Gross income from gaming

Line 9a. Gross Income from Gaming Activities. Organizations that report more than $15,000 on line 9a must also answer “Yes” to Part IV, line 19 and complete Schedule G, Supplemental Information Regarding Fundraising or Gaming Activities, Part III.

Types of gaming include, but are not limited to:

  • bingo

  • pull tabs

  • instant bingo

  • raffles

  • scratch-offs

  • charitable gaming tickets

  • break-opens

  • hard cards

  • banded tickets

  • jar tickets

  • pickle cards


  • Nevada Club tickets

  • casino nights

  • Las Vegas nights

  • coin-operated gambling devices including:

      • slot machines

      • electronic video slot or line games

      • video poker

      • video blackjack

      • video keno

      • video bingo

      • video pull tab games

Many games of chance are taxable. Income from bingo games is not subject to the tax on unrelated business income if the games meet the legal definition of bingo. For a game to meet the legal definition of bingo, wagers must be placed, winners must be determined, and prizes or other property must be distributed in the presence of all persons placing wagers in that game.

A wagering game that does not meet the legal definition of bingo does not qualify for the exclusion, regardless of its name. For example, instant bingo, in which a player buys a pre-packaged bingo card with pull-tabs that the player removes to determine if he or she is a winner, does not qualify. See Pub. 598, Tax on Unrelated Business Income of Exempt Organizations and Form 990-T.

Line 9b. Less Direct Expenses. Report on this line the expenses that relate directly to the production of the revenue portion of the gaming activity.

Direct expenses of gaming include:

  • cash prizes

  • non-cash prizes

  • compensation to bingo callers and workers

  • rental of gaming equipment

  • cost of bingo supplies such as pull tabs, etc.

Line 9c. Net Income or (loss) from Gaming Activities. Report the difference between 9a and 9b.

Reference: Form990_Part08_Line09a