Provides relative to charitable bingo and the issuance of special licenses

House Bill 337 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 4:710(A) to increase the number of special bingo sessions that a licensed organization may conduct annually. Specifically, the legislation changes the maximum allowable special bingo sessions from two sessions per year to four sessions per year. The bill maintains all other existing restrictions and requirements governing special licenses, including the cap of twenty-five thousand dollars in total prizes that may be awarded on any single calendar day under such a license. The amendment operates within the existing regulatory framework administered by the office of charitable gaming, which retains authority to issue special licenses and provide governing rules.

Licensed charitable organizations that conduct bingo games are the primary beneficiaries of this legislation. Organizations holding special licenses can now host twice as many bingo sessions annually, potentially doubling their fundraising opportunities through this mechanism while remaining subject to the same daily prize limitations. The office of charitable gaming, responsible for licensing and oversight, gains flexibility in accommodating more special license applications and managing additional bingo sessions within the state's charitable gaming regulatory structure.

The bill modifies the regulatory scheme established in Louisiana's gaming statutes governing charitable bingo operations under the office of charitable gaming. Special licenses represent a discrete licensing category allowing eligible organizations to conduct bingo games outside the standard licensing requirements, with the number of permissible sessions historically limited to preserve regulatory control and prevent excessive proliferation of gaming activities. By doubling the allowable sessions from two to four annually, the legislation expands charitable organizations' capacity to utilize bingo as a fundraising tool while the daily prize cap continues to limit potential economic impact of any single event.