Charitable bingo activity in 136 jurisdictions across the state in the third quarter of 2011 resulted in $3.1 million in allocations for those cities and counties. The Charitable Bingo Operations Division of the Texas Lottery also sent more than $3.4 million to the state’s General Revenue Fund.

Total allocations of $6.57 million in the third quarter were down 5 percent from the previous quarter, but increased by 1.3 percent over the same period in 2010. During the third quarter of 2010, total allocations were $6.49 million.

Allocations are the result of prize fees collected from players who won bingo prizes in July, August and September in games conducted by non-profit organizations. As required by law, 5 percent of a prize awarded is withheld from the winner and deposited in a non-dedicated account in the General Revenue Fund. 

Cities and counties that imposed the gross receipt tax on a local-option basis on or before January 1, 1993, receive quarterly payments of up to 2.5 percent of the prizes won by bingo players in their jurisdictions.

The top five counties and cities receiving bingo allocations were:

COUNTIES                                      CITIES

-BEXAR $266,545.73                    SAN ANTONIO $260,450.54

-HARRIS $152,481.04                  AUSTIN $78,581.77

-DALLAS $140,980.33                  LUBBOCK $74,914.15

-TARRANT $139,171.90                FORT WORTH $73,627.97

-BELL $114,114.95                      CORPUS CHRISTI $71,291.28

In Texas, 1,096 non-profits conduct charitable bingo games.