California Penal Code

§ 326.5

PEN § 326.5 Effective Jan 1, 2026Title 9 · Part 1 · Ch. 9

Statute text

(a)Neither the prohibition on gambling in this chapter nor in Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 330) applies to any bingo game that is conducted in a city, county, or city and county pursuant to an ordinance enacted under Section 19 of Article IV of the State Constitution, if the ordinance allows games to be conducted only in accordance with this section and only by organizations exempted from the payment of the bank and corporation tax by Sections 23701a, 23701b, 23701d, 23701e, 23701f, 23701g, 23701k, 23701w, and 23701l of the Revenue and Taxation Code and by mobilehome park associations, senior citizens organizations, and charitable organizations affiliated with a school district; and if the receipts of those games are used only for charitable purposes.

(b)It is a misdemeanor for any person to receive or pay a profit, wage, or salary from any bingo game authorized by Section 19 of Article IV of the State Constitution. Security personnel employed by the organization conducting the bingo game may be paid from the revenues of bingo games, as provided in subdivisions (j) and (k).

(c)A violation of subdivision (b) shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000), which fine is deposited in the general fund of the city, county, or city and county that enacted the ordinance authorizing the bingo game. A violation of any provision of this section, other than subdivision (b), is a misdemeanor.

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Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 76, Sec. 5. (SB 860) Effective January 1, 2026.