N.Y. General Municipal Law 479 – Restrictions upon conduct of bingo games
§ 479. Restrictions upon conduct of bingo games. The conduct of bingo games authorized by local law or ordinance shall be subject to the following restrictions irrespective of whether the restrictions are contained in such local law or ordinance; but nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the inclusion within such local law or ordinance of other provisions imposing additional restrictions upon the conduct of bingo games:
Terms Used In N.Y. General Municipal Law 479
- Authorized organization: shall mean and include any bona fide religious or charitable organization or bona fide educational, fraternal, civic or service organization or bona fide organization of veterans, volunteer firefighters, or volunteer ambulance workers, which by its charter, certificate of incorporation, constitution, or act of the legislature, shall have among its dominant purposes one or more of the lawful purposes as defined in this article, provided that each shall operate without profit to its members, and provided that each such organization has engaged in serving one or more of the lawful purposes as defined in this article for a period of one year immediately prior to applying for a license under this article. See N.Y. General Municipal Law 476
- Bingo control law: shall mean Article 19-B of the executive law. See N.Y. General Municipal Law 476
- commission: shall mean the 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 476
- 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.
- game: shall mean and include a specific game of chance, commonly known as bingo or lotto, in which prizes are awarded on the basis of designated numbers or symbols on a card conforming to numbers or symbols selected at random. See N.Y. General Municipal Law 476
- Lawful purposes: shall mean one or more of the following causes, deeds or activities:
(a) Those which shall benefit needy or deserving persons indefinite in number by enhancing their opportunity for religious or educational advancement, by relieving them from disease, suffering or distress, or by contributing to their physical well-being, by assisting them in establishing themselves in life as worthy and useful citizens, or by increasing their comprehension of and devotion to the principles upon which this nation was founded and enhancing their loyalty to their governments;
(b) Those which shall initiate, perform or foster worthy public works or shall enable or further the erection or maintenance of public structures;
(c) Those which shall initiate, perform or foster the provisions of services to veterans by encouraging the gathering of such veterans and shall enable or further the erection or maintenance of facilities for use by such veterans which shall be used primarily for charitable or patriotic purposes, or those purposes which shall be authorized by a bona fide organization of veterans, provided however that such proceeds are disbursed in accordance with the rules and regulations of the state gaming commission. See N.Y. General Municipal Law 476 - Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Limited period bingo: shall mean the conduct of bingo by a licensed authorized organization, for a period of not more than seven of twelve consecutive days in any one year, at a festival, bazaar, carnival or similar function conducted by such licensed authorized organization. See N.Y. General Municipal Law 476
- Net proceeds: shall mean (a) in relation to the gross receipts from one or more occasions of bingo, the amount that shall remain after deducting the reasonable sums necessarily and actually expended for bingo supplies and equipment, prizes, stated rental if any, bookkeeping or accounting services according to a schedule of compensation prescribed by the commission, janitorial services and utility supplies if any, license fees, and the cost of bus transportation, if authorized by the control commission, and (b) in relation to the gross rent received by an organization licensed to conduct bingo for the use of its premises by another licensee, the amount that shall remain after deducting the reasonable sums necessarily and actually expended for janitorial services and utility supplies directly attributable thereto if any. See N.Y. General Municipal Law 476
1. No person, firm, association, corporation or organization, other than a licensee under the provisions of this article, shall conduct such game or shall lease or otherwise make available for conducting bingo a hall or other premises for any consideration whatsoever, direct or indirect.
2. No bingo games shall be held, operated or conducted on or within any leased premises if rental under such lease is to be paid, wholly or partly, on the basis of a percentage of the receipts or net profits derived from the operation of such game.
3. No authorized organization licensed under the provisions of this article shall purchase, lease, or receive any supplies or equipment specifically designed or adapted for use in the conduct of bingo games from other than a supplier licensed under the bingo control law or from another authorized organization.
4. The entire net proceeds of any game of bingo and of any rental shall be exclusively devoted to the lawful purposes of the organization permitted to conduct the same.
5. No prize shall exceed the sum or value of five thousand dollars in any single game of bingo.
6. No series of prizes on any one bingo occasion shall aggregate more than fifteen thousand dollars.
7. No person except a bona fide member of any such organization shall participate in the management or operation of such game.
8. No person shall receive any remuneration for participating in the management or operation of any game of bingo.
9. The unauthorized conduct of a bingo game and any wilful violation of any provision of any local law or ordinance shall constitute and be punishable as a misdemeanor.
9-a. No person licensed to sell bingo supplies or equipment, or their agents, shall conduct, participate in, or assist in the conduct of bingo. Nothing herein shall prohibit a licensed distributor from selling, offering for sale, or explaining a product to an authorized organization, or installing, or servicing bingo equipment, upon the premises of a bingo game licensee.
10. Limited period bingo shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of this article and the rules and regulations of the commission.