517.05 CHEATING.

   (a)   No person, with purpose to defraud or knowing that the person is facilitating a fraud, shall engage in conduct designed to corrupt the outcome of any of the following:

      (1)   The subject of a bet;

      (2)   A contest of knowledge, skill, or endurance that is not an athletic or sporting event;

      (3)   A scheme or game of chance;

      (4)   Bingo.

   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of cheating. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection cheating is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the potential gain from the cheating is one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more, or if the offender previously has been convicted of any gambling offense or of any theft offense as defined in Ohio R.C. 2913.01, cheating is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law.

(ORC 2915.05)

517.06 METHODS OF CONDUCTING A BINGO GAME; PROHIBITIONS.

   (a)   No charitable organization that conducts bingo shall fail to do any of the following:

      (1)   Own all of the equipment used to conduct bingo or lease that equipment from a charitable organization that is licensed to conduct bingo, or from the landlord of a premises where bingo is conducted, for a rental rate that is not more than is customary and reasonable for that equipment;

      (2)    Except as otherwise provided in subsection (a)(3) of this section, use all of the gross receipts from bingo for paying prizes, for reimbursement of expenses for or for renting premises in which to conduct bingo, for reimbursement of expenses for or for purchasing or leasing bingo supplies used in conducting bingo, for reimbursement of expenses for or for hiring security personnel, for reimbursement of expenses for or for advertising bingo, or for reimbursement of other expenses or for other expenses listed in the definition for “expenses” in Section 517.01(r), provided that the amount of the receipts so spent is not more than is customary and reasonable for a similar purchase, lease, hiring, advertising, or expense. If the building in which bingo is conducted is owned by the charitable organization conducting bingo and the bingo conducted includes a form of bingo described in the definition of “bingo” in Section 517.01(b)(1), the charitable organization may deduct from the total amount of the gross receipts from each session a sum equal to the lesser of six hundred dollars ($600.00) or forty-five percent (45%) of the gross receipts from the bingo described in that division as consideration for the use of the premises;

      (3)    Use, or give, donate, or otherwise transfer, all of the net profit derived from bingo described in Section 517.01(b)(1), for a charitable purpose listed in its license application and described in Section 517.02(k), or distribute all of the net profit from the proceeds of the sale of instant bingo or electronic instant bingo as stated in its license application and in accordance with Ohio R.C. 2915.101, as applicable.

   (b)   No charitable organization that conducts a bingo game described in Section 517.01(b)(1) shall fail to do any of the following:

      (1)   Conduct the bingo game on premises that are owned by the charitable organization, on premises that are owned by another charitable organization and leased from that charitable organization for a rental rate not in excess of the lesser of six hundred dollars ($600.00) per bingo session or forty-five percent (45%) of the gross receipts of the bingo session, on premises that are leased from a person other than a charitable organization for a rental rate that is not more than is customary and reasonable for premises that are similar in location, size, and quality but not in excess of four hundred fifty dollars ($450.00) per bingo session, or on premises that are owned by a person other than a charitable organization, that are leased from that person by another charitable organization, and that are subleased from that other charitable organization by the charitable organization for a rental rate not in excess of four hundred fifty dollars ($450.00) per bingo session. No charitable organization is required to pay property taxes or assessments on premises that the charitable organization leases from another person to conduct bingo sessions. If the charitable organization leases from a person other than a charitable organization the premises on which it conducts bingo sessions, the lessor of the premises shall provide the premises to the organization and shall not provide the organization with bingo game operators, security personnel, concessions or concession operators, bingo supplies, or any other type of service. A charitable organization shall not lease or sublease premises that it owns or leases to more than three (3) other charitable organizations per calendar week for conducting bingo sessions on the premises. A person that is not a charitable organization shall not lease premises that it owns, leases, or otherwise is empowered to lease to more than three (3) charitable organizations per calendar week for conducting bingo sessions on the premises. In no case shall more than nine (9) bingo sessions be conducted on any premises in any calendar week.

      (2)   Display its license conspicuously at the premises where the bingo session is conducted;

      (3)   Conduct the bingo session in accordance with the definition of bingo set forth in Section 517.01(b)(1).

   (c)   No charitable organization that conducts a bingo game described in Section 517.01(b)(1) shall do any of the following:

      (1)   Pay any compensation to a bingo game operator for operating a bingo session that is conducted by the charitable organization or for preparing, selling, or serving food or beverages at the site of the bingo session, permit any auxiliary unit or society of the charitable organization to pay compensation to any bingo game operator who prepares, sells, or serves food or beverages at a bingo session conducted by the charitable organization, or permit any auxiliary unit or society of the charitable organization to prepare, sell, or serve food or beverages at a bingo session conducted by the charitable organization, if the auxiliary unit or society pays any compensation to the bingo game operators who prepare, sell, or serve the food or beverages;

      (2)   Pay consulting fees to any person for any services performed in relation to the bingo session;

      (3)   Pay concession fees to any person who provides refreshments to the participants in the bingo session;

      (4)   Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c)(4) of this section, conduct more than three bingo sessions in any seven-day period. A volunteer firefighter's organization or a volunteer rescue service organization that conducts not more than five (5) bingo sessions in a calendar year may conduct more than three (3) bingo sessions in a seven-day period after notifying the Attorney General when it will conduct the sessions;

      (5)   Pay out more than six thousand dollars ($6,000) in prizes for bingo games described in Section 517.01(b)(1) during any bingo session that is conducted by the charitable organization. “Prizes” does not include awards from the conduct of instant bingo;

      (6)   Conduct a bingo session at any time during the eight-hour period between 2:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., at any time during, or within ten (10) hours of, a bingo game conducted for amusement only pursuant to Ohio R.C. 2915.12, at any premises not specified on its license, or on any day of the week or during any time period not specified on its license. Subsection (c)(6) of this section does not prohibit the sale of instant bingo tickets beginning at 9:00 a.m. for a bingo session that begins at 10:00 a.m. If circumstances make it impractical for the charitable organization to conduct a bingo session at the premises, or on the day of the week or at the time, specified on its license or if a charitable organization wants to conduct bingo sessions on a day of the week or at a time other than the day or time specified on its license, the charitable organization may apply in writing to the Attorney General for an amended license, pursuant to division (J) of Ohio R.C. 2915.08. A charitable organization may apply twice in each calendar year for an amended license to conduct bingo sessions on a day of the week or at a time other than the day or time specified on its license. If the amended license is granted, the organization may conduct bingo sessions at the premises, on the day of the week, and at the time specified on its amended license;

      (7)   Permit any person whom the charitable organization knows, or should have known, is under the age of eighteen (18) to work as a bingo game operator;

      (8)   Permit any person whom the charitable organization knows, or should have known, has been convicted of a felony or gambling offense in any jurisdiction to be a bingo game operator;

      (9)   Permit the lessor of the premises on which the bingo session is conducted, if the lessor is not a charitable organization, to provide the charitable organization with bingo game operators, security personnel, concessions, bingo supplies, or any other type of service;

      (10)   Purchase or lease bingo supplies from any person except a distributor issued a license under Ohio R.C. 2915.081;

      (11)   A.   Use or permit the use of electronic bingo aids except under the following circumstances:

            1.   For any single participant, not more than ninety (90) bingo faces can be played using an electronic bingo aid or aids.

            2.   The charitable organization shall provide a participant using an electronic bingo aid with corresponding paper bingo cards or sheets.

            3.   The total price of bingo faces played with an electronic bingo aid shall be equal to the total price of the same number of bingo faces played with a paper bingo card or sheet sold at the same bingo session but without an electronic bingo aid.

            4.   An electronic bingo aid cannot be part of an electronic network other than a network that includes only bingo aids and devices that are located on the premises at which the bingo is being conducted or be interactive with any device not located on the premises at which the bingo is being conducted.

            5.   An electronic bingo aid cannot be used to participate in bingo that is conducted at a location other than the location at which the bingo session is conducted and at which the electronic bingo aid is used.

            6.   An electronic bingo aid cannot be used to provide for the input of numbers and letters announced by a bingo caller other than the bingo caller who physically calls the numbers and letters at the location at which the bingo session is conducted and at which the electronic bingo aid is used.

         B.   The Attorney General may adopt rules in accordance with Ohio R.C. Chapter 119 that govern the use of electronic bingo aids. The rules may include a requirement that an electronic bingo aid be capable of being audited by the Attorney General to verify the number of bingo cards or sheets played during each bingo session.

      (12)   Permit any person the charitable organization knows, or should have known, to be under eighteen (18) years of age to play bingo described in Section 517.01(b)(1).

   (d)   (1)   Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d)(3) hereof, no charitable organization shall provide to a bingo game operator, and no bingo game operator shall receive or accept, any commission, wage, salary, reward, tip, donation, gratuity, or other form of compensation, directly or indirectly, regardless of the source, for conducting bingo or providing other work or labor at the site of bingo during a bingo session.

      (2)    Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d)(3) of this section, no charitable organization shall provide to a bingo game operator any commission, wage, salary, reward, tip, donation, gratuity, or other form of compensation, directly or indirectly regardless of the source, for conducting instant bingo, electronic instant bingo, or both other than at a bingo session at the site of instant bingo, electronic instant bingo, or both other than at a bingo session.

      (3)   Nothing in subsection (d) hereof prohibits an employee of a fraternal organization, veteran’s organization, or sporting organization from selling instant bingo tickets or cards to the organization’s members or invited guests, as long as no portion of the employee’s compensation is paid from any receipts of bingo.

   (e)   Notwithstanding subsection (b)(1) of this section, a charitable organization that, prior to December 6, 1977, has entered into written agreements for the lease of premises it owns to another charitable organization or other charitable organizations for the conducting of bingo sessions so that more than two (2) bingo sessions are conducted per calendar week on the premises, and a person that is not a charitable organization and that, prior to December 6, 1977, has entered into written agreements for the lease of premises it owns to charitable organizations for the conducting of more than two (2) bingo sessions per calendar week on the premises, may continue to lease the premises to those charitable organizations, provided that no more than four sessions are conducted per calendar week, that the lessor organization or person has notified the Attorney General in writing of the organizations that will conduct the sessions and the days of the week and the times of the day on which the sessions will be conducted, that the initial lease entered into with each organization that will conduct the sessions was filed with the Attorney General prior to December 6, 1977, and that each organization that will conduct the sessions was issued a license to conduct bingo games by the Attorney General prior to December 6, 1977.

   (f)   This section does not prohibit a bingo licensed charitable organization or a game operator from giving any person an instant bingo ticket as a prize.

   (g)   Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, whoever violates subsection (a)(1) or (2), (b)(1), (2), or (3), (c)(1) to (11) or (d) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If the offender previously has been convicted of a violation of subsection (a)(1) or (2), (b)(1), (2) or (3), (c)(1) to (11), or (d) of this section, a violation of subsection (a)(1) or (2), (b)(1), (2) or (3) or (c)(1) to (11) or (d) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree. Whoever violates subsection (c)(12) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of a violation of subsection (c)(12) of this section, a violation of subsection (c)(12) is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law.

(ORC 2915.09)

517.07 INSTANT BINGO CONDUCT.

   (a)   No charitable organization that conducts instant bingo shall do any of the following:

      (1)   Fail to comply with the requirements of divisions (A)(1), (2), and (3) of Ohio R.C. 2915.09;

      (2)   Conduct instant bingo unless either of the following applies:

         A.   That organization is, and has received from the Internal Revenue Service a determination letter that is currently in effect stating that the organization is, exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a), is described in subsection 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, is a charitable organization as defined in Section 517.01, is in good standing in the State pursuant to Ohio R.C. 2915.08, and is in compliance with Ohio R.C. Chapter 1716;

         B.   That organization is, and has received from the Internal Revenue Service a determination letter that is currently in effect stating that the organization is, exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a), is described in subsection 501(c)(8), 501(c)(10), or 501(c)(19) or is a veteran’s organization described in subsection 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, and conducts instant bingo under Section 517.14.

      (3)   Conduct instant bingo on any day, at any time, or at any premises not specified on the organization's license issued pursuant to Ohio R.C. 2915.08;

      (4)   Permit any person whom the organization knows or should have known has been convicted of a felony or gambling offense in any jurisdiction to be a bingo game operator in the conduct of instant bingo;

      (5)   Purchase or lease supplies used to conduct instant bingo or punch board games from any person except a distributor licensed under Ohio R.C. 2915.081;

      (6)   Sell or provide any instant bingo ticket or card for a price different from the price printed on it by the manufacturer on either the instant bingo ticket or card or on the game flare;

      (7)   Sell an instant bingo ticket or card to a person under eighteen (18) years of age;

      (8)   Fail to keep unsold instant bingo tickets or cards for less than three (3) years;

      (9)   Pay any compensation to a bingo game operator for conducting instant bingo that is conducted by the organization or for preparing, selling, or serving food or beverages at the site of the instant bingo game, permit any auxiliary unit or society of the organization to pay compensation to any bingo game operator who prepares, sells, or serves food or beverages at an instant bingo game conducted by the organization, or permit any auxiliary unit or society of the organization to prepare, sell, or serve food or beverages at an instant bingo game conducted by the organization, if the auxiliary unit or society pays any compensation to the bingo game operators who prepare, sell, or serve the food or beverages;

      (10)   Pay fees to any person for any services performed in relation to an instant bingo game, except as provided in Section 517.09(d);

      (11)   Pay fees to any person who provides refreshments to the participants in an instant bingo game;

      (12)   A.   Allow instant bingo tickets or cards to be sold to bingo game operators at a premises at which the organization sells instant bingo tickets or cards or to be sold to employees of a D permit holder who are working at a premises at which instant bingo tickets or cards are sold;

         B.   Subsection (a)(12)A. of this section does not prohibit a licensed charitable organization or a bingo game operator from giving any person an instant bingo ticket as a prize in place of a cash prize won by a participant in an instant bingo game. In no case shall an instant bingo ticket or card be sold or provided for a price different from the price printed on it by the manufacturer on either the instant bingo ticket or card or on the game flare.

      (13)   Fail to display its bingo license, and the serial numbers of the deal of instant bingo tickets or cards to be sold, conspicuously at each premises at which it sells instant bingo tickets or cards;

      (14)   Possess a deal of instant bingo tickets or cards that was not purchased from a distributor licensed under Ohio R.C. 2915.081 as reflected on an invoice issued by the distributor that contains all of the information required by Section 517.11(f);

      (15)   Fail, once it opens a deal of instant bingo tickets or cards, to continue to sell the tickets or cards in that deal until the tickets or cards with the top two (2) highest tiers of prizes in that deal are sold;

      (16)   Possess bingo supplies that were not obtained in accordance with Ohio R.C. 2915.01 to 2915.13.

   (b)   A charitable organization may purchase, lease, or use instant bingo ticket dispensers to sell instant bingo tickets or cards.

   (c)   Whoever violates subsection (a) of this section or a rule adopted under Ohio R.C. 2915.091(C) is guilty of illegal instant bingo conduct. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, illegal instant bingo conduct is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of a violation of subsection (a) of this section or of such a rule, illegal instant bingo conduct is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law. (ORC 2915.091)

517.08 RAFFLES.

   (a)   (1)    Subject to subsection (a)(2) of this section, a person or entity may conduct a raffle to raise money for the person or entity and does not need a license to conduct bingo in order to conduct a raffle drawing that is not for profit if the person or entity is any of the following:

         A.   Exempt from federal income taxation under IRC §501(a) and described in IRC §501(c)(3);

         B.   A school district, community school established under Ohio R.C. Chapter 3314, STEM school established under Ohio R.C. Chapter 3326, college-preparatory boarding school established under Ohio R.C. Chapter 3328, or chartered nonpublic school;

         C.   Exempt from federal income taxation under IRC §501(a) and described in IRC §501(c)(4), 501(c)(6), 501(c)(7), 501(c)(8), 501(c)(10) or 501(c)(19).

      (2)    If a person or entity that is described in subsection (a)(1)C. of this section conducts a raffle, the person or entity shall distribute at least fifty percent (50%) of the net profit from the raffle to a charitable purpose described in Section 517.01(j) or to a department or agency of the federal government, the state, or any political subdivision.

   (b)   Except as provided in subsection (a) of this section, no person shall conduct a raffle drawing that is for profit or a raffle drawing that is not for profit.

   (c)   Whoever violates subsection (b) of this section is guilty of illegal conduct of a raffle. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, illegal conduct of a raffle is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of a violation of subsection (b) of this section, illegal conduct of a raffle is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law. (ORC 2915.092)

517.09 CHARITABLE INSTANT BINGO ORGANIZATIONS.

   (a)   As used in this section, "retail income from all commercial activity" means the income that a person receives from the provision of goods, services, or activities that are provided at the location where instant bingo other than at a bingo session is conducted, including the sale of instant bingo tickets. A religious organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, at not more than one location at which it conducts its charitable programs, may include donations from its members and guests as retail income.

   (b)   (1)    If a charitable instant bingo organization conducts instant bingo other than at a bingo session under a type III license issued under Ohio R.C. 2915.08, the charitable instant bingo organization shall enter into a written contract with the owner or lessor of the location at which the instant bingo is conducted to allow the owner or lessor to assist in the conduct of instant bingo other than at a bingo session, identify each location where the instant bingo other than at a bingo session is being conducted, and identify the owner or lessor of each location.

      (2)    A charitable instant bingo organization that conducts instant bingo other than at a bingo session under a type III license issued under Ohio R.C. 2915.08 is not required to enter into a written contract with the owner or lessor of the location at which the instant bingo is conducted provided that the owner or lessor is not assisting in the conduct of the instant bingo other than at a bingo session and provided that the conduct of the instant bingo other than at a bingo session at that location is not more than five (5) days per calendar year and not more than ten (10) hours per day.

   (c)   Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, no charitable instant bingo organization shall conduct instant bingo other than at a bingo session at a location where the primary source of retail income from all commercial activity at that location is the sale of instant bingo tickets.

   (d)   The owner or lessor of a location that enters into a contract pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall pay the full gross profit to the charitable instant bingo organization, in return for the deal of instant bingo tickets. The owner or lessor may retain the money that the owner or lessor receives for selling the instant bingo tickets, provided, however, that after the deal has been sold, the owner or lessor shall pay to the charitable instant bingo organization the value of any unredeemed instant bingo prizes remaining in the deal of instant bingo tickets.

   The charitable instant bingo organization shall pay six per cent of the total gross receipts of any deal of instant bingo tickets for the purpose of reimbursing the owner or lessor for expenses described in this subsection.

   As used in this subsection, “expenses” means those items provided for in subsections (r)(4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (12) and (13) of Section 517.01 and that percentage of the owner’s or lessor’s rent for the location where instant bingo is conducted. “Expenses” in the aggregate, shall not exceed six percent (6%) of the total gross receipts of any deal of instant bingo tickets.

   As used in this subsection, “full gross profit” means the amount by which the total receipts of all instant bingo tickets, if the deal had been sold in full, exceeds the amount that would be paid out if all prizes were redeemed.

   (e)   A charitable instant bingo organization shall provide the Attorney General with all of the following information:

      (1)   That the charitable instant bingo organization has terminated a contract entered into pursuant to subsection (b) of this section with an owner or lessor of a location;

      (2)   That the charitable instant bingo organization has entered into a written contract pursuant to subsection (b) of this section with a new owner or lessor of a location;

      (3)   That the charitable instant bingo organization is aware of conduct by the owner or lessor of a location at which instant bingo is conducted that is in violation of this chapter or Ohio R.C. Chapter 2915.

   (f)   Subsection (c) of this section does not apply to a volunteer firefighter’s organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, that conducts instant bingo other than at a bingo session on the premises where the organization conducts firefighter training, that has conducted instant bingo continuously for at least five years prior to July 1, 2003, and that, during each of those five years, had gross receipts of at least one million five hundred thousand dollars. (ORC 2915.093)

517.10 LOCATION OF INSTANT BINGO.

   (a)   No owner or lessor of a location shall assist a charitable instant bingo organization in the conduct of instant bingo other than at a bingo session at that location unless the owner or lessor has entered into a written contract, as described in Section 517.09, with the charitable instant bingo organization to assist in the conduct of instant bingo other than at a bingo session.

   (b)   The location of the lessor or owner shall be designated as a location where the charitable instant bingo organization conducts instant bingo other than at a bingo session.

   (c)   No owner or lessor of a location that enters into a written contract as prescribed in subsection (a) of this section shall violate any provision of Ohio R.C. Chapter 2915, or permit, aid, or abet any other person in violating any provision of Ohio R.C. Chapter 2915.

   (d)   No owner or lessor of a location that enters into a written contract as prescribed in subsection (a) of this section shall violate the terms of the contract.

   (e)   (1)    Whoever violates subsection (c) or (d) of this section is guilty of illegal instant bingo conduct. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, illegal instant bingo conduct is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of a violation of subsection (c) or (d) of this section, illegal instant bingo conduct is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law.

      (2)   If an owner or lessor of a location knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly violates subsection (c) or (d) of this section, any license that the owner or lessor holds for the retail sale of any goods on the owner's or lessor's premises that is issued by the State or a political subdivision is subject to suspension, revocation, or payment of a monetary penalty at the request of the Attorney General. (ORC 2915.094)