It's not unusual to see fifty-fifty raffles, ticket auctions, or other small games of chance at community benefits or high school sporting events. Members of the IUP community should be aware that:
- Small games of chance of any kind are not authorized by the university, as IUP does not have a small games of chance license.
- Fifty-fifty raffles are in violation of state law (even for those who have a small games of chance license).
After hearing about games of chance on campus, IUP officials recently looked into acquiring a license to comply with state laws and regulations.
In addition to learning that fifty-fifty raffles are against state law, officials learned that requirements for the license application and reporting procedures for small games of chance are problematic.
For example, the license application requires Social Security numbers of all members of the Council of Trustees and of those responsible for the operation of the games.
Those deemed responsible on the application must then ensure that the games adhere to operating and reporting procedures required by law—procedures that are very specific in terms of contest guidelines, information required on tickets, tracking of the people involved in ticket sales, and more.
As IUP lacks the resources needed to ensure compliance, an application for a license will not be submitted at this time. For that reason, IUP fund-raisers and other activities should not involve small games of chance.