Washington pull tabs are paper gambling tickets sold at licensed bars, restaurants, taverns, and nonprofit venues for up to one dollar each, with top prizes that can reach $5,000. You buy a ticket, peel open the perforated tabs, and check the symbols underneath against the winning combinations posted on a card near the register. Everything about the game — ticket price, prize amounts, odds, and the total number of tickets in play — is fixed in advance and disclosed before you buy.
How the Game Works
Every pull tab game is built around a sealed set of tickets called a “deal” or “series.” The series contains a fixed number of tickets with a predetermined mix of winners and losers. Before you spend anything, look at the flare card posted at the point of sale. The flare shows the price per ticket, the total number of tickets in the series, every prize amount available, and the symbol combinations that win each prize.1Washington State Legislature. Washington Administrative Code Chapter 230-14 – Punch Board and Pull-Tab Rules For any prize over $20, the flare must be updated as prizes are claimed, so you can see which top prizes are still available.2Legal Information Institute. Washington Administrative Code 230-16-052 – Standards for Flares
Playing itself is simple. Peel back the paper tabs on your ticket to reveal the hidden symbols. If they match a winning combination on the flare, you win that prize. Some series also offer a “last sale” prize for whoever buys the final ticket in the set. That last-sale prize is capped at $100 in cash or the highest prize in the series, whichever is less.3Washington State Legislature. WAC 230-14-080 – Prize Limits and Percentage of Winners Required
When you cash in a winner, the operator has to immediately punch or deface the ticket so no one can present it for payment a second time.1Washington State Legislature. Washington Administrative Code Chapter 230-14 – Punch Board and Pull-Tab Rules That on-the-spot destruction is the main fraud control in the system.
What You Can Win and the Odds Behind It
Washington caps the price of a single pull tab at one dollar. The top prize on a single winning ticket is $5,000 in cash, and merchandise prizes can also reach $5,000 including any markup. Each series must pay out less than 60% of its total gross receipts in prizes, which means the house keeps at least 40 cents of every dollar wagered across a complete series.3Washington State Legislature. WAC 230-14-080 – Prize Limits and Percentage of Winners Required
Because the series is fixed, this is not a slot machine. There are a set number of tickets, a set number of winners, and once the big prizes are pulled, they are gone until a new series opens. That is the reason to read the flare before buying: if the top prizes have already been claimed, you can see it there.
Progressive Jackpots
Some locations offer progressive pull tab jackpots. When a series ends without a top-prize winner, the unclaimed amount rolls into the next series and the jackpot keeps growing. Washington caps progressive jackpots at $5,000, matching the standard single-ticket limit, and the jackpot stays frozen at that ceiling until someone wins it.4Washington State Legislature. WAC 230-14-155 The current progressive amount has to be displayed where you can see it before you buy in.
Who Can Play and How You Pay
You must be at least 18 to buy or play pull tabs in Washington, and the venue is responsible for checking. Underage gambling is a civil infraction carrying a fine of up to $125, up to four hours of community service, court costs, and forfeiture of any winnings.5Washington State Gambling Commission. Illegal Gambling Activities
Pull tabs are strictly a cash-at-the-counter activity. A licensed establishment cannot extend credit, loans, or gifts that let you gamble.6Washington State Legislature. WAC 230-06-035 You pay for each ticket when you buy it and collect any prize on the spot.
Where Pull Tabs Are Legally Sold
Only venues licensed by the Washington State Gambling Commission can sell pull tabs. For a commercial seller, gambling has to be an add-on to a main business of selling food or drinks on-site, which is why bars, taverns, and restaurants make up most licensed locations.7Washington State Gambling Commission. Punch Boards and Pull-Tabs (Commercial) Nonprofits and charitable organizations can also run pull tab games as fundraisers under their own license category.
If a venue is offering tickets without a license, that is a gross misdemeanor under state law, and the penalty reaches anyone who knowingly participates — up to 364 days in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.8Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.46.190 – Gambling Activities, Prohibited Acts, Penalty
Taxes on Pull Tab Winnings
Washington has no state personal income tax, so the state takes nothing from your pull tab winnings. Federal income tax still applies, and larger wins trigger reporting paperwork. If you win $600 or more and the payout is at least 300 times your wager, the venue must file IRS Form W-2G reporting the amount. On a one-dollar ticket, the 300-times threshold is met at $300, so any pull tab win of $600 or more will generate a W-2G.9Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Forms W-2G and 5754
To process a reportable win, you’ll need valid ID and your Social Security number. If you don’t provide a taxpayer identification number, the establishment must withhold 24% of the payout as backup withholding and send it to the IRS.10Internal Revenue Service. 2026 Publication 15 You can claim the withheld amount when you file your federal return, but you won’t walk out with it that day. Smaller wins that don’t trigger a W-2G are still taxable income you’re expected to report.