N.Y. General Municipal Law 195-K – Unlawful games of chance
§ 195-k. Unlawful games of chance. 1. Any person, association, corporation or organization holding, operating, or conducting a game or games of chance is guilty of a misdemeanor, except when operating, holding or conducting:
Terms Used In N.Y. General Municipal Law 195-K
- Board: shall mean New York state gaming commission created pursuant to section one hundred two of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law. See N.Y. General Municipal Law 186
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Games of chance: shall mean and include only the games known as "merchandise wheels" "coin boards" "merchandise boards" "seal cards" "event games" "raffles" and "bell jars" and such other specific games as may be authorized by the board, in which prizes are awarded on the basis of a designated winning number or numbers, color or colors, symbol or symbols determined by chance, but not including games commonly known as "bingo or lotto" which are controlled under article fourteen-H of this chapter and also not including "bookmaking" "policy or numbers games" and "lottery" as defined in § 225. See N.Y. General Municipal Law 186
- Raffle: shall mean and include those games of chance in which a participant pays money in return for a ticket or other receipt and in which a prize is awarded on the basis of a winning number or numbers, color or colors, or symbol or symbols designated on the ticket or receipt, determined by chance as a result of:
(a) a drawing from among those tickets or receipts previously sold; or
(b) a random event, the results of which correspond with tickets or receipts previously sold. See N.Y. General Municipal Law 186
(a) In accordance with a valid license issued pursuant to this article;
(b) On behalf of a bona fide organization of persons sixty years of age or over, commonly referred to as senior citizens, solely for the purpose of amusement and recreation of its members where (i) the organization has applied for and received an identification number from the board, (ii) no player or other person furnishes anything of value for the opportunity to participate, (iii) the prizes awarded or to be awarded are nominal, (iv) no person other than a bona fide active member of the organization participates in the conduct of the games, and (v) no person is paid for conducting or assisting in the conduct of the game or games; or
(c) A raffle pursuant to section one hundred ninety-a of this article.
2. The provisions of this section shall apply to all municipalities within this state, including those municipalities where this article is inoperative.