Poker
Fundraiser Information
To obtain the forms visit
| http://oag.ca.gov/gambling/charitable
On January 1, 2007,
a new California law Business
and Professions Code sections 19985-19987 passed
allowing eligible nonprofit organizations to hold
"charity poker night" fundraisers. Nonprofit organizations
and suppliers of equipment and/or services for such
fundraising events must submit an annual registration
form to the Bureau of Gambling Control for approval.
Controlled games which
are an approved funding mechanism for these fundraisers
are specified in the California
Penal Code section 337j(e)(1) as "any poker or
pai gow game, and any other game played with cards
or tiles, or both, and approved by the Department
of Justice, and any game of chance, including any
gaming device, played for currency, check, credit,
or any other thing of value that is not prohibited
and made unlawful by statute or local ordinance."
For a list of controlled
games approved by the Department of Justice, please
see the BGC
Standard Game List.
Nonprofit organizations
must register with the Bureau to host one event per
calendar year. In addition to nonprofit organizations,
businesses that supply controlled gaming equipment
and/or services for fundraising events are also required
to register annually.
No one under the age
of 21 is allowed to participate at these fundraising
events.
All
registration forms should be sent at least 30 days
prior to an event date. Processing
time varies but can take up to 30 days. If a registered
fundraiser needs to be rescheduled due to unforeseen
circumstances, the original registration certificate
must be returned to the Bureau and should be post
marked prior to the original fundraiser date. The
original approval must also be accompanied by a letter
of request to reschedule the fundraiser; the letter
should indicate all changes being made and must be
signed by the same person who signed the registration
form. A new registration form and fee are not required
for rescheduled fundraisers as long as it is rescheduled
for the same calendar year as the original approval.
The new law does not
allow the use of slot machines or Internet gaming
for fundraising purposes. Other fundraising restrictions
apply to charity bingo and raffle events. The Attorney
General’s Charitable Trust Section regulates raffles
(Raffles
- Charitable Trusts - California Dept. of Justice
- Office of the Attorney General). Nonprofit organizations
must also register with the Attorney General’s Registry
of Charitable Trusts and file annual financial disclosure
reports. To help charities stay within State laws,
the Attorney General makes available various guides
and publications, including the (Attorney
General’s Guide for Charities, pdf). Please contact
your local city, sheriff, or police department for
inquiries regarding bingo.
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