-
Charitable Games
Charitable gaming occurs in the form of bingo, bell jar sales, the conduct of Las Vegas nights, and operation of raffles in each of the 62 counties of New York.
The Charitable Gaming Division is responsible for the investigation, audit and monitoring of the sale of hundreds of millions of bell jar tickets sold annually, and the verification of the lawful disbursement of bingo, bell jar, Las Vegas night, and raffle proceeds. The Charitable Gaming Division also issues licenses to bingo and games of chance manufacturers and suppliers; collects the license fees paid by those licensees; determines that commercial bingo hall rental fees are fair and reasonable as a prerequisite to licensure by municipalities; approves thousands of bell jar ticket games each year; and issues bingo and games of chance identification numbers to applicant organizations as a prerequisite to their licensing by municipalities.
Descriptions of popular regulated charitable games:
• Bell Jar: A participant draws a card from a jar, vending machine or other suitable device or container which contains numbers, colors or symbols that are covered and which, when uncovered, may reveal that a prize to be awarded on the basis of a designated winning number, color or symbol or combination of numbers, colors or symbols. Bell jars may also include seal cards, coin boards, and merchandise boards. The winning Bell Jar ticket is turned in for a monetary prize. Bell Jars are typically sold for 25¢, 50¢, $1 and $2 and have prizes as high as $1,000. Raffle: Participants obtain numbered tickets with each ticket having the chance of winning a prize. At a set time, the winning number(s) are drawn from a container holding a copy of every number. The drawn tickets are checked against a collection of prizes with numbers attached to them, and the holder of the ticket wins the prize. Bingo: Participants seek to match randomly drawn numbers on 5x5 matrices, which are printed on paper, card stock or electronically represented and are referred to as cards. Versions conclude the game when the first person achieves a specified pattern from the drawn numbers and calls out “Bingo.” Wins are then reviewed before being designated as official, at which time the prize is secured and a new game is begun. -
Forms And Applications
Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the following files. You can download the software for free by clicking here.
All forms listed below have been modified as of April 14, 2010.
• Bingo
• Commercial Lessors - Games of Chance
• Raffles with net-profits over $30,000 for the calendar year
• Raffles with net-profits under $30,000 for the calendar year
-
Bingo
• Guidelines for Running Bingo
• Guidelines for Operating Bonus Ball Bingo
• Guidelines for Operating Bonus Ball Bingo During Double-Header and Triple Header Sessions
• Guidelines for Operating Progressive Early Bird Bingo (Split Pot / Share-the-Wealth)
-
Bell Jar
-
Las Vegas Nights (Casino Night Games)
-
Raffles
• Guidelines for Running Raffles
• Guidelines for Operating Penny Social Raffles
• Guidelines for Operating Queen of Hearts
-
Additional Information
-
Seminars
UPCOMING CHARITABLE GAMING SEMINARS:
DATE
TIME
May 29, 2013
10:00AM - 10:30AM
June 26, 2013
10:00AM - 10:30AM
July 31, 2013
10:00AM - 10:30AM
August 28, 2013
10:00AM - 10:30AM
September 25, 2013
10:00AM - 10:30AM
October 30, 2013
10:00AM - 10:30AM
November 27, 2013
10:00AM - 10:30AM
All Meetings are held at the Commission's Schenectady Offices
To NYS Charitable Organizations:
The New York State Gaming Commission will be conducting a series of Charitable Gaming seminars in the upcoming months in 2013 aimed to help authorized organizations comply with the various laws, rules and regulations governing the conduct of licensed authorized Games of Chance and Bingo.
Staff will be on-hand to answer any questions, or cover any topics, regarding all aspects of licensed authorized games of chance and bingo including licensing, internal controls, compliance and financial reporting.
Statewide representatives of charitable organizations are welcome to attend all seminars. Any questions regarding any of the scheduled seminars can be directed to the Commission's Charitable Gaming Unit at (518) 395-5400 extension 1304.
1 Broadway Center, Suite 600
Schenectady, NY 12305-2553Telephone (518) 395-5400
FAX: (518) 347-1250Email: info@gaming.ny.gov
-
Municipal Clerks & Bingo Inspectors
• Municipal Clerk's Guide to Licensing
• Bingo Inspector's Guide (includes sample Bingo House Rules and Freqiently Asked Questions)
