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

Is bingo legal in North Carolina?

Yes, but only in a tightly controlled form. Article 37 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes (starting at G.S. 14-309.5) lets tax-exempt organizations run bingo to raise money for their causes. An organization can’t run a game anywhere without a license, and the licensing agency is the state’s Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) Division.

North Carolina also has a second, smaller category called beach bingo, a low-prize game played at licensed resort locations. Everything else that looks like bingo for money is illegal gambling under state law.

How old do you have to be to play bingo in North Carolina?

The bingo part of Article 37 doesn’t set a minimum age for players. That leaves it up to the organization running the game, and many charity games keep it adult-only, especially where alcohol is served or the venue is a lodge or club.

Tribal casinos are a different story. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ casinos and the Catawba Nation’s Two Kings Casino require players to be 21.

Can you play online bingo for real money in North Carolina?

No. North Carolina legalized online sports betting in March 2024, but it has not legalized online casino games, and that includes bingo. Charity bingo licenses cover a specific location, so a nonprofit can’t sell cards online.

Free bingo apps with no cash prizes are fine. Our online bingo guide explains the different kinds of bingo sites.

Are sweepstakes bingo sites legal in North Carolina?

It’s unclear. North Carolina was an early mover against sweepstakes gaming: G.S. 14-306.4 makes it illegal to operate electronic sweepstakes machines with an entertaining display, a law aimed at the storefront “internet sweepstakes cafés” that spread across the state. The state Supreme Court upheld that ban in 2012.

The statute is written around machines that the sweepstakes sponsor owns or controls, though, and it doesn’t mention play on a person’s own phone or computer. No law specifically addresses online dual-currency sweepstakes casinos, and major operators still accept North Carolina players as of October 2026. Read how sweepstakes bingo works before spending money on one.

Where can you play bingo in North Carolina?

Charity bingo in North Carolina is mostly found at VFW and American Legion posts, Moose and Elks lodges, volunteer fire departments and churches. Because the law limits each organization to two sessions a week and each building to two sessions a week, you won’t find seven-day bingo halls like in some other states. We haven’t listed individual venues because we couldn’t confirm current schedules.

Tribal gaming is the other option. The Catawba Nation opened Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain in 2021 under federal Class II rules, which cover bingo and bingo-based machines, and has since expanded to table games. The Eastern Band of Cherokee runs casinos in the western mountains. Check each property for current bingo offerings.

How to run a charity bingo game in North Carolina

1. Qualify. You need to be an exempt organization that has existed continuously in the county where you’ll play for at least a year.
2. Apply to ALE. The annual application fee is $200, and licenses run for one year. Before any game, a copy of the application and license goes to your local law enforcement agency.
3. Schedule within the limits. No more than two sessions a week, each up to five hours, with at least 48 hours between them.
4. Cap the prizes. $500 per game and $1,500 per session, or $2,500 if you hold only one session that week.
5. Keep bingo and raffles separate. Raffles can’t be held in conjunction with bingo. A nonprofit can hold up to five raffles a year, and at least 90% of net raffle proceeds must go to its charitable purposes.

Our bingo fundraiser guide covers the logistics, from pricing packs to choosing game patterns.

Beach bingo

Beach bingo is a North Carolina specialty. It’s played at licensed locations, often in resort areas, and every prize must be $10 or less, in cash or merchandise. Paying a bigger prize is a crime: a prize between $10 and $50 is a misdemeanor, and $50 or more is a felony. Beach bingo licenses cost $300 a year and can’t be combined with regular charity bingo.

Keep any game you play within a set budget. For support, see our responsible gaming page or call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.