FAQs

Who needs to be licensed? How do I get a license?

There are six types of licenses issued in accordance with the Bingo Enabling Act: License to Conduct (annual and temporary licenses), Commercial License to Lease Bingo Premises, Distributor's License, Manufacturer's License, System Service Provider's License and Unit Manager's License.

1. Annual and Temporary Licenses to Conduct Charitable Bingo: Any non-profit organization that wants to conduct bingo on a regular (annual) basis or on a limited (single occasion) basis in a legalized area must apply for a License to Conduct Charitable Bingo.
2. Commercial License to Lease Bingo Premises: Any person who wants to lease premises to a licensed organization for conducting bingo must apply to the Texas Lottery Commission for a Commercial License to Lease Bingo Premises. A commercial lessor who leases more than one location must obtain a separate license for each location.
3. Distributor's License: Any person who sells, distributes, or supplies bingo equipment, devices, or supplies for resale or for use in licensed bingo games and bingo games exempt from licensing requirements, must be licensed as a distributor. A distributor may not hold another license issued under the Bingo Enabling Act.
4. Manufacturer's License: Any person who manufactures bingo supplies, devices, or equipment designed to be used in playing bingo and who desires to have those items sold within the State of Texas must be licensed as a manufacturer. A manufacturer may not hold another license issued under the Bingo Enabling Act.
5. System Service Provider's License: Any person who desires to supply automated bingo services to licensed authorized organizations must obtain a license from the commission. The Bingo Enabling Act defines automated bingo services as a computer program or system for registering or accounting for bingo sales, prizes, inventory, and prize fees; for generating required reports to the commission; and for providing the conductor of a bingo game with other information requested for accounting or other business purposes.
6. Unit Manager License: A unit manager is a person who files quarterly reports and pays taxes, fees and maintains the bingo inventory and financial records for an accounting unit. A licensed unit manager is responsible for an accounting unit's compliance with Commission rules and the Bingo Enabling Act.

For more information, please contact our office and ask to speak with a licensing examiner. A licensing examiner can explain the requirements for each license and answer questions about completing the application.

How long does the process take?

Application processing time depends upon several variables, including the completeness and accuracy of the submitted application and supplmental documentation as required by the Bingo Enabling Act. On average, it takes 90 days to process an original annual conductor license application and 30 days to process an original temporary conductor license application.

The license application indicates I need a bond. How do I get the bond?

There are several options for providing the required bond. You may provide a cash bond by submitting a check or money order. You may provide a bond through a financial institution using the Schedule C Assignment of Security using bank account, credit union or savings account funds. You may also contact a surety bond company which will generate a bond for you. Schedule D Continuous Bond for Bingo Prize Fees would be used in this case. Please note that Schedule C or Schedule D must be completed by either the financial institution or the Surety Company as well as your organization. See a list of representative Surety Bond Security companies . 

Do I have to send in a loan application with an original license application even though I am not going to transfer any funds from the general fund to the bingo checking account?

Yes. The " Schedule F - Application for Loan Approval" must be completed and submitted with an original license application, even though you are not requesting a loan. The "Bingo Financial Summory and/or Application for Loan Approval" is not only used for loan approval purposes, but also to disclose financial information that is required by the Bingo Enabling Act, Section 2001.102(b)(7).

I did not receive my temporary license Monday. Today is Tuesday and the game is Wednesday. Can you fax a copy of the license? Can I play without it?

We cannot fax a license. An organization must have the actual license or a Letter of Authority from our office to conduct the game. A Letter of Authority states the same information found on the license and is issued only when the license will not reach the organization by mail before the bingo occasion. The Letter of Authority will be faxed to the organization and is to be displayed as a license. It is the organization's responsibility to get the temporary application in to our office to allow a minimum of 7-10 working days process time. Organizations may wish to use an express mail service (Fedex, Airborne, Lone Star Overnight etc.) to ensure faster delivery of their temporary licenses, but the organizations must furnish their own account number for this service.

I mailed in my renewal application by overnight express mail. It came back in the mail as undeliverable. What is going on?

When using the U.S. Postal Service, you must use our mailing address: Charitable Bingo Operations Division, Texas Lottery Commission, P.O. Box 16630, Austin, 78761-6630. The U.S. Postal Service does not deliver any mail to our physical address: 611 E. 6th Street, Austin, 78701, even if it is express overnight, next-day delivery. If you are using express delivery services (FEDEX, UPS, Lone Star Overnight, etc.) they deliver only to our physical address.

I submitted an application; the examiner mentioned the "lessor tier structure"; what is that?

Section 2001.151 of the Bingo Enabling Act requires anyone who leases premises, on which bingo is conducted, directly to a licensed authorized organization, to be a licensed commercial lessor. Section 2001.152 describes the types of lease situations which would require a lessor license.

Lessor Tier Structures (Requires Adobe Reader software)