Conducting a Bingo Occasion
What You Need to Know
Module Three
Revised March 30, 2011
Did You Know?
ANY occasion of bingo, either
conducting under a Regular
(annual) license or under a
Temporary license, can be
just PULLTAB Bingo game
sales ONLY?
You do NOT have to conduct
“regular bingo”; you can
have a bingo session selling
ONLY pulltabs!
See Administrative Rule 402.403
Operator on Duty Sign
Any questions, comments or complaints
regarding the conduct of this bingo occasion
should be directed to the Operator on duty:
Stephen Powell, White Owls Lodge 3412
If you are not satisfied with the response
given by the Operator on duty, you have the
right to contact the Texas Lottery Commission
at 1-800-BINGO-77 and file a formal
complaint.
Correct!
Key language: “the Operator on Duty”.
White Owls Lodge 3412
Any questions, comments or complaints
regarding the conduct of this bingo occasion
should be directed to the Operators on duty:
Stephen Powell
Mary Ann Tidwell
Alicia Moreno
Arnulfo Rosario
Billy Wolfson
Jack Sparrow
Thomas Aquinas
If you are not satisfied with the response
given by the Operator on duty, you have the
right to contact the Texas Lottery Commission
at 1-800-BINGO-77 and file a formal
complaint.
Incorrect!
Administrative Rule 402.200(i)(3)
Selling & Redeeming
•Sell paper for occasion A or B
only if respective occasion
operator is present
Before 6:00 pm
6:00 pm
Occasion A *
10:00 pm
Occasion B *
11:45 pm
After11:45 pm
NO intermission necessary between
occasions
* If the same licensed organization is running
Occasion A and B, or two unit members from
the same bingo unit, then pull-tabs may sold
and redeemed in Occasion A or B.
•Sell paper for occasion A or B
•Sell pulltabs for occasion A only
•Pay winners for occasion A
regular games or pulltab games
only
•Sell paper for occasion B only
•Sell pulltabs for occasion B only
•Pay winners for occasion B
regular games or pulltab games
only
•No paper sales or redemption of
pulltabs past 11:45pm—end of
second occasion.
•Concluding activities: inventory
and paperwork
On Hand, Available
for Patrons?
•Paper copies very difficult to keep current
due to HB1474 changes and adoption of many
new administrative rules.
•A solution may be to keep access to the online (most current) version by having a
computer or laptop in the bingo hall. If
patrons ask, you are ready….
Administrative Rule 402.200(i)(1)
House Rules
House Rules
House Rules
• Having effective, well-written and complete house rules
that address situations in your bingo hall will help bingo
operations run much smoother and prevent potential
problems
House Rules
 House rule inform players in detail how games will be
conducted
 Adopt house rules developed by officers
 Adhere to house rules during all bingo occasions
 House rules must be made available to anyone upon
request
 Post house rules where they are visible to all players
 Publish some house rules on game schedule

Announce certain rules prior to occasion
Some House Rules Recommendations
•
•
•
•
Organization’s Name and Effective Date of rules
Definition of a valid bingo
Process of determining the winner of a bingo game
Procedure for handling multiple winners of a bingo
game
• Maximum prize limits allowed by law
• Consequences for unacceptable behavior such as
profanity or disruptive activities
• Minimum purchase required, if any
• Details of event games to be played
• When during the occasion
• How the event will be conducted
• Alternate plan for awarding event tab prize not
claimed
Some House Rules Recommendations
• Must be present to win
• Contingency plan for
inclement weather,
power outages,
equipment failure
• Low attendance
• Age limits
• Pricing of paper, sets
and electronics
• Alternate prize amounts
Some House Rules Recommendations
• All policies and procedures adopted by your organization that
may be considered unusual.
• A person may not be denied admission because of race, color,
creed, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or
membership status in an organization.
Some House Rules Recommendations
• Policy regarding table reservations
• Policy regarding reserving unloaded cardminders
• Address and phone number where complaints
may be filed
• Acceptable payment options
• Returned check policy
• Refund policy
Regulations Related to House Rules
 Bingo cards may not be reserved.
 Card-minders that have been loaded or are pre-loaded may
not be reserved.
 Illegal gambling is prohibited.
 Anyone caught knowingly participating in the awarding of a
prize in a manner that disregards the random selection of
numbers or symbols shall be prosecuted.
That’s A Lot To Remember!
• Just remember to go back to your organization and
re-evaluate your house rules to make sure they cover
everything.
•You have 8 slides in this module to remind you of
what should be included
•There is a “checklist” available on the Bingo website
to help you review your house rules
• Remember from Module One, House Rule
deficiencies and lack of written procedures are a
fairly common audit finding
Bingo Workers
• Only registered workers and
provisional workers may act as
an operator, manager, cashier,
usher, caller or salesperson for
the bingo occasion.
• No person under the age of 18
may conduct or assist with the
conduct of bingo.
Bingo Workers
10
• When hiring a new worker, discuss the criminal background
check requirement.
• Persons convicted of a felony, gambling offense, criminal fraud
or a crime of moral turpitude that ten years has not passed
since the termination of their sentence, parole, mandatory
supervision or community supervision served for that offense
are not eligible to be a registered worker
Bingo Workers
•
A worker can apply for the
Registry by completing a
Texas Application for
Registry of Approved Bingo
Workers form
•
The normal processing
time is approximately 5
days if the worker does
not have a criminal
background that must be
researched
Working Without Being On The Registry
Or Documented As Provisional Employment
• Persons who work without
being listed on the Registry
will be prohibited from
working for one year.
• Organizations may only pay
a worker that is registered*
at the time of service.
(* or filed for provisional employment)
Workers Can’t Play; Players Can’t Work
• No person may play bingo if
they are conducting or
assisting in the conduct of
the occasion
• Exceptions might include
non-bingo employees such
as snack bar workers
• Ask yourself how would
your patrons react to bingo
workers winning?
Prizes
• Prize limits for regular
bingo
• $2,500 per occasion
• $750 for a single game
• Merchandise prizes must
be valued at current retail
price
PRIZE FEE Collection!
A licensed authorized organization shall:
• Collect the 5% prize fee on bingo prizes of more than
$5
• Optional to the organization not to collect from
winners the 5% prize fee for prizes $5 or less.
• Must remit to the commission a fee in the amount of
5% of the value of all bingo prizes awarded.
Citation: Section 2001.501(1),(2)
Read This
Carefully!
Reservations
WATCH
OUT !
Also ensure that your license or letter of authority authorizing the game is posted.
• Do not reserve bingo paper or loaded card
minding devices (computers)
Inventory = Your Money
• Count and record inventory to be sold including all
bingo paper, instant and event pull-tabs.
• Prepare, count, and record inventory for individual
floor sales workers/ushers.
Boring to talk about…but
critical to accurate records
Inventory for Sale
• Verify that the
bingo
inventory
belongs to
your
organization
Petty Ca$h
• Count and record
beginning petty cash
amount.
• Recommended: Two
individuals count and verify
Remember, Bingo generates
over $600 million in gross
receipts annually—That is a lot
of cash!
Preparing for a Bingo Occasion
• Begin an Occasion
Schedule of Prizes.
• Record key data
listed on the form for
each game
Keeping Bingo Fair
• Inform all players – possibly on
game schedule:
• Games to be played
• Order in which games will be
played
• Patterns needed to win
• Prize(s) for each game
• If prize payout is based on sales
or attendance
• Price of each type of bingo card
offered for sale
• Announce any changes to
information given
Keeping Bingo Fair
• Inform all players prior to the play of a
bingo event ticket:
• How the game will be played
• How the winners will be determined
• Inspect* prior to the first game to
ensure proper working order of:
• Bingo balls and bingo cards – all present
and undamaged
• Bingo console and flashboard
• Sound System
*Pre-game inspection and record of inspection by registered worker required per Rule
402.200 effective November 19,2008
Avoid the appearance of
wrongdoing
• Workers playing
• Workers winning
• Workers unfairly assisting friends,
family or others to win and
sharing the prize winnings
• Workers signaling the caller for
numbers needed to win
Players file these types of complaints
frequently when they suspect the games
are not fair.
WHAT are these two talking
about?
Count Attendance
• Accurately count the
number of persons
attending the bingo
occasion and record it on
your Occasion Cash
Report.
• It is important—shows
success of games,
advertising, promotions
and popularity of hall
Winner Verification
• Winners must be
verified before prize(s)
are awarded.
• Verification methods.
• Posting winning cards.
Verification of Numbers Drawn
• A player can request verification of the
numbers drawn and verification of the balls
remaining in the blower and not drawn at the
time a winner is determined.
• Verification must take place in front of the
operator, the player requesting the verification
and one or more other players.
• Make sure the Verification process is made
known to your players.
See Administrative Rule 402.200
Equipment Problems
• If a problem is discovered with the bingo balls or
equipment while the game is still in progress,
the game should be voided and must be
replayed.
• Each player should be allowed to replay the
bingo cards previously purchased.
• If a problem is discovered with the bingo balls or
equipment after the game has been closed, the
organization should follow their established
procedures in accordance with your house
rules.
See Administrative Rule 402.200(c)(6)
Caller Errors
• A game may be reconstructed when the error was discovered prior to the
close of the game. It is the operator on duty who will determine if the game
can be reconstructed.
• A game that can be reconstruction will continue recalling from the point of
the error.
• A game that cannot be reconstruction is declared void and replayed during
the same occasion.
• A problem discovered after the game has closed should be handled in
accordance with your house rules.
• Administrative Rule 402.200(c)(6) requires organizations to establish and
adhere to written procedures concerning improper ball calls and other
problems during the bingo occasion. Do You Have Yours?
Critical Phase: Concluding Paperwork
• Tracking sales,
prizes, inventory,
cash, gift
certificates…
• All must be
documented and
accounted for.
Concluding Paperwork: Each Worker
• Count and record the amount
of inventory sold
• Count the money
• Verify beginning, ending and
return amounts of inventory
Amount of Paper
x Price of Paper
Money
• Ring-up the total paper and
total instant bingo sales and
record them on the Occasion
Cash Report
Concluding Paperwork
• “Z” out the register tape to
get a total for each type of
paper sales
• Count the inventory not
sold for each type of paper
and record that number on
the Occasion Cash Report
• Determine the inventory
sold and multiply it by the
price of each type of paper
Beginning Balance
minus Inventory Not Sold
= Inventory Sold
Inventory Sold
x Price for Paper
Total Sales for
Each Paper Type
Concluding Paperwork
• Enter the amount of
electronic sales.
• Add the total electronic,
total regular, and the total
instant sales to get the total
gross sales and enter it on
the Occasion Cash Report.
Concluding Paperwork
•
Total all regular bingo and instant
bingo prize amounts, prize fee and
net payouts.
•
Record the total regular and instant
prizes and prize fees withheld on the
Occasion Cash Report.
•
On the Occasion Cash Report,
subtract the total regular and instant
prizes from the total electronic,
regular bingo and instant bingo sales
to get the net sales.
•
Ensure that gift certificates taken
during the occasion are reimbursed
and the money is in the register.
Concluding Paperwork
• Enter the beginning petty
cash amount on the report
• Add the net sales, prize fees
withheld and the beginning
petty cash to get the total
cash available amount
• Verify the amount in the
register by counting all cash
and checks and record as
the total cash on hand on
the report
Concluding Paperwork
• The amount calculated for the paper, electronic, and pull-tab sales using
inventory figures should equal the amount of cash from sales.
• Do not assume the cash count is the amount of paper, instant and
electronic sales.
Concluding Paperwork
• If the total cash available does
not match the total cash on hand,
the difference should be found
and accounted for.
• Any difference that cannot be
accounted for should be entered
on the cash over/short line on the
Occasion Cash Report.
• Enter the net deposit by
subtracting the ending petty cash
amount from the total cash on
hand.
Concluding Paperwork
• Make out the deposit slip and place the money with the slip in
the money bag for deposit and lock the bag
• Gather up the paperwork and file it in a safe place
Deposits
• All funds from the conduct of bingo, less cash prizes, must be deposited
into the bingo account.
• All deposits must be made no later than the second business day after the
day of the bingo occasion of whose receipts they are.
• An organization cannot comingle their bingo gross receipts with any other
funds of the organization.
BINGO
CONTROLS
Minimizing Theft Opportunities
:
 Reconcile cash after each occasion
 Provide cash register receipts to
patrons
 Have two workers count the beginning
& ending cash amounts
 Record correct prize amounts
Minimizing Theft Opportunities

Have an officer verify invoices or
receipts for every check written

Have a written contract for goods and
services

Have workers sign in each night
indicating the position worked

Have written procedures

Let employees know that there will be
consequences for missing cash

Separate duties – the person making
the deposit should not be the same
person maintaining the records
Safeguarding Your Inventory
•
Verify inventory received
•
Keep inventory records current
•
Conduct frequent inventory
counts
•
Limit access to inventory
•
Segregate duties involving
sales and inventory
recordkeeping
Member Involvement
• Get as many members involved as possible
• Give board members a bingo report at least on a
quarterly basis
• Initiate internal and external audits
LEGAL
OFFENSES
3rd Degree Felony ??
Class A, B, C Misdemeanor??
Red Flags!




Shortages/overages
Late deposits
Lost deposits
Too many refunds and
voided sales on the cash
register
 Over billing for expenses