Bill Text: IL HB4615 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Charitable Games Act. Provides that noncash prizes shall be of nominal value or be donated to the organization conducting the game. Provides that civil penalties imposed under the Act shall not exceed $500 for each separate violation committed during the first event and $1,500 for each separate violation committed at subsequent events. Effective immediately.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2026-03-27 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4615 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB4615-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026HB4615 Introduced , by Rep. Natalie A. Manley SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
230 ILCS 30/8 from Ch. 120, par. 1128
230 ILCS 30/12 from Ch. 120, par. 1132
Amends the Charitable Games Act. Provides that noncash prizes shall be of nominal value or be donated to the organization conducting the game. Provides that civil penalties imposed under the Act shall not exceed $500 for each separate violation committed during the first event and $1,500 for each separate violation committed at subsequent events. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning gaming.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Charitable Games Act is amended by changing
Sections 8 and 12 as follows:
(230 ILCS 30/8) (from Ch. 120, par. 1128)
Sec. 8. The conducting of charitable games is subject to
the following restrictions:
(1) The entire net proceeds from charitable games must
be exclusively devoted to the lawful purposes of the
organization permitted to conduct that game.
(2) No person except a bona fide member or employee of
the sponsoring organization, or a volunteer recruited by
the sponsoring organization, may participate in the
management or operation of the game. A person participates
in the management or operation of a charitable game when
he or she sells admission tickets at the event; sells,
redeems, or in any way assists in the selling or redeeming
of chips, scrip, or play money; participates in the
conducting of any of the games played during the event, or
supervises, directs or instructs anyone conducting a game;
or at any time during the hours of the charitable games
event counts, handles, or supervises anyone counting or

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handling any of the proceeds or chips, scrip, or play
money at the event. A person who is present to ensure that
the games are being conducted in conformance with the
rules established by the licensed organization or is
present to insure that the equipment is working properly
is considered to be participating in the management or
operation of a game. Setting up, cleaning up, selling food
and drink, or providing security for persons or property
at the event does not constitute participation in the
management or operation of the game.
Only bona fide members, volunteers as defined in
Section 2 of this Act, and employees of the sponsoring
organization may participate in the management or
operation of the games. Participation in the management or
operation of the games is limited to no more than 12
charitable games events, either of the sponsoring
organization or any other licensed organization, during a
calendar year.
(3) No person may receive any remuneration or
compensation either directly or indirectly from any source
for participating in the management or operation of the
game.
(4) No single bet at any house-banked game may exceed
$20.
(5) A bank shall be established on the premises to
convert currency into chips, scrip, or other form of play

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money which shall then be used to play at games of chance
which the participant chooses. Chips, scrip, or play money
must be permanently monogrammed with the supplier license
number or logo or charitable games license number of a
licensed organization or of the supplier. Each participant
must be issued a receipt indicating the amount of chips,
scrip, or play money purchased.
(6) At the conclusion of the event or when the
participant leaves, participants he or she may cash in
their his or her chips, scrip, or play money in exchange
for currency not to exceed $500 in cash winnings or
unlimited noncash prizes, which shall be of nominal value
or be donated to the organization conducting the game.
Each participant shall sign for any receipt of prizes. The
licensee shall provide the Department of Revenue with a
listing of all prizes awarded, including the retail value
of all prizes awarded.
(7) Each licensee shall be permitted to conduct
charitable games on not more than 4 days each year.
Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit a
licensee that conducts charitable games on its own
premises from also obtaining a providers' license in
accordance with Section 7 of this Act.
(8) Unless the provider of the premises is a
municipality, the provider of the premises may not rent or
otherwise provide the premises for the conducting of more

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than 12 charitable games nights per calendar year.
(9) A charitable games event is considered to be a
one-day event and charitable games may not be played
between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and noon.
(10) No person under the age of 18 years may play or
participate in the conducting of charitable games. Any
person under the age of 18 years may be within the area
where charitable games are being played only when
accompanied by his parent or guardian.
(11) No one other than the sponsoring organization of
charitable games must have a proprietary interest in the
game promoted.
(12) Raffles or other forms of gambling prohibited by
law shall not be conducted on the premises where
charitable games are being conducted.
(13) Such games are not expressly prohibited by county
ordinance for charitable games conducted in the
unincorporated areas of the county or municipal ordinance
for charitable games conducted in the municipality and the
ordinance is filed with the Department of Revenue. The
Department shall provide each county or municipality with
a list of organizations licensed or subsequently
authorized by the Department to conduct charitable games
in their jurisdiction.
(14) The sale of tangible personal property at
charitable games is subject to all State and local taxes

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and obligations.
(15) Each licensee may offer or conduct only the games
listed below, which must be conducted in accordance with
rules posted by the organization. The organization
sponsoring charitable games shall promulgate rules, and
make printed copies available to participants, for the
following games: (a) roulette; (b) blackjack; (c) poker;
(d) pull tabs; (e) craps; (f) bang; (g) beat the dealer;
(h) big six; (i) gin rummy; (j) five card stud poker; (k)
chuck-a-luck; (l) keno; (m) hold-em poker; and (n)
merchandise wheel. A licensee need not offer or conduct
every game permitted by law. The conducting of games not
listed above is prohibited by this Act.
(16) No slot machines or coin-in-the-slot-operated
devices that allow a participant to play games of chance
shall be permitted to be used at the location and during
the time at which the charitable games are being
conducted. However, establishments that have video gaming
terminals licensed under the Video Gaming Act may operate
them along with charitable games under rules adopted by
the Department.
(17) No cards, dice, wheels, or other equipment may be
modified or altered so as to give the licensee a greater
advantage in winning, other than as provided under the
normal rules of play of a particular game.
(18) No credit shall be extended to any of the

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participants.
(19) (Blank).
(20) A supplier may have only one representative
present at the charitable games event, for the exclusive
purpose of ensuring that its equipment is not damaged.
(21) No employee, owner, or officer of a consultant
service hired by a licensed organization to perform
services at the event including, but not limited to,
security for persons or property at the event or services
before the event including, but not limited to, training
for volunteers or advertising may participate in the
management or operation of the games.
(22) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 98-377, eff. 1-1-14; 98-1071, eff. 8-26-14.)
(230 ILCS 30/12) (from Ch. 120, par. 1132)
Sec. 12. Penalties.
(1) Any person who conducts or knowingly participates in
an unlicensed charitable game commits the offense of gambling
in violation of Section 28-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012. Any
person who violates any provision of this Act, or any person
who fails to file a charitable games return or who files a
fraudulent return or application under this Act, or any person
who willfully violates any rule or regulation of the
Department for the administration and enforcement of this Act,
or any officer or agent of an organization licensed under this

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Act who signs a fraudulent return or application filed on
behalf of such an organization, is guilty of a Class A
misdemeanor. Any second or subsequent violation of this Act
constitutes a Class 4 felony.
(2) Any organization that illegally conducts charitable
games, in addition to other penalties provided for in this
Act, shall be subject to a civil penalty equal to the amount of
gross proceeds derived from those unlicensed games, as well as
confiscation and forfeiture of all charitable games equipment
used in the conduct of those unlicensed games.
(3) Any organization licensed to conduct charitable games
that allows any form of illegal gambling to be conducted on the
premises where charitable games are being conducted, in
addition to other penalties provided for in this Act, shall be
subject to a civil penalty equal to the amount of gross
proceeds derived on that day from charitable games and any
illegal game that may have been conducted, as well as
confiscation and forfeiture of all charitable games equipment
used in the conduct of any unlicensed or illegal games.
(4) Any person who violates any provision of this Act or
knowingly violates any rule of the Department for the
administration of this Act, in addition to other penalties
provided, shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed
$500 $250 for each separate violation committed during the
first event and $1,500 for each separate violation committed
at subsequent events.

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(5) No person shall sell, lease, or distribute for
compensation within this State, or possess with intent to
sell, lease, or distribute for compensation within this State,
any chips, representations of money, wheels, or any devices or
equipment designed for use or used in the play of charitable
games without first having obtained a license to do so from the
Department of Revenue. Any person that knowingly violates this
paragraph is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, the fine for
which shall not exceed $50,000.
(Source: P.A. 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.