SB3948 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 18519 LNS 31961 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3948

Introduced 2/6/2026, by Sen. Erica Harriss

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

230 ILCS 25/2

from Ch. 120, par. 1102

Amends the Bingo License and Tax Act. Allows a volunteer who is not a paid bona fide member of the sponsoring organization to participate in the management or operation of bingo. Increases the maximum price for a single card to $1.79 (instead of $1).

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning gaming.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Bingo License and Tax Act is amended by changing Section 2 as follows:

(230 ILCS 25/2) (from Ch. 120, par. 1102)

Sec. 2. The conducting of bingo is subject to the following restrictions:

(1) The entire net proceeds from bingo play must be exclusively devoted to the lawful purposes of the organization permitted to conduct that game.

(2) (Blank).

(2.5) No person except a bona fide member or employee of the sponsoring organization or a volunteer who is not a paid bona fide member of the sponsoring organization may participate in the management or operation of bingo.

(3) No person may receive any remuneration or profit for participating in the management or operation of the game, except that if an organization licensed under this Act is associated with a school or other educational institution, that school or institution may reduce tuition or fees for a designated pupil based on participation in the management or operation of the game by any member of the organization. The extent to which tuition and fees are reduced shall relate proportionately to the amount of time volunteered by the member, as determined by the school or other educational institution.

(4) The aggregate retail value of all prizes or merchandise awarded in any single day of bingo may not exceed $2,250, except that in adjoining counties having 200,000 to 275,000 inhabitants each, and in counties which are adjacent to either of such adjoining counties and are adjacent to a total of not more than 2 counties in this State, and in any municipality having 2,500 or more inhabitants and within one mile of such adjoining and adjacent counties having less than 25,000 inhabitants, 2 additional bingo games may be conducted after the $2,250 limit has been reached. The prize awarded for any one game, including any game conducted after reaching the $2,250 limit as authorized in this paragraph (4), may not exceed $500 cash or its equivalent.

(5) The number of games, including regular and special games, may not exceed 25 in any one day, except that this restriction on the number of games shall not apply to bingo conducted at the Illinois State Fair or any county fair held in Illinois.

(6) The price paid for a single card under the license may not exceed $1.79 $1 and such card is valid for all regular games on that day of bingo. A maximum of 5 special games may be held on each bingo day, except that this restriction on the number of special games shall not apply to bingo conducted at the Illinois State Fair or any county fair held in Illinois. The price for a single special game card may not exceed 50 cents.

(7) The number of bingo days conducted by a licensee under this Act is limited to one per week, except as follows:

(i) Bingo may be conducted in accordance with the terms of a special operator's permit or limited license issued under subdivision (7) or (8) of Section 1.3.

(ii) Bingo may be conducted at the Illinois State Fair or any county fair held in Illinois under subdivision (6) of Section 1.3.

(iii) A licensee which cancels a day of bingo because of inclement weather or because the day is a holiday or the eve of a holiday may, after giving notice to the Department, conduct bingo on an additional date which falls on a day of the week other than the day authorized under the license.

(8) A licensee may rent a premises on which to conduct bingo only from an organization which is licensed as a provider of premises or exempt from license requirements under this Act. If the organization providing the premises is a metropolitan exposition, auditorium, and office building authority created by State law, a licensee may enter into a rental agreement with the organization authorizing the licensee and the organization to share the gross proceeds of bingo games; however, the organization shall not receive more than 50% of the gross proceeds.

(9) No person under the age of 18 years may play or participate in the conducting of bingo. Any person under the age of 18 years may be within the area where bingo is being played only when accompanied by his parent or guardian.

(10) The promoter of bingo games must have a proprietary interest in the game promoted.

(11) Raffles or other forms of gambling prohibited by law shall not be conducted on the premises where bingo is being conducted, except that pull tabs and jar games conducted under the Illinois Pull Tabs and Jar Games Act may be conducted on the premises where bingo is being conducted. Prizes awarded in pull tabs and jar games shall not be included in the bingo prize limitation.

(12) Organizations may be issued a special permit or limited license no more than 2 times in any year. An organization holding a special operator's permit or a limited license may, as one of the occasions allowed by such permit or license, conduct bingo for a maximum of 2 consecutive days. If an organization conducts bingo pursuant to a limited license or special permit, then the number of games played during each day may exceed 25, and regular game cards need not be valid for all regular games. If only noncash prizes are awarded during such occasions, the prize limits stated in paragraph subdivision (4) of this Section shall not apply, provided that the retail value of noncash prizes for any single game shall not exceed $150.

(Source: P.A. 95-228, eff. 8-16-07.)