of people who attend the occasion, provided the application for bingo license and license so specify. If a licensee avails itself of the provisions of this rule, it must announce at the beginning of each game the number of people present and the prizes to be awarded.

4.19 The entire proceeds of the games of bingo must be used solely for the promotion or achievement of the purposes of the licensee.

4.20 Any house rules adopted by the licensee that affect the conduct of the players or the awarding of prizes shall be prominently posted in at least four locations within the area where the bingo games are conducted.

4.21 The licensee shall be permitted to reserve seats within the area where the bingo games are conducted to provide for the special needs of handicapped persons, and the licensee shall ensure that the remaining seats are made available to the players on an equal basis.

4.22 A licensee may charge an admission fee to a game event in any room or area in which a game is to be conducted. The admission fee shall entitle the game player (a) to a card enabling the player to participate without additional charge in all regular games to be played under the license at the event, or (b) to free refreshments. The licensee may charge an additional fee to a game player for a single opportunity to participate in a special game to be played under license at the event.

4.23 No person shall conduct or assist in conducting any game except an active member of the organization to which the license is issued.

4.24 No item of expense shall be incurred or paid in connection with the conduct of the game except shall be incurred or paid in connection with the conduct of the game except such as are bona fide items of a reasonable amount for merchandise furnished or services rendered which are reasonably necessary for the conduct of the game.

4.25 The bingo event shall start when the balls are verified. The balls shall be verified before the cookie jar number is selected and called.

4.26 In the playing of bingo, all players shall be physically present in the room where the game is actually conducted in order to play the game or claim a prize offered.

4.27 A winner shall be determined when the preannounced pattern of squares is covered by a player on a card.

4.28 It shall be the player's responsibility to notify a volunteer including the chairperson or caller that the player has a winning bingo combination as announced.

4.29 Break Open or Game Event Bingo

4.29.1 A break open or game event bingo game shall begin when, in the presence of players attending the bingo occasion, the organization calls and posts, either manually or by use of a flashboard, a predetermined quantity of randomly selected bingo numbers from a receptacle or game is decided instantly by verification of serial number. The balls shall then be placed back into the receptacle until the next game is played on the program.

4.29.2 Sealed bingo paper sheets for a break open or game event bingo game may be sold throughout the bingo occasion. Additional bingo paper sheets for a break open or game event bingo game shall not be sold after the organization resumes calling letters and numbers when the game is played on the program

4.30 "U Pick Em" or Player Pick Games.

4.30.1 If the charitable organization offers a "U Pick Em" or Player Pick game, the requirements in this section shall apply.
4.30.1.1 A player shall select numbers between one (1) and seventy-five (75). A player shall not select more than five (5) numbers for each column. The player may allow the machine to select the numbers, if the organization has such a machine available.

4.30.1.2 Duplicate numbers shall not be played on a purchased face. If duplicate numbers appear on a face, the card shall be void.

4.30.1.3 Once selected, the numbers shall be printed/written on the card face.

4.30.1.4 The faces shall conform to the construction and randomization standards set forth in subsection 4.14.

4.30.1.5 The price of each face and the amount of numbers that will be chosen shall be listed on the bingo program.

4.30.1.6 An organization shall list all "U Pick Em" or Player Pick Games on the organization's bingo application on the addendum A form and shall include the payout amount for each game.

4.30.1.7 The numbers shall be daubed as the balls are called when the game is played as listed on the bingo program.

4.30.1.8 A player shall win if he or she is the first person to cover the numbers.

4.31 "Cookie Jar Bingo" A game of chance in which players pay a set fee into a cookie jar or other container and receive an entry which entitles the player to a chance to win the total funds in the cookie jar or container.

4.31.1 The organization conducting the bingo event may choose any amount up to $1,000 for each cookie jar. The organization shall post the amount available to be won in the cookie jar and also clearly announce to the players the amount available to be won in the cookie jar.

4.31.2 Any amounts in any cookie jar bingo games shall not be included in any prize money limitations contained in these rules.

4.31.3 The fee to play a cookie jar bingo game must be collected separately and such fee may not be included in the fee to play regular bingo games or in any other fee.

4.31.4 The fees for cookie jar bingo shall be collected at the beginning of the event and added to the jar or jars before the first number is drawn. If at the beginning of an event when players pay their fee, one jar contains the maximum (up to $1,000) and the second jar would go over the maximum if the fees are added, the fees shall be held and not placed in the second jar at that time. When the first jar is then won, the second jar shall be filled to a total of the maximum and the remaining fee moneys shall be placed in a new jar.

4.31.5 An organization may not have more than two cookie jar bingo pots at any one time. The first jar must be awarded before a third jar can be started. If two cookie jar pots each contain the maximum amount of money allowed by law, the first jar must be awarded at the same event at which the second jar reaches the allowable maximum. If the first jar has not been awarded by the final game of the night, a special final bingo game of "full card" or "black out" bingo using a separate, single card, shall be played and the jar will be won by the first person who covers all spaces on their entire card.

4.31.6 At the start of the event, a bingo number shall be drawn which shall serve as the "cookie jar number." That number shall be posted for all players to see. During the games played on that occasion, if a player achieves bingo when the cookie jar number is drawn, the player shall win the funds in the cookie jar or container. If no one achieves bingo when the cookie jar number is drawn, the funds in the jar shall not be awarded. An organization may not otherwise offer a cookie jar game and may not designate the last game of the night or any other particular game as a cookie jar game at which the funds will be awarded without a person achieving bingo when the cookie jar number is drawn.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Delaware may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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