
Bingo, Raffles, and Pull-Tabs: When Nonprofit Gaming Owes UBIT
Nonprofit raffle and pull-tab income is taxable UBI unless the IRS bingo or 85% volunteer-labor exception applies — plus W-2G and Schedule G rules.
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Tax and bookkeeping guidance for gambling winnings, losses, and gaming-adjacent small businesses under IRS and state rules

Nonprofit raffle and pull-tab income is taxable UBI unless the IRS bingo or 85% volunteer-labor exception applies — plus W-2G and Schedule G rules.

Lottery retailers keep 5-7% commissions while the state sweeps the rest weekly — track packs, reconcile EFT debits, and report Form 1099-NEC income.

W-2Gs report single wagers, not net profit. IRS lets you net wins per session, deduct losses only if you itemize under the 90% cap, and file where you bet.

Chicago's amusement tax runs on three tracks in 2026 — 9% on live admissions, 10.25% on streaming and paid TV, 3% on registered ticket resales — plus a new 10.25% sports wagering tax and a $0.50 per-user monthly social media levy above 100,000 Chicago consumers. Here are the rates, the limits of the 1,500-seat exemption, the $100,000 remote-seller safe harbor, and the filing deadlines that trigger assessments.

The IRS treats charity gaming as an unrelated business, so raffle and bingo profits can owe UBIT on Form 990-T even when every dollar funds programs. Two exceptions usually save the event — substantially-all-volunteer labor and traditional bingo (never pull-tabs) — while raffles paying $600-plus at 300 times the wager trigger Form W-2G, with 24 percent withholding above $5,000.

North Carolina's 2026 budget raised the sportsbook tax from 18% to 23% of gross wagering revenue, added a 6% prediction-market tax effective January 1, 2027, and requires operators to report every bettor who wins more than $2,000 a year. Here is what bars, affiliates, vendors, employers, and bettors in the state need to record, reconcile, and calendar.

Starting tax year 2026, the OBBBA limits gambling loss deductions to 90% of winnings. Breakeven gamblers may owe IRS tax on phantom income from the 10% gap.