Ohio R.C. 2915.07 to 2915.11 or Section 517.06 et seq. of this chapter do not apply to bingo games that are conducted for the purpose of amusement only. A bingo game is conducted for amusement only if it complies with all of the following requirements:
(a) The participants do not pay any money or any other thing of value including an admission fee, or any fee for bingo cards, sheets, objects to cover the spaces or other devices used in playing bingo, for the privilege of participating in the bingo game or to defray any costs of the game, or pay tips or make donations during or immediately before or after the bingo game;
(b) All prizes awarded during the course of the game are nonmonetary, and in the form of merchandise, goods or entitlements to goods or services only, and the total value of all prizes awarded during the game is less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
(c) No commission, wages, salary, reward, tip, donation, gratuity or other form of compensation, either directly or indirectly, and regardless of the source, is paid to any bingo game operator for work or labor performed at the site of the bingo game;
(d) The bingo game is not conducted either during or within ten hours of:
(1) A bingo session during which a charitable bingo game is conducted, pursuant to Ohio R.C. 2915.07 to 2915.11 or Section 517.06 et seq. of this chapter.
(2) A scheme or game of chance other than a bingo game conducted pursuant to this section.
(e) The number of players participating in the bingo game does not exceed fifty.
The Attorney General, or any local law enforcement agency, may investigate the conduct of amusement bingo if there is reason to believe that a purported amusement bingo game is operated in violation of this section. A local law enforcement agency may proceed by action in the proper court to enforce this section if the local law enforcement agency gives written notice to the Attorney General when commencing the action.
Whoever conducts a bingo game that is not a charitable bingo game and that does not conform to subsections (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) hereof is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree on the first offense.
(ORC 2915.12)