Housie or bingo is a type of lottery where tickets or cards containing numbered squares or symbols are matched by participants to numbers or symbols that are randomly selected and called by an announcer or displayed. A winner is determined when certain numbers or symbols are matched on participants' tickets or cards, and prizes are awarded accordingly. A prize includes anything of value or benefit.
Generally, Housie conducted or advertised in the ACT must be approved before the lottery can be advertised or conducted in the ACT.
A permit is not required where the total prize value of the Housie session does not exceed $1,000, however, certain conditions must be met when conducting an Exempt Lottery. These conditions are detailed in the Exempt Lotteries Information and Conditions sheet on this website.
Organisations wishing to conduct Housie where the total prize value for a session exceeds $1,000, must also comply with the requirements of the Gambling and Racing Control (Code of Practice) Regulations 2002 (the Code). To comply with the Code, the organisation must have in place signage, staff training on the responsible service of gambling, exclusion procedures and other harm minimisation measures.
Housie Information and Conditions (PDF 185KB), Word Version (69KB)
Housie Rules (PDF 53KB)