The Importance of the Bingo Act

The value of the Bingo Act can not be understated. It regulates everything which happens in the game of bingo and ensures that nothing untoward happens.

One of the most significant Bingo Acts would be the Bingo Act of 1996. This was noteworthy because of the manner in which it brought previous Acts and bingo laws up to speed.

It introduced a tax on all bingo operators. Not only is the revenue collected put back into bingo but this step ensures that all bingo operators are regulated which means they are operating under a certain duty of care. The Department of Revenue collects 16.5 cents per dollar from the sale of every bingo card. 26% of this goes back to the sponsoring charities while the rest goes to the state.

Additionally at least 50% of all the bingo card entry fees must be placed in the prize pool which goes back to the players.

The Bingo Act also specifies how much a bingo operator may charge for entry and which hours it can take place. The Department of Revenue must be informed of any change to the location or time of any of the various bingo games. The notificaiton must take place at least thirty days prior to the change.

According to the Bingo Act you can not have more than one bingo game operate in the same building and there can be no on-selling of bingo cards or second hand trading of bingo cards between bingo institutions.

Anyone who distributes or manufactures bingo cards need to be licensed. These bingo licenses weed out any shady bingo operators. It also separates bingo card manufacturers from bingo card distributors or bingo card promoters and prevents them from being one and the same. Bingo promoters are now only allowed a maximum of five licenses as opposed to the 10 which was previously permitted.

The Bingo Act is critical for maintaining certain standards in Bingo. Anyone who is unsure about any aspects of the Bingo Act should consult their local bingo authority.