The Arizona Revised Statutes have been updated to include the revised sections from the 56th Legislature, 1st Regular Session. Please note that the next update of this compilation will not take place until after the conclusion of the 56th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session, which convenes in January 2024.
This online version of the Arizona Revised Statutes is primarily maintained for legislative drafting purposes and reflects the version of law that is effective on January 1st of the year following the most recent legislative session. The official version of the Arizona Revised Statutes is published by Thomson Reuters.
5-401. Definitions
In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. "Adjusted gross receipts" means the receipts remaining after deducting the monies paid for prizes from gross receipts.
2. "Applicant" means a person, a group of persons or an organization that submits an application to the licensing authority for a license required under this chapter.
3. "Assistant" means a person who is not a manager, supervisor or proceeds coordinator, who assists in conducting bingo games and who is designated as an assistant in the application for a license.
4. "Auxiliary" means a formally organized body formed for the purpose of assisting a qualified organization in accomplishing its primary purposes and recognized by a licensee in writing to the licensing authority as the licensee for the purposes of this chapter.
5. "Charitable organization" means any organization including not more than one auxiliary of the organization, not for pecuniary profit, which is operated for charitable purposes within this state and which has been so engaged for two years prior to making application for a license under this article.
6. "Chartered branch or lodge or chapter of a national or state organization" means any branch or lodge or chapter of a national or state qualified organization.
7. "Equipment" means the receptacle and numbered objects drawn from it, the master board upon which such objects are placed as drawn, the cards or sheets bearing numbers or other designations to be covered and the objects used to cover them, the board or signs, however operated, used to announce or display the numbers or designations as they are drawn, the public address system, and all other articles essential to the operation, conduct and playing of bingo.
8. "Fraternal organization" means any organization within this state, except college and high school fraternities, not for pecuniary profit, which is a branch or lodge or chapter of a national or state organization and exists for the common business, brotherhood or other interests of its members and which national or state organization has so existed for two years in Arizona prior to making application for a license under this article. Fraternal organization shall also include not more than one auxiliary of such organization.
9. "Gross receipts" means the total of the following:
(a) The receipts from the sale of shares, tickets or rights in any manner connected with participation in a game of bingo or the right to participate therein, including any admission fee, charge for cards, daubers or other devices, the sale of equipment or supplies and all other miscellaneous receipts, excluding sales of food or beverages or other products which are not required to play bingo games.
(b) Interest collected on the special account or interest bearing accounts established pursuant to section 5-407.
10. "Homeowners association" means a nonprofit corporation or association that is established to own, lease or manage common, limited access lots, parcels, areas, grounds or streets of a real estate development and that has continuously engaged in those activities in this state for at least two years immediately before applying for a license.
11. "Lawful purposes" means the expenditure of net proceeds of a game of bingo exclusively by a licensee for the purposes of carrying out its mission and its aims or for the purpose of charity.
12. "Lawful use" means the devotion of the entire net proceeds of a game of bingo exclusively to a lawful purpose or to lawful purposes.
13. "License" means a license issued by the licensing authority pursuant to this article.
14. "Licensee" means any person or qualified organization to which a license has been issued by the licensing authority.
15. "Licensing authority" means the department of revenue.
16. "Local governing body" means the governing body of a city or town or the board of supervisors of the county for locations outside a city or town.
17. "Manager" means a person who has overall responsibility for conducting bingo games by a licensee and is designated as a manager in the application for a license.
18. "Member" means an individual who has qualified for membership in a qualified organization or its auxiliary pursuant to its bylaws, articles of incorporation, charter, rules or similar written instrument and who has been a member in good standing for at least two years.
19. "Net proceeds" means the receipts less such expenses, charges, fees and deductions as are specifically authorized under this article.
20. "New member" means an individual who has qualified and been approved by the appropriate parent organization or state or national organization for membership in a qualified organization including auxiliaries pursuant to its bylaws, articles of incorporation, charter, rules or similar written instrument and who has been a member in good standing for at least thirty days but less than two years.
21. "Occasion" means a gathering at which bingo games are played.
22. "Person" means a natural person, firm, association, corporation or other legal entity.
23. "Premises" means any room, hall, building, enclosure or outdoor area used for the purpose of playing a game of bingo. Premises shall not be subdivided to provide multiple premises.
24. "Proceeds coordinator" means a person who has primary responsibility for the use of bingo game proceeds in accordance with law and for all checks issued from bingo game proceeds and is designated as the proceeds coordinator in the application for a license.
25. "Qualified organization" means a homeowners association or any bona fide charitable, fraternal, religious, social, veterans' organization or volunteer firefighters organization, or nonprofit ambulance service as defined in section 41-1831 or any chartered branch or lodge or chapter of such national or state organization which operates without profit to its members and which has been in existence continuously for a period of two years in Arizona immediately before applying for a license under this article, and may include not more than one identified auxiliary of any such organization.
26. "Religious organization" means any organization, church, body of communicants or group, not for pecuniary profit, gathered in common membership for regular worship and religious observances and which organization has been so gathered or united for two years prior to making application for a license under this article. Religious organization shall also include not more than one auxiliary of the organization.
27. "Reporting period" means the applicable reporting period prescribed in section 5-413.
28. "Revocation" means the disciplinary termination of bingo license activity.
29. "Supervisor" means a person who is primarily responsible for the conduct of bingo games on each occasion including the supervision of all activities and the making of any report required by the licensing authority for the occasion.
30. "Suspension" means the disciplinary termination of bingo license activity for a period of less than five years.
31. "Veterans' organization" means any congressionally chartered organization within this state, or any branch, lodge or chapter of a national or state organization within this state, not for pecuniary profit, the membership of which consists of individuals who were members of the armed services or forces of the United States, which has been in existence for two years prior to making application for a license under this article. Veterans' organization shall also include not more than one auxiliary of such organization.
32. "Volunteer firefighters organization" means any organization within this state, not for pecuniary profit, established pursuant to title 48, chapter 5 which has been in existence continuously for two years immediately before applying for a license under this article.