3 nights and done — Indiana’s new rule just changed bingo night for good

New law limits charity gaming to three days

Indiana now limits any building that hosts charity bingo or casino game nights to three days per week, no matter how many groups use the space.

The rule took effect Jan. 1, 2026, under Senate Enrolled Act 108, which Gov. Mike Braun signed on April 30, 2025. The bill passed with wide support, clearing the Senate 36-1 and the House 75-17.

State Sen. Ron Alting, a Republican from Lafayette, wrote the bill.

A Fort Wayne lodge raised red flags

The law didn’t come out of nowhere. In April 2024, the Indiana Gaming Commission started getting complaints about a charity casino run by Elks Lodge 155 in Fort Wayne.

The operation, known as the “FW Casino,” ran out of a strip mall on St. Joe Center Road. By October 2024, the commission had filed a formal complaint against the lodge.

Two months later, it pulled the lodge’s charity gaming license entirely.

State seized over $100,000 from the operation

Back in late October 2023, the gaming commission seized about $105,000 from the charity casino. The commission then filed a civil racketeering lawsuit against people connected to the operation.

No one faced criminal charges.

The racketeering case moved through the courts separately from the lodge’s own disciplinary case, but both painted a picture of an operation that had gone well beyond what charity gaming rules allow.

Actual revenue far exceeded reported numbers

The lodge had reported a maximum of $70,000 in nightly revenue.

But when state monitors watched the operation for six straight nights, the real numbers told a different story. Gross proceeds ranged from about $95,000 to $122,000 per night.

The gaming commission said the lodge had been underreporting its earnings.

On top of that, the lodge failed to spend charity gaming money on lawful purposes at least 22 times.

Investigators found missing chips and banned visitors

The problems went deeper than the books. Investigators found $6,000 in missing chips at a single gaming table in one night.

People who had been banned from charity gaming showed up at the casino after hours on more than one occasion.

The commission also found the lodge never properly trained its workers and didn’t provide enough security or oversight.

Volunteers received cash Christmas bonuses, weekly cash payments, and free poker tournament entries, all of which broke charity gaming rules.

Lodge lost its casino license for a decade

Under a settlement with the gaming commission, Elks Lodge 155 must pay $25,000 in damages and keep a separate gaming bank account for 12 months. The lodge cannot run any charity gaming for three years.

After five years, it can apply only for limited licenses like bingo, raffles, and festivals. A full casino game night license?

That’s off the table for 10 years.

Lawmakers said the abuse went beyond Fort Wayne

Sen. Alting said the law was about building safety nets so charity events don’t turn into full-time casinos.

Sen. Liz Brown, a Republican from Fort Wayne, said some “figurehead” charities were running multiple gambling groups out of the same location to get around the rules.

Sen. Greg Taylor, a Democrat from Indianapolis, said some organizations were holding onto the money instead of spending it on charitable causes.

Lawmakers moved on the bill less than three months after the Fort Wayne casino shut down.

Casino game nights get a new name

The law officially renames “casino game nights” to “card, dice, and roulette games events.” That’s not just a label change.

Starting July 1, 2025, workers and operators at these events must wear visible ID cards on their clothing. Each card must show the person’s first and last name along with the name of the licensed organization.

The new rules aim to make it easier to track who is running these events and hold them accountable.

Big earners now need independent audits

Groups that bring in more than $1 million a year from casino game night activities now need an independent audit from a certified public accountant.

They must submit the audit to the gaming commission within 90 days of paying their license renewal fee. The commission and the organization can agree to extend that deadline if needed.

The requirement adds a layer of oversight that wasn’t there before the Fort Wayne case came to light.

Charities get more freedom to spend proceeds

The law doesn’t just add restrictions. It also loosens how charities can spend their gaming money.

Under the old rules, organizations could only put proceeds toward repairs, maintenance, and improvements on property they owned. Now they can use that money for any lawful purpose.

Sen. Alting said he’d heard from veteran service groups like VFW posts and Eagles lodges that struggled to cover everyday costs under the old spending limits.

Electronic raffles arrive in Indiana

For the first time, qualified organizations in Indiana can run electronic raffles. The system must verify that each participant is at least 18 years old and physically located within the state.

There’s one big catch, though: winners still have to be picked at a live, in-person event.

The change opens a new fundraising tool for charities while keeping some of the traditional safeguards that come with in-person oversight.

Commission warns rule-breakers will face consequences

The Indiana Gaming Commission sent a memo in May 2025 warning organizations that ignoring the three-day limit could bring disciplinary action.

The commission can also demand an audit of any group’s financial records at any time, and the organization has to foot the bill.

Fort Wayne City Council Member Russ Jehl, who had long pushed back against the FW Casino, said any casino operation, whether for-profit or charity, needs public vetting.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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