CO Code § 24-21-602 (2021)
2021 Colorado Code|Title 24 - Government - State|Article 21 - Secretary of State - Department of State|Part 6 - Bingo and Raffles Law|§ 24-21-602. Definitions

 As used in this part 6, unless the context otherwise requires:    "Bingo" means a game of chance played, with or without the aid of an electronic device, for prizes using cards or sheets containing five rows of five squares bearing numbers, except for the center square which is a free space. Traditional bingo also requires that the letters "B I N G O" appear in order over each column. The holder of a card or sheet matches the numbers on such card or sheet to numbers randomly drawn. The game is won when a previously designated arrangement of numbers on such card or sheet is covered.    "Bingo aid computer system" means a computer system that interfaces with and controls the use of electronic devices used as aids in the game of bingo.    "Bingo-raffle licensee" means any qualified organization to which a bingo-raffle license has been issued by the licensing authority.    "Bingo-raffle manufacturer" means a person, other than a bingo-raffle licensee, who makes, assembles, produces, or otherwise prepares pull tabs, bingo cards or sheets, electronic devices used as aids in the game of bingo, or other equipment or parts thereof for games of chance. "Bingo-raffle manufacturer" does not include a person who prints raffle tickets, other than pull tabs, for and at the request of a bingo-raffle licensee.    "Bingo-raffle supplier" means a person, other than a bingo-raffle licensee, who sells, distributes, or otherwise furnishes pull tabs, bingo cards or sheets, electronic devices used as aids in the game of bingo, or other games of chance equipment. "Bingo-raffle supplier" does not include a person who prints raffle tickets, other than pull tabs, for and at the request of a bingo-raffle licensee.    "Board" means the Colorado bingo-raffle advisory board created in section 24-21-630.    "Card" means either a disposable and nonreusable paper bingo card identified by color, serial number, and card number, or a reusable bingo card intended for repeated use, including but not limited to a hard card or shutter card. "Card" does not include an electronic representation or electronic image of a bingo card.    "Charitable gaming" means bingo, pull tab games, and raffles.    "Charitable organization" means any organization, not for pecuniary profit, that is operated for the relief of poverty, distress, or other condition of public concern within this state and that has been so engaged for five years prior to making application for a license under this part 6.    "Chartered branch or lodge or chapter of a national or state organization" means any such branch or lodge or chapter that is a civic or service organization, not for pecuniary profit, and authorized by its written constitution, charter, articles of incorporation, or bylaws to engage in a fraternal, civic, or service purpose within this state and that has been so engaged for five years prior to making application for a license under this part 6.    "Commercial bingo facility" means premises rented by a bingo-raffle licensee for the purpose of conducting games of chance.    "Commercial landlord" means any person renting or offering to rent a commercial bingo facility to any bingo-raffle licensee.    "Deal" means each separate package or series of packages of pull tabs with the same name, form number, serial number, and color code.    "Dues-paying membership" means those members of an organization who pay regular monthly, annual, or other periodic dues or who are excused from paying such dues by the bylaws, articles of incorporation, or charter of the organization and those who contribute voluntarily to the corporation or organization to which they belong for the support of such corporation or organization.    "Educational organization" means any organization within this state, not organized for pecuniary profit, whose primary purpose is educational in nature and designed to develop the capabilities of individuals by instruction and that has been in existence for five years prior to making application for a license under this part 6.    "Equipment" means: With respect to bingo or lotto, the receptacle and numbered objects drawn from it, the master board upon which such objects are placed as drawn, the cards or sheets bearing numbers or other designations to be covered and the objects used to cover them, the board or signs, however operated, used to announce or display the numbers or designations as they are drawn, public address system, and all other articles essential to the operation, conduct, and playing of bingo or lotto; or, with respect to raffles, implements, devices, and machines designed, intended, or used for the conduct of raffles and the identification of the winning number or unit and the ticket or other evidence or right to participate in raffles. "Equipment" includes electronic devices used as aids in the game of bingo.    "Exempt organization" means an organization:   That is exempt from taxation under section 501 (c)(3) of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1954", as amended;    Of the type commonly known as a community chest, which organizes and carries out intensive, limited-time, and community-wide fund drive campaigns by volunteer workers soliciting charitable contributions from a broad base of citizens and businesses in the community with the objective of providing financial support to other organizations that are exempt from taxation under section 501 (c)(3) of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1954", as amended, and that provides charitable, educational, civic, health, or human services within the same community and that has the further objective of minimizing the necessity for multiple, overlapping, and competing fund drives by such recipient organizations to enable them to deliver such services;    That assists in acquiring noncash prizes donated by participating private businesses or government agencies as an ancillary means of creating interest in a charitable fund-raising drive held by such business or agency;    That collects voluntary contributions and distributes more than eighty percent of such contributions to other organizations that are exempt from taxation under section 501 (c)(3) of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1954", as amended, and that provide charitable, educational, civic, health, or human services;    On behalf of whose fund-raising drives drawings are held by participating private businesses or government agencies, which drawings are open only to the employees of such businesses or agencies and are not open to the general public;    Whose fund-raising drives are jointly planned and managed by the participating private businesses and government agencies; and    Whose fund-raising drives include only the awarding of noncash prizes by the participating private businesses or government agencies.       "Fraternal organization" means any organization within this state, including college and high school fraternities, not for pecuniary profit, that is a branch, lodge, or chapter of a national or state organization and exists for the common business, brotherhood, or other interests of its members and that has so existed for five years prior to making application for a license under this part 6. "Fraternal organization" also includes a graduate or alumni division or branch of a college fraternity, which division or branch holds a charter issued by the state of Colorado and that meets all other criteria set forth in this subsection (18). As used in this subsection    "Game of chance" means that specific kind of game of chance commonly known as bingo or lotto in which prizes are awarded on the basis of designated numbers or symbols on a card conforming to numbers or symbols selected at random and that specific kind of game of chance commonly known as raffles that is conducted by drawing for prizes or the allotment of prizes by chance, by the selling of shares or tickets or rights to participate in such a game.    "Gross receipts" means receipts from the sale of shares, tickets, or rights in any manner connected with participation in a game of chance or the right to participate therein, including any admission fee or charge, the sale of equipment or supplies, the sale or lease of electronic devices used as aids in the game of bingo, and all other miscellaneous receipts.    "Labor organization" means any organization, not for pecuniary profit, within this state that exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or conditions of work and that has existed for such purpose and has been so engaged for five years prior to making application for a license under this part 6.    "Landlord licensee" means the holder of a current, valid commercial landlord license.    "Lawful purposes" means the lawful purposes of organizations permitted to conduct games of chance, as provided in section 2 of article XVIII of the state constitution.    "Lawful use" means the devotion of the entire net proceeds of a game of chance exclusively to lawful purposes.    "License" means any license or certification issued by the licensing authority pursuant to this part 6, including, without limitation, the certification of a games manager pursuant to section 24-21-610.    "Licensed agent" means an individual who holds a current, valid agent's license for a bingo-raffle manufacturer or supplier.    "Licensee" means the holder of any license or certification issued by the licensing authority pursuant to this part 6. "Licensee" includes the former holder of such license or certification for purposes of investigation of activities that took place during the period in which such license or certification was effective.    "Licensing authority" means the secretary of state or his or her duly authorized deputy.    "Manufacturer's agent" means an individual who represents a manufacturer in any of its activities in connection with the presales, driver sales, or distribution with excess stock of pull tabs, bingo cards or sheets, electronic devices used as aids in the game of bingo, or other games of chance equipment; except employees of commercial delivery services.    "Manufacturer licensee" means the holder of a current, valid Colorado manufacturer license.    "Member" means an individual who has qualified for membership in a qualified organization pursuant to its bylaws, articles of incorporation, charter, rules, or other written statement.    "Net proceeds" means the receipts less such expenses, charges, fees, and deductions as are specifically authorized under this part 6.    "Occasion" means a single gathering or session at which a series of successive bingo games is played.    "Person" means a natural person, firm, association, corporation, or other legal entity.    "Premises" means any room, hall, enclosure, or outdoor area used for the purpose of playing a game of chance.    "Pull tab game" means a type of game of chance commonly known as a pickle, break-open, jar raffle, last sale ticket, or seal card for which tickets are preprinted with markings distinguishing winners and nonwinners, each ticket so made that its markings and winning or nonwinning status cannot be known or revealed until the ticket is broken or torn apart.      "Qualified organization" means any bona fide chartered branch, lodge, or chapter of a national or state organization or any bona fide religious, charitable, labor, fraternal, educational, voluntary firefighters', or veterans' organization operating without profit to its members that has been in existence continuously for a period of five years immediately prior to the making of an application for a license under this part 6 and that has had, during the entire five-year period, a dues-paying membership engaged in carrying out the objects of said corporation or organization. (37) (a) "Qualified organization" means any bona fide chartered branch, lodge, or chapter of a national or state organization or any bona fide religious, charitable, labor, fraternal, educational, voluntary firefighters', or veterans' organization operating without profit to its members that has been in existence continuously for a period of five years immediately prior to the making of an application for a license under this part 6 and that has had, during the entire five-year period, a dues-paying membership engaged in carrying out the objects of said corporation or organization.    "Qualified organization" includes, without limitation:   A political party; and    The Colorado state fair authority.          "Raffle" means a game in which a participant buys a ticket for a chance at a prize with the winner determined by a random method as determined by rules of the licensing authority, or a pull tab ticket as described in subsection (36) of this section. The term "raffle" does not include any activity that is authorized or regulated by the state lottery division pursuant to article 40 of title 44 or the "Limited Gaming Act of 1991", article 30 of title 44.    "Religious organization" means any organization, church, body of communicants, or group, not for pecuniary profit, gathered in common membership for mutual support and edification in piety, worship, and religious observances or a society, not for pecuniary profit, of individuals united for religious purposes at a definite place, which organization, church, body of communicants, group, or society has been so gathered or united for five years prior to making application for a license under this part 6.    "Sheet" means a leaf of paper upon which is printed one or more disposable bingo cards.    "Supplier's agent" means an individual who represents a bingo-raffle supplier in the course of the bingo-raffle supplier's presales, driver sales, or distribution with excess bingo-supplier stock, electronic devices used as aids in the game of bingo, or chance equipment on hand; except that the term does not include employees of commercial delivery services.    "Supplier licensee" means the holder of a current, valid Colorado supplier license.    "Veterans' organization" means any organization within this state or any branch, lodge, or chapter of a national or state organization within this state, not for pecuniary profit, the membership of which consists of individuals who were members of the armed services or forces of the United States, that has been in existence for five years prior to making application for a license under this part 6.    "Voluntary firefighters' organization" means any organization within this state, not for pecuniary profit, established by the state or any of its political subdivisions that has been in existence for five years prior to making application for a license under this part 6.     (18), "fraternity" includes a sorority.   Source: L. 2017: Entire part added with relocations, (SB 17-232), ch. 233, p. 908, § 2, effective May 23. L. 2018: (38) amended, (HB 18-1375), ch. 274, p. 1725, § 92, effective October 1.   Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 12-9-102 as it existed prior to 2017.   ANNOTATION   Organizations that operate outside the state are excluded from obtaining licenses for games of chance. Only the branches, lodges, or chapters of such organizations within the state, if otherwise qualified, are eligible for licenses. Am. Hist. Soc. of Germans v. Meyer, 794 P.2d 1025 (Colo. App. 1989) (decided under former law).   Any reference in this article to games of chance includes raffles, except as otherwise specified, since raffles are games of chance. Am. Hist. Soc. of Germans v. Meyer, 794 P.2d 1025 (Colo. App. 1989) (decided under former law).