Authorizes housing authorities to operate bingo games; adds guests invited by residents of any apartment, condominium or cooperative complex, housing authority, retirement community, or other group residential complex or facility to the scope of application; allows games to be conducted two days per week; makes related provisions.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A3456
SPONSOR: Santabarbara
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to the operation
of bingo games
 
PURPOSE:
This bill provides provisions related to bingo games for housing author-
ities' and retirement communities.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends the general municipal law to provide provisions
related to bingo for housing authorities and retirement communities.
Section 2: Sets an immediate effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Recent changes to the bingo laws strictly limit when the game may be
played, how often and by whom. This bill would expand these limitations
to allow housing authorities to conduct bingo games and allow residents
to invite guests to play for no more than $1.00 a game, two days a week.
Enjoying this past time is something many residents like to do and
should not inhibited from doing so.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2018: Referred to Racing, Gaming and Wagering
2019: committed to Rules
2020: referred to Racing, Gaming and Wagering
2021-22: referred to Racing, Gaming and Wagering
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3456
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 3, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Racing and Wagering
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to the operation
of bingo games
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Clause (B) of subparagraph (i) of paragraph (b) of subdivi-
2 sion 2 of section 495-a of the general municipal law, as amended by
3 chapter 470 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
4 (B) within any apartment, condominium or cooperative complex, housing
5 authority, retirement community, or other group residential complex or
6 facility where (I) [sponsored by the operator of or an association
7 related to such complex, community or facility, (II)] such games are
8 conducted solely for the purpose of amusement and recreation of its
9 residents and guests invited by such residents, [(III)] (II) no player
10 or other person furnishes anything of more than one dollar in value per
11 game for the opportunity to participate, [(IV)] (III) the value of the
12 prizes shall not exceed ten dollars for any one game or a total of one
13 hundred fifty dollars in any calendar day, [(V)] (IV) such games are not
14 conducted on more than one day per week and not more than [thirty times]
15 two days during any calendar [year] week, and [(VI)] (V) no person
16 [other than an employee or volunteer of such complex, community or
17 facility conducts or assists] is paid to conduct or assist in conducting
18 the game or games.
19 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07298-01-3