GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1989 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 826

HOUSE BILL 1030

 

AN ACT TO AMEND THE STATUTES REGULATING BINGO.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 14-309.5 reads as rewritten:

"§ 14-309.5. Bingo.

(a)       The purpose of the conduct of bingo is to insure a maximum availability of the net proceeds exclusively for application to the charitable, nonprofit causes and undertakings specified herein; that the only justification for this Part is to support such charitable, nonprofit causes; and such purpose should be carried out to prevent the operation of bingo by professionals for profit, prevent commercialized gambling, prevent the disguise of bingo and other game forms or promotional schemes, prevent participation by criminal and other undesirable elements, and prevent the diversion of funds for the purpose herein authorized.

(b)       It is lawful for an exempt organization to conduct bingo games in accordance with the provisions of this Part.  Any licensed exempt organization who conducts a bingo game in violation of any provision of this Part shall be guilty of a misdemeanor under G.S. 14-292 and shall be punished in accordance with G.S. 14-3.  Upon conviction such person shall not conduct a bingo game for a period of one year.  It is lawful to participate in a bingo game conducted pursuant to this Part.  It shall be a Class H felony for any person: (i) to operate a bingo game without a license; (ii) to operate a bingo game while license is revoked or suspended; (iii) to willfully misuse or misapply any moneys received in connection with any bingo game; or (iv) to contract with or provide consulting services to any licensee.  It shall not constitute a violation of any State law to advertise a bingo game conducted in accordance with this Part."

Sec. 2.  G.S. 14-309.14 reads as rewritten:

"Nothing in this Article shall apply to 'beach bingo' games except for the following subsections:

(a)       No beach bingo game may offer a prize having a value greater than ten dollars ($10.00).  Any person offering a greater than ten-dollar ($10.00) but less than fifty-dollar ($50.00) prize is guilty of a misdemeanor.  Any person offering a prize of fifty dollars ($50.00) or greater is guilty of a Class H felony.

(a)(b)  No beach bingo game may be held in conjunction with any other lawful bingo game, with any 'promotional bingo game', or with any offering of an opportunity to obtain anything of value by chance, value, whether for valuable consideration or not.  No beach bingo game may offer free bingo games as a promotion, for prizes or otherwise.  Any person who violates this subsection is guilty of a Class H felony.

(b)(c)  G.S. 18B-308 shall apply to beach bingo games.

(d)       Upon conviction under any provision of this section, such person shall not conduct a bingo game for a period of at least one year."

Sec. 3.  This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 3rd day of July, 1990.