HLS 25RS-711 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 315
BY REPRESENTATIVE BRYANT
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
GAMBLING/CHARITABLE: Provides relative to charitable gaming
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 4:703(9) 706(A), (B), and (C)(1) and to enact R.S. 4:703(11) and
3 706.1 and R.S. 14:90.9, relative to charitable gaming; to provide for definitions; to
4 authorize certain charitable gaming; to provide relative to local bingo licenses; to
5 provide for children's charity keno and bingo; to provide for the crime of theft of
6 bingo proceeds; and to provide for related matters.
7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 4:703(9), 706(A), (B), and (C)(1) are hereby amended and reenacted
9and R.S. 4:703(11) and 706.1 are hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §703. Definitions
11 For the purposes of this Chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
12 * * *
13 (9) "Pull-tabs" shall mean single or banded tickets or cards each with its face
14 covered to conceal one or more numbers or symbols, where one or more cards or
15 tickets in each set have been designated in advance as a winner. The sale of pull-tabs
16 by licensed charitable organizations during authorized sessions pursuant to the
17 provisions of this Chapter shall constitute charitable gaming, and all revenues
18 realized from the sale thereof shall be exempt from state income taxation, local sales
19 and use taxation, and from federal income taxation to the extent allowable by the
20 Internal Revenue Code.
21 * * *
Page 1 of 5
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 25RS-711 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 315
1 (11) "Children's charity" means a nonprofit charitable organization that is
2 licensed as a distributor as of December 31, 2024, and has as its primary mission to
3 improve the lives of children facing hardship by providing essential services,
4 educational opportunities, and a supportive environment in which to empower
5 children to reach their full potential.
6 * * *
7 §706. Decision whether to permit raffles, bingo, and keno
8 A. The governing authority of each such municipality and parish shall decide
9 whether charitable raffles, bingo, and keno as provided for in this Chapter shall be
10 permitted within the limits of the municipality or parish. A municipality, governing
11 authority, parish council, or parish police jury shall allow a children's charity as
12 defined in R.S. 4:703 to participate in or operate an existing keno, bingo, or video
13 bingo location that offers charitable raffles, bingo, video bingo, or keno within the
14 municipality or parish.
15 B. The governing authority of each parish shall decide whether charitable
16 raffles, bingo, and keno as provided for in this Chapter shall be permitted within the
17 parish. The municipality, governing authority, parish council, or parish police jury
18 shall not deny, remove, eliminate, diminish, detract, reduce, defer, postpone, take
19 away, suspend, or revoke a charitable organization's local bingo license if the
20 charitable organization has a current Louisiana charitable bingo license.
21 C.(1) If the local governing authority elects to license and regulate charitable
22 raffles, bingo, and keno within its jurisdiction, it may adopt rules, regulations, and
23 ordinances for charitable organizations, as defined in R.S. 4:703(1), to hold and
24 operate games of chance authorized in R.S. 4:707 and to enforce any local provisions
25 regarding said games of chance. The rules, regulations, and ordinances shall not
26 prohibit, hamper, hinder, delay, hold back, or restrain a children's charity from
27 conducting charitable keno, bingo, or video bingo to fund-raise for their charitable
28 cause.
29 * * *
Page 2 of 5
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 25RS-711 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 315
1 §706.1. Children's charities
2 A. A children's charity as defined in R.S. 4:703 may obtain a non-
3 commercial lessor's license and shall have the privilege to have consecutive eight-
4 hour sessions in keno, bingo, and video bingo within a twenty-four hour period.
5 B. Act 235 of the 2023 Regular Session, or any other Act or law pertaining
6 to charitable keno, bingo, or video bingo, shall not prohibit any children's charity
7 from acquiring new video bingo machines from a licensed non-charitable distributor,
8 operating existing keno, bingo, and video bingo hall locations, or opening new keno,
9 bingo, or video bingo hall locations to fund-raise for their cause through efforts of
10 keno, bingo, or video bingo.
11 C. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a children's charity shall
12 be eligible to obtain any local permits or licenses to operate any prior or existing
13 keno, bingo, or video bingo hall location and open new keno, bingo, or video bingo
14 hall locations to fund-raise for the charitable organization.
15 D. The children's charity shall be exempt from all local governing taxes,
16 fees, permits, and local bingo reporting requirements, excluding sales and use tax on
17 tangible products sold. No local governing authority, municipality, parish police
18 jury, or political subdivision shall charge a children's charity with any assessment,
19 taxes, or fees.
20 E. A children's charity that operates or obtains an existing keno, bingo, or
21 video bingo location or opens a new keno, bingo, or video bingo location, may be the
22 sole charity of that location and have multiple sessions within a twenty-four hour
23 period.
24 F. Any commercial hall owner who illegally evicts a charitable organization
25 or commercial distributor, or who breaches any contract with a charitable
26 organization, shall have its license revoked.
27 G. A children's charity may operate or utilize a keno, bingo, or video bingo
28 machine in the charitable organization's location if the machine is comparable to the
29 machines currently approved by the office of charitable gaming. The children's
Page 3 of 5
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 25RS-711 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 315
1 charity shall obtain keno, bingo, and video bingo machines or equipment from a
2 licensed distributor that is not licensed as a charitable organization.
3 H. For the safety and security of the charitable organization's employees and
4 staff, a children's charity may use an electronic technology known as ticket-in-ticket-
5 out, that enables patrons to collect credits from a keno, bingo, or video bingo
6 machine via a bar coded ticket that can be exchanged for cash or used in another
7 keno, bingo, or video bingo machine. A credit/cash redemption terminal is a
8 separate self-service terminal that allows customers to exchange tickets for cash and
9 may be utilized or used by a children's charity. The children's charity shall obtain
10 all electronic keno, bingo, video bingo, ticket-in-ticket-out, and credit/cash
11 redemption terminal machines from a non-charitable licensed distributor.
12 I. A non-charitable distributor may only acquire another existing non-
13 charitable distributor's location or machines if the original distributor transfers or
14 sells its machines originally licensed at that location.
15 Section 2. R.S. 14:90.9 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
16 §90.9. Theft of bingo proceeds
17 Any employee employed by a licensee who is convicted of theft of keno,
18 bingo, or video bingo proceeds in the amount of two thousand five hundred dollars
19 or more shall be imprisoned for not less than one year at hard labor and be required
20 to return any and all stolen proceeds.
21 Section 3. The Louisiana Law Institute is hereby authorized and directed to
22alphabetize and renumber the definitions contained in R.S. 4:703 and to correct any cross-
23references to the renumbered paragraphs if necessary, consistent with the provisions of this
24Act.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 315 Original 2025 Regular Session Bryant
Abstract: Provides that children's charities shall be allowed to conduct charitable gaming.
Page 4 of 5
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 25RS-711 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 315
Proposed law defines "children's charity".
Present law provides that municipalities and parishes shall decide whether to allow
charitable raffles, bingo, and keno.
Proposed law provides that children's charities shall be allowed to conduct charitable raffles,
bingo, and keno, and prohibits a municipality or parish from denying or revoking a
charitable organization's license.
Proposed law provides that children's charities may conduct consecutive eight-hour keno,
bingo, and video bingo sessions in a 24-hour period.
Proposed law provides that no other law shall prohibit a children's charity from acquiring
and operating keno, bingo, and video bingo locations and equipment.
Proposed law exempts children's charities from permitting requirements and local taxes,
except for tangible products sold.
Proposed law provides that a commercial hall owner who breaches a contract with or
illegally evicts a children's charity shall have its license revoked.
Proposed law provides for the equipment that customers may use to cash out while playing
keno, bingo, or video bingo.
Proposed law provides that a non-charitable distributor may only acquire another non-
charitable distributor's location or machines if the distributor sells machines at that location.
Proposed law creates the crime of theft of bingo proceeds and provides that any employee
who is convicted of theft of bingo proceeds over $2,500 shall be imprisoned for not less than
one year at hard labor and return all stolen proceeds.
Directs the La. State Law Institute to alphabetize and renumber the definitions contained in
R.S. 4:703 and to correct any cross-references that may need to be changed as a result of this
renumbering.
(Amends R.S. 4:703(9), 706(A), (B), and (C)(1); Adds R.S. 4:703(11) and 706.1 and R.S.
14:90.9)
Page 5 of 5
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.