Bingo in Nebraska: Laws, Halls & Online Bingo (2026 Guide)

Is bingo legal in Nebraska?

Yes. The Nebraska Bingo Act (Chapter 9, Article 2 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes) lets qualifying nonprofit organizations run bingo for charitable and community purposes. The state’s Department of Revenue, Charitable Gaming Division licenses the games and audits the money.

The same division also oversees the state’s other charitable games: pickle cards (Nebraska’s name for pull-tabs), raffles and small lotteries. If you’ve bought a pickle card at a bar in Omaha or Grand Island, the profits went to a licensed nonprofit under the same system.

Nebraska’s newer racetrack casinos, approved by voters in 2020, are a separate world. They’re regulated by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, not the bingo division.

How old do you have to be to play bingo in Nebraska?

18, with one useful exception. Under section 9-241.08, no one under 18 may play or take part in a bingo game. The law carves out limited-period and special-event bingo, the kind a parish festival or school carnival might hold, as long as:

• no alcoholic beverages are served, and
• no single prize is worth more than $50 per game.

Everyone involved in running a game must be at least 18, and workers can’t play at a session they’re working. The racetrack casinos have their own entry age of 21.

Can you play online bingo for real money in Nebraska?

No. Nebraska hasn’t legalized online casino games, and charity bingo licenses are tied to an authorized location. A nonprofit can’t sell cards online and pay cash prizes to people at home.

Free bingo apps with no cash prizes are a different matter. Our online bingo guide explains how real-money, sweepstakes and free sites differ.

Are sweepstakes bingo sites legal in Nebraska?

No state law specifically bans them as of October 2026, and we found no enforcement action by the state. Major dual-currency brands accept Nebraska players.

That said, Nebraska has never expressly approved them either. They operate in a gray zone that other states have closed: New York, New Jersey and Tennessee have banned sweepstakes casinos by statute, and Oklahoma’s ban starts November 1, 2026. Read how sweepstakes bingo works before you buy coin packages.

Where can you play bingo in Nebraska?

Most Nebraska bingo is charity bingo at veterans’ posts, fraternal lodges, churches and community halls, often one or two nights a week. Schedules shift with volunteers, so it pays to call ahead or check the group’s social media page.

On tribal land, the Santee Sioux Nation’s Ohiya Casino near Niobrara in northeast Nebraska lists bingo alongside its gaming machines. Federal law treats bingo as Class II gaming, which tribes can offer on their land.

How to run a charity bingo game in Nebraska

1. Check eligibility. The organization must be a qualifying nonprofit that has been active in Nebraska. Applicants name a bingo chairperson and a utilization-of-funds member who has belonged to the group for at least a year.
2. Apply to the Charitable Gaming Division. The license application lists the people responsible for the game, the location and the schedule.
3. Use adult workers only. Everyone conducting the game must be at least 18, and workers can’t play at that occasion.
4. Keep suppliers at arm’s length. Commercial lessors, distributors and manufacturers can’t help run games or cover an organization’s expenses.
5. Spend the proceeds properly. Net proceeds go to the lawful purposes the organization stated, and the division audits the records.

Smaller groups planning a single fundraiser should ask the division about limited-period or special-event options. Our bingo fundraiser guide covers the planning, and our pull-tabs guide explains how pickle cards work.

Nebraska’s pickle-card culture

Nebraska law calls pull-tab tickets “pickle cards.” They’re licensed alongside bingo and are a steady earner for fire departments and veterans’ groups across the state.

However you play, keep a budget. For help, visit our responsible gaming page or call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.