OAR 137-025-0160: Conduct of Bingo in General

(1) No employee or volunteer of the licensee involved in the conduct of bingo games may receive a prize or participate as a player at a bingo game session in which the employee or volunteer is actually involved in the conduct of the bingo games. (2) All prizes awarded in connection with bingo games, whether in cash or merchandise, and all rules by which such prizes may be won, including costs to a participant, shall be disclosed to each participant prior to that participant taking part in the activity or paying for the opportunity to take part in the activity. Disclosures, commonly known as "house rules," shall be made by conspicuously posting or displaying upon the premises where the activity is operated a complete description of the rules of the activity, an explanation of how each prize can be won, and the cost to participate in the activity. (3) The numbers for bingo shall be physically selected from a container, and players shall be able to view the selection process, including an unobstructed view of the container or blower chamber. Immediately following the drawing of each number in any bingo game wherein a prize valued at $100 or greater is offered, the caller shall display the letter and number for viewing by the participants. Numbers shall not be selected by electronic equipment, such as a computer. For any game in which a prize valued at less than $100 is offered, upon request by a player to any employee or volunteer of the licensee, the player, accompanied by a management representative of the licensee, shall be allowed to inspect the bingo caller’s cradle to verify the bingo numbers called before the bingo numbers are returned to the blower chamber. (4) All prizes, or script redeemable for prizes, paid to the winner(s) shall be paid by the licensee; no prizes or script shall be transferred from non-winners to the winner(s). (5) Bingo cards may not be purchased or played other than at the approved location of the licensee's game; a player must be present to win. (6) Except for the conduct of "bonanza" bingo described in section (7) of this rule, the numbers shall be drawn and announced during the play of the game; each player covers the corresponding number, if present on the bingo card, as each number is called. (7) A licensee may play "bonanza" bingo by drawing a predesignated quantity of bingo numbers before the actual playing of the bonanza bingo game only if the licensee complies with the following procedures: (a) Bonanza bingo cards shall remain sealed until such time as they are sold to the players; (b) The balls drawn in advance of the bonanza bingo game shall be drawn during a bingo session in the presence of the players; and (c) The quantity of numbers drawn in advance shall be fewer than the number which would produce a probable instant winner, based upon the rules of the game and the expected number of players. (8) No operator shall engage in any act, practice, or course of operation as would operate as a fraud to affect the outcome of any bingo game. (9) Cages or blowers used to mix and select bingo numbers shall be designed and constructed in such a manner which reasonably provides a thorough mix of the numbers and random selection. Cages and blowers shall be cleaned and maintained in good repair so as to prevent damage to the bingo numbers. (10) Bingo numbers shall be periodically inspected, cleaned and maintained in good condition by the licensee. No bingo numbers may be used in play which are defective, cracked, broken, illegible, out of round or damaged in such a manner that would interfere with or affect the random selection process. Only sequentially complete sets of bingo numbers shall be placed in play; there shall be no duplication of numbers. (11) No person shall tamper with, mutilate, weight, or otherwise alter a bingo number in any manner that would interfere with or affect the random selection process. (12) The Department may immediately remove any bingo number or set of bingo numbers from play if a violation is found. The number or number set shall not be returned to play until the violation is corrected. The Department may require that any bingo number or number set be replaced or tested for compliance if a violation is found or suspected. (13) With the exception of "sleeper bingos,” a prize may be awarded only to the bingo player(s) who first covers or uncovers the selected numbers in a designated combination, sequence or pattern. Multiple prizes may be awarded in the course of a game if each prize is given to the first player to achieve a designated pattern, such as those offered in "work up" games. No awards, including consolation awards, such as "monitor bingos,” shall be made to players other than the prizes described above.