National Catholic Reporter: Ohio law could triple cost of parish festivals, bingos - Nation

A new Ohio law governing games of chance could add more than $1 million to state coffers and could triple expenses to hold fundraisers for nonprofit entities, such as church-related organizations. It went into effect April 2. The regulation attaches new fees and requirements for nonprofit groups that sell instant bingo games. It was put into place "to eliminate fraud" associated with pull-tab games in the statee, said Mark Gribben, communications director for the Ohio attorney general's orifice.

"Basically, the revised law that goes into effect in April removes an exemption for [what are called] schemes of chance," Gribben said. "Current law prohibits any person from running a game of chance for profit," he said, but that law does not extend to nonprofit groups, such as parish-run bingos or festivals. But now the new law will mean nonprofits will have to pay additional fees to sell instant bingo games, Gribben said.

Currently, nonprofit organizations are charged an annual fee of $500 for operating bingo games. The fundraisers are often conducted weekly or monthly at churches. For years, nonprofit groups also have sold instant bingo cards at bingos or festivals to raise additional funds and now will face an added cost.