Q: Can bingo and small games of chance ads include specific prizes and dollar amounts of prizes?
A: Pennsylvania’s Bingo Law allows prizes and dollar value of prizes to be awarded in each game and in a single day to appear in ads, but the Small Games of Chance Act does not permit prizes or dollar values in ads.
Only organizations licensed under the Bingo Law can advertise bingo, and all bingo ads must include the following information:
- date,
- time,
- location,
- whether cash or merchandise prizes will be awarded,
- the name of the association licensed to conduct the bingo game, and
- the name of the individual in charge of the operation of the game.
Bingo advertisements may also include specific prizes, prize dollar values and any guaranteed prize dollar values. This information was prohibited in bingo ads prior to 2018.
The Small Games of Chance Act, 10 P.S. § 325, et seq., and corresponding regulations were not amended to remove advertising restrictions on prizes and dollar values when the Bingo Law was updated or in subsequent years. Organizations that are licensed to hold small games of chance are prohibited from including specific prizes and dollar values in newspaper and online ads for small games of chance like raffles, pools, pull tabs, and other authorized games. The regulations only allow prizes and dollar values to appear on raffle tickets and in member-restricted publications of the licensed entity. The relevant advertising regulation can be found at 61 Pa.Code § 901.501. The Small Games of Chance Act does not otherwise govern the content of small games of chance advertising.
As always, this is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, legal advice. Please contact the PNA Legal Hotline with questions at (717) 703-3080.