---
title: O.C.G.A. § 16-12-52. License required to operate bingo game; recreational bingo exception.
collection: code
id: 16-12-52
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 16-12-52 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-12-52
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-12-52.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-12-52/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t16-ch12-17-(v14b)-2024-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=a591fa7b_0#page=84
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-12.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-12-51.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-12-53.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: CRIMES AND OFFENSES / OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC HEALTH AND MORALS / GAMBLING AND RELATED OFFENSES / BINGO
---

# O.C.G.A. § 16-12-52. License required to operate bingo game; recreational bingo exception.

(a) Any other law to the contrary notwithstanding except for subsection (b) of this Code section, no nonprofit, tax-exempt organization shall be permitted to operate a bingo game until the Secretary of State issues a license to the organization authorizing it to do so. In the event of any controversy concerning whether or not certain activity constitutes bingo for which a license may be issued, the decision of the Secretary of State shall control. The license described in this Code section is in addition to and not in lieu of any other licenses which may be required by this state or any political subdivision thereof, and no bingo game shall be operated until such time as all requisite licenses have been obtained.

(b) Recreational bingo is a nonprofit bingo game or a bingo game operated by an employer with ten or more full-time employees for the purpose of providing a safe workplace incentive and shall not be subject to the licensing requirements and regulations provided in this part applicable to bingo games not considered recreational bingo and operated by nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations.

## History

Ga. L. 1977, p. 1164, § 2; Ga. L. 1980, p. 422, § 2; Ga. L. 1993, p. 535, § 3; Ga. L. 1994, p. 490, § 2; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1002, § 2; Ga. L. 2021, p. 394, § 2/HB 410.