October 19, 2026·6 min read

What States Have Pull Tabs? Where to Play by State

Pull tabs are sold in many states, almost always to raise money for charities, and they go by different names: instant bingo in Ohio and Florida, pickle cards in Nebraska, bell jars in New York. Here is where you can play and how each state handles them.

Pull tabs are sold in a lot of states, but you might not recognize them by name. The same paper ticket with perforated windows is called instant bingo in Ohio and Florida, pickle cards in Nebraska and bell jars in New York. And the rules behind them change at every state line.

In almost every state, pull tabs are charitable gaming: a licensed nonprofit such as a veterans post, youth hockey association or fire department relief fund runs the games, and the profit goes to its cause. A few states also let businesses sell them under their own license. Here is how it works in the states we map, and in some others where the game goes by another name.

States on FindPullTabs

We currently map more than 8,000 places to play in eight states. Each state page lists them by city, with directions and hours where we have them.

Minnesota: about 3,300 places. Licensed nonprofits run paper pull tabs and e-tabs in bars, VFW and American Legion posts, and clubs, under the Minnesota Gambling Control Board. Minnesotans spend more on pull tabs than players in any other state.
Ohio: about 2,900 places, and growing. Ohio calls them instant bingo. Charities licensed by the Ohio Attorney General sell them in bars, clubs, gas stations and carryouts, and electronic instant bingo is limited to veterans and fraternal clubs. Our guide to instant bingo in Ohio has the details.
Washington: about 870 places. Washington is different: bars and restaurants can sell pull tabs under their own license from the Washington State Gambling Commission, alongside veterans and fraternal clubs.
North Dakota: about 850 places. Licensed charities run paper pull tabs and e-tabs, regulated by the Attorney General's Gaming Division. Players must be at least 21.
Iowa: about 390 places.
Wisconsin: about 240 places.
Florida: about 80 places. Florida law calls them instant bingo. Only charitable, nonprofit or veterans organizations that have been active for at least three years can run them, tickets cost no more than $1, and they cannot be discounted or given away.
Alaska: about 80 places. Pull tabs are Alaska's most popular form of charitable gaming.

Other States, Other Names

Pull tabs are also sold in states we do not map yet. A few examples, with the names you will see on the counter:

Nebraska calls them pickle cards. Nonprofits sell them as one of the state's authorized charitable games, the state's Charitable Gaming Division approves each kind of card, and players must be at least 18.
New York calls them bell jars. Organizations need a bell jar license from the New York State Gaming Commission, and tickets cannot be sold on Christmas Day or Easter Sunday.
Illinois regulates them under its Pull Tabs and Jar Games Act, licensed through the Illinois Department of Revenue. Only nonprofits can run them.
Kentucky allows pull tabs as part of charitable gaming, overseen by the Department of Charitable Gaming.
Texas law includes pull-tab bingo as a form of charitable bingo, run by licensed bingo organizations.
Michigan's charitable gaming is regulated by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

Other local names for the same game include break-opens, cherry bells, Nevada tickets and charity game tickets.

Before You Play in a New State

Rules change, and they differ more than you might expect: who can sell tickets, the top price, whether e-tabs are allowed, and the minimum age (21 in North Dakota, 18 for Nebraska's pickle cards). If you are traveling, check the state's gaming regulator or ask at the counter.

Wherever you play, the flare posted with each game shows what that deal pays. Our guide to pull tab payouts and odds explains how to read one, and the odds calculator does the math.

If you play somewhere that is not on our map, send it to us and we will add it.

Sources

Florida: Florida Statutes 849.0931. North Dakota: North Dakota Attorney General, Gaming. Nebraska: Nebraska Department of Revenue, Charitable Gaming. New York: New York State Gaming Commission bell jar guidelines. Alaska: Alaska Public Media. Kentucky: Play Kentucky. Minnesota spending: Star Tribune. Venue counts are from FindPullTabs as of October 2026. Laws change; check with each state's regulator for current rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

What states have pull tabs?

Pull tabs are sold in many states, almost always as charitable gaming run by licensed nonprofits. FindPullTabs maps more than 8,000 places to play in Minnesota, Ohio, Washington, North Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Florida and Alaska. Other states, including Nebraska, New York, Illinois, Kentucky and Texas, allow them under their own names and rules.

What are pull tabs called in other states?

Ohio and Florida call them instant bingo, Nebraska calls them pickle cards, and New York calls them bell jars. Other names include break-opens, cherry bells, Nevada tickets and charity game tickets.

Which state has the most pull tabs?

Minnesotans spend more on pull tabs than players in any other state, and Minnesota has the most places to play on FindPullTabs, about 3,300. Ohio is next, with about 2,900 places selling instant bingo.

How old do you have to be to play pull tabs?

It depends on the state. North Dakota limits pull tabs to players 21 and older, while Nebraska allows pickle card play at 18. Check the state rules or ask at the venue.