Bingo & Raffle Newsletter

Bingo & Raffle Newsletter, Colorado Secretary of State

Quarterly Reports Due October 31

If you held a 2023 license at any time during the 3rd quarter 2023, you MUST submit your LE-21 Quarterly Report form by October 31, 2023. The report covers the period from July 1 through September 30, 2023. Reports filed after this date will be assessed a $50 late filing fee.

Filing quarterly reports using our online system is cheaper than filing paper forms. If needed, all paper forms can still be found on our website, including all daily forms.

Please make sure to provide copies of daily forms for progressive bingo (LE-34a), progressive pull tabs (LE-31a), and progressive raffles (LE-34c) with your submission. The progressive bingo forms should be updated after each bingo occasion and the pull tab and raffle forms should be updated regularly.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact Lisa Marty at lisa.marty@coloradosos.gov or Denise Lamberth at denise.lamberth@coloradosos.gov.

Continued Online Acceptance

Currently, 95% of groups file their documentation online. That is a 3% improvement over this time last year, and only leaves 36 total groups that are NOT currently filing electronically. Our office would like to recognize and show appreciation to all the organizations that have taken the time and opportunity to make this transition or continue to file online. For those still filing by paper, quarterly reminders will continue to be sent regarding how to create your online account, and you will receive this for each paper quarterly submission you continue to file. As always, fees for online filing of quarterlies are cheaper than those for paper filing, and your filing or renewal will not be held up by waiting for the mail to be delivered to our office. If you would like to start the process of going to online filing, please refer to your mailed reminder or contact our team to assist you. You are always welcome to give us a call – we are more than happy to aid you in taking advantage of this filing method.

Bingo/Raffle Advisory Board

The Colorado Bingo-Raffle Advisory Board makes recommendations to the Secretary of State's office in its regulation of the charitable gaming sector. All members of the public are encouraged to attend and contribute to this important dialogue.

Specifics regarding any meeting and how to attend can be found here.

If you have any questions, please feel free to send us an email at licensing@coloradosos.gov.

We would also like to remind current members of the Board that there is a statutory requirement that they complete yearly Board training. This training is available here under Bingo-Raffle Advisory Board training.

Bingo/Raffle Financial Reports.

Our office is committed to using our statewide reach to provide timely and accurate data to the bingo/raffle community. We use the information you provide on quarterly reports to publish two informative datasets on our website:

  • Aggregate revenue report: this report contains a "roll-up" of total revenue, expense, and profit data for charitable gaming in the state.
  • Revenue by licensee: this report contains similar information broken down by individual bingo/raffle licensees. We began publishing this report in response to a request from our Bingo/Raffle Advisory Board.

Our website currently contains reports for calendar years 2013 through 2nd quarter 2023. Reports are updated quarterly.

Renewing of Bingo-Raffle License 2024

Starting November 1, current Bingo-Raffle licensees can renew their licenses for 2024, as long as your 3rd quarter 2023 quarterly report has been submitted. The Secretary of State's office encourages groups to file online. If renewing online, the licensee needs to access their online account and use the “renew” link on their account’s summary page. Please do not create a new account as these filings will need to be rejected and resubmitted through your existing account.

When filing online, the system will only accept credit or debit cards; we do not have ACH or the ability to directly transfer funds from your accounts. The card does not have to be linked directly to the bingo-raffle account. A personal card could be used (we do not retain any card information once the submission is made to our office), and then reimbursed from the bingo-raffle account (we will need adequate descriptions on the schedule A that the reimbursement was for a “loan” to repay the person using their personal card for this payment). Also, the group has the option of obtaining a prepaid card where it can be loaded with the appropriate amount to cover the payment.

E-Filing a Bingo-Raffle License Renewal

Please remember, if you wish to continue to conduct charitable games of chance in 2024, you will need to renew your Bingo-Raffle license for 2024 before starting or continuing any games into 2024. All 2023 Bingo-Raffle licenses expire December 31, 2023. The Secretary of State's office encourages groups to file online. If renewing online, the licensee can access their online account and use the “renew” link on their account’s summary page. Please do not create a new account as these filings will need to be rejected and resubmitted through your existing account.

When filing online, the system will only accept credit or debit cards; we do not have ACH or the ability to directly transfer funds from your accounts. The card does not have to be linked directly to the bingo-raffle account. A personal card could be used (we do not retain any card information once the submission is made to our office), and then reimbursed from the bingo-raffle account (we will need adequate descriptions on the schedule A that the reimbursement was for a “loan” to repay the person using their personal card for this payment). Also, the group has the option of obtaining a prepaid card where it can be loaded with the appropriate amount to cover the payment.

Games Manager Training

Your organization must have at least one certified Games Manager in order to run charitable games. We recommend licensees maintain more than one Games Manager. To support this, we offer in-person and online Games Manager training courses.

Sign up for the online eLearning course on our website.

For in-person classes, visit our Games Manager Training page and follow the instructions to sign up for a scheduled class.

The dates/times/places of upcoming Games Manager training classes follow:

  • Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 8:30 AM. US Bank (basement) hosted by Mesa County RSVP (Retired & Senior Volunteer Program), 422 White Ave, Suite 090, Grand Junction, CO 81501

We are committed to providing Games Manager Classes and licensee outreach and want to ensure anyone who attends the classes be safe.

  • During the Games Manager class masks will be encouraged if you have all required vaccines. If you have not been vaccinated please wear a mask while in the building.
  • If CDC guidance recommends your county wear masks indoors, we will be wearing masks indoors.
  • If a COVID variant is increasing in your area, the Games Manager Class may be postponed.
  • If you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID or any other virus please do not attend the class. If you are having allergy symptoms it is recommended that a rapid, at home test be taken same day prior to attending class. If the result is positive please stay home and follow CDC guidance regarding quarantine.
  • If you are exhibiting COVID symptoms, the instructor may ask you to take the test online or schedule yourself for another class.

Renewing a Bingo Hall License

All licensed bingo halls can renew their licenses beginning November 1, 2023 for their 2024 licenses. These must be filed via the online system as we no longer accept paper renewals for halls. If you had a licensed Bingo-Raffle hall in 2023, please be sure to access your account by logging in here. Do not create a new landlord license application if you are renewing from the previous year. Please contact our office with any questions or concerns.

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