[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the
Town of LaGrange 4-29-1981 by L.L. No. 3-1981 as Ch. 30 of the 1975
Code (originally adopted 4-24-1958, passing at referendum 5-17-1958).
Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Games of chance — See Ch. 129.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the following meanings, unless the context requires otherwise:
Includes only bona fide religious, charitable and nonprofit
organizations of veterans, volunteer firemen and similar nonprofit
organizations.
Includes 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.
The State Lottery Control Commission.
A license issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
[Amended 6-26-2002 by L.L. No. 6-2002]
It shall be lawful for any authorized organization,
upon obtaining a license therefor as hereinafter provided, to conduct
the game of bingo within the territorial limits of the Town of LaGrange,
subject to the provisions of this chapter, the provisions of Article
14-H (§ 475 et seq.) of the General Municipal Law and the
provisions of the State Lottery Control Law.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Executive Law § 430
et seq.
Any game or games licensed hereunder shall be
subject to the following restrictions in addition to such other restrictions
as may be provided herein or contained in the rules and regulations
of the Control Commission:
A.
No person, firm, association, corporation or organization
other than an authorized organization licensed under the provisions
of this chapter shall be permitted to conduct such games.
B.
The entire net proceeds of any game or games shall
be exclusively devoted to the lawful purpose of the organization permitted
to conduct the same.
C.
No single prize shall exceed the sum or value of $250.
D.
No series of prizes on any one occasion shall aggregate
more than $1,000.
E.
No person except a bona fide member of an authorized
organization licensed hereunder shall participate in the management
or operation of such game.
F.
No person shall receive any remuneration for participating
in the management or operation of any such game.
G.
The unauthorized conduct of a bingo game and any willful
violation of any provision of this chapter shall constitute and be
punishable as a misdemeanor.
A.
Each applicant for a license shall file with the Town
Clerk of the Town of LaGrange a written application in the form prescribed
in the rules and regulations of the Control Commission, duly executed
and verified.
B.
In each application there shall be designated an active
member or members of the applicant organization under whom the game
or games of chance described in the application are to be held, operated
and conducted, and there shall be appended to the application a statement
executed and verified by the applicant and by the member or members
so designated that he, she or they will be responsible for the holding,
operating and conduct of such games of chance in accordance with the
terms of the license and the provisions of this chapter and Chapter
854 of the Laws of 1957 of the State of New York and any amendments
thereto,[1] and the rules and regulations of the Control Commission,
if such license is granted.
[1]
Editor's Note: See General Municipal Law § 475
et seq.
C.
In the event that any premises upon which any such
game of chance is to be held, operated or conducted, or which is to
be used for any other purpose in connection with the holding, operation
or conduct thereof, is to be leased or rented from any person, persons
or corporation, the application shall be accompanied by a written
statement signed and verified under oath by such person or persons
or on behalf of such corporation, stating his or its address, the
amount of rent to be paid for such premises and that such lessor,
lessors or, if a corporation, its officers and each of its stockholders
who hold 10% or more of its stock issued and outstanding are of good
moral character and have not been convicted of a crime.
A.
The Town Clerk, with the assistance of any Town constable,
at the request of the Town Board, shall cause to be investigated the
qualifications of each applicant and the merits of each application
with due expedition after the filing of the application. The Town
Clerk shall deliver to the Town Board the application, together with
the supporting documents therefor and a detailed report of the results
of the investigation, including the due qualifications of the applicant
to be licensed, the relationship of the members under whom such games
are to be conducted to the applicant, whether such persons are of
good moral character or have ever been convicted of a crime, whether
the conduct of such games will comply with all the provisions of law
and rules and regulations applicable thereto, whether a commission,
salary, compensation, reward or recompense of any nature will be paid
to any person conducting or assisting in conducting such games of
chance, whether a prize will be offered or given in excess of the
sum or value of $250 in any single game or an aggregate of all prizes
given in a series of games on a given occasion will exceed the sum
or value of $1,000, and such other questions or inquiries as the Town
Board may direct.
B.
If the Town Board shall determine that the requisite
conditions have been met by the applicant, it shall issue a license
to the applicant for the holding, operation and conduct of the specific
kinds of games of chance applied for upon payment of a license fee
or fees in an amount as set forth in Article 14-H, § 481
of the General Municipal Law for each occasion upon which any games
of chance are to be conducted under such license, which fees are to
be paid to the Supervisor of the Town of LaGrange.
[Amended 7-22-2009 by L.L. No. 2-2009]
C.
On or before the 30th day of each month, the Supervisor
of the Town of LaGrange shall transmit to the State Comptroller the
required portion of all license fees collected by the Town of LaGrange
pursuant to this section during the preceding calendar month, as required
by Article 14-H, § 481 of the General Municipal Law.
[Amended 7-22-2009 by L.L. No. 2-2009]
D.
A license issued under this chapter shall be effective
for a period of only one year from the date of issuance.
A.
No application for a license hereunder shall be denied
by the Town Board until after a hearing, held on due notice to the
applicant, at which the applicant shall be entitled to be heard upon
the qualifications of the applicant and the merits of the application.
B.
Any license issued under this chapter may be amended
upon application to the Town Board if the subject matter of the proposed
amendment could lawfully and properly have been included in the original
license and upon the payment of such additional license fee, if any,
as would have been payable if it had been so included.
Each license shall be in such form as shall
be prescribed in the rules and regulations promulgated by the Control
Commission.
The Town Board shall have and exercise control
and supervision over all games of chance held, operated or conducted
under such license and shall have the power and authority to suspend
any such license and, after notice and hearing, to revoke the same
for violation of any provision of such license, this chapter, §§ 475
to 499 of the General Municipal Law or the rules and regulations of
the Control Commission. The Town Board or any officer designated by
it shall have the right of entry at all times into any premises where
any such game of chance is being held, operated or conducted, or where
it is intended that any such game of chance shall be held, operated
or conducted, or where any equipment being used or intended to be
used in the conduct thereof is found, for the purpose of inspecting
the same.
A.
Games may be held only on the day provided for in
the license.
B.
No person under the age of 18 years shall be permitted
to participate in any game or games of chance held, operated or conducted
pursuant to any license issued under this chapter unless accompanied
by an adult.
C.
No game or games of chance shall be held, operated
or conducted pursuant to any license issued under this chapter oftener
than on six days in any one calendar month nor in any room or outdoor
area where alcoholic beverages are sold or served during the progress
of the game or games.
A.
No person shall hold, operate or conduct any game
or games of chance pursuant to any license issued under this chapter
except an active member of the authorized organization to which the
license is issued, and no person shall assist in the holding, operating
or conducting of any game or games of chance under such license except
such an active member or a member of an organization or association
which is an auxiliary to the licensee or a member of an organization
or association of which such licensee is an auxiliary or a member
of an organization or association which is affiliated with the licensee
by being, with it, auxiliary to another organization or association,
and except bookkeepers or accountants as hereinafter provided.
B.
No game or games of chance shall be conducted with
any equipment except such as shall be owned absolutely or used without
payment of any compensation therefor by the licensee, and no item
of expense shall be incurred or paid in connection with the holding,
operating or conducting of any game of chance held, operated or conducted
pursuant to any license issued under this chapter except such as are
bona fide items of reasonable amount for goods, wares and merchandise
furnished or services rendered which are reasonably necessary to be
purchased or furnished for the holding, operating or conducting thereof,
under any circumstances whatever.
C.
No rental shall be paid for the use of any premises
for holding, operating or conducting any such game of chance thereon
or for any other purpose in connection with the holding, operating
or conducting thereof unless the amount of such rental is stated in
a statement annexed to the application for the license as provided
in § 480 of the General Municipal Law or which is in excess
of the sum stated as the rental to be charged therefor in such statement.
D.
No commission, salary, compensation, reward or recompense
whatever shall be paid or given, directly or indirectly, to any person
holding, operating or conducting, or assisting in the holding, operation
or conduct of, any game of chance so held, operated or conducted,
except that reasonable compensation may be paid to bookkeepers or
accountants for bookkeeping or accounting services rendered, according
to a schedule of compensation prescribed by the rules of the Control
Commission.
A.
Not more than $1 shall be charged by any licensee
for admission to any room or place in which any game or games of chance
are to be held, operated and conducted pursuant to any license issued
under this chapter, which admission fee, upon payment thereof, shall
entitle the person paying the same to a card entitling him to participate
without additional charge in all regular games of chance to be played
under such license on such occasion, and no charge in excess of $1
shall be made for a single opportunity to participate in all special
games to be played under such license on such occasion.
B.
No prize greater in amount or value than $250 shall
be offered or given in any single game conducted under any such license,
and the aggregate amount or value of all prizes offered or given in
all games played on a single occasion shall not exceed $1,000, and
all winners shall be determined and all prizes shall be awarded in
any game played on any occasion within the same calendar day as that
upon which the game was played. No alcoholic beverage shall be offered
or given as a prize in any such game.
[Amended 9-27-2006 by L.L. No. 7-2006]
No game of chance to be conducted pursuant to
any license issued under this chapter shall be advertised as to its
location, the time when it is to be or has been played or the prizes
awarded or to be awarded, by means of newspapers, radio, television
or sound trucks or by means of billboards, posters or handbills or
any other means addressed to the general public, except that one sign
not exceeding 20 square feet in area may be displayed on or adjacent
to the premises where the game will be played and an additional sign
may be displayed on or adjacent to the premises where the prize or
prizes are displayed, and except that additional signs may be displayed
upon any fire-fighting equipment belonging to any licensee which is
a volunteer fire company or upon any first aid or rescue squad equipment
belonging to any licensee which is a first aid or rescue squad in
and throughout the community or communities served by such volunteer
fire company or such first aid or rescue squad, as the case may be.
Within 15 days after the conclusion of the holding,
operating and conducting of any such game of chance, the authorized
organization which held, operated or conducted the same and its members
who were in charge thereof shall furnish to the Supervisor a duly
verified statement showing the amount of gross receipts derived from
each game of chance, which shall include receipts from the sale of
shares, tickets or rights in any manner connected with participation
in said game or the right to participate therein, each item of expense
incurred or paid and each item of expenditure made or to be made,
the name and address of each person to whom each such item has been
paid or is to be paid, with a detailed description of the merchandise
purchased or the services rendered therefor, the net profit derived
from each such game of chance and the use to which such net profit
has been or is to be applied, and a list of prizes offered and given,
with the respective values thereof. It shall be the duty of such licensee
to maintain and keep such books and records as may be necessary to
substantiate the particulars of each such report.
The Town Board and the Control Commission shall
have the power to examine or cause to be examined the books and records
of any authorized organization to which any such license is issued
so far as they may relate to any transactions connected with the holding,
operating and conducting of any game of chance thereunder, and to
examine any manager, officer, director, agent member or employee thereof
under oath in relation to the conduct of any such game of chance under
any such license, but any information so received shall not be disclosed
except so far as may be necessary for the purpose of carrying out
the provisions of this chapter.
Any applicant for or holder of any license issued
or to be issued under this chapter, aggrieved by any action of the
Town, its officers or agents concerning an application which has been
made or a license which has been issued, may appeal to the Control
Commission from the determination of the Town, its officers or agents
by filing with the Town Board a written notice of appeal within 30
days after the determination or action appealed from, and upon the
hearing of such appeal, the evidence, if any, taken before the Town
Board and any additional evidence may be produced and shall be considered
in arriving at a determination of the matters in issue, and the action
of the Control Commission upon said appeal shall be binding upon the
Town and all parties to said appeal.
No person or corporation lawfully conducting
or participating in the conduct of; possessing, selling or in any
manner disposing of any shares, tickets or rights to participate in;
or permitting the conduct upon any premises owned by him or it of,
any game of chance conducted or to be conducted under any license
lawfully issued pursuant to this chapter, shall be liable to prosecution
or conviction for violation of any provision of Article 130 of the
Penal Law[1] or any other law or ordinance to the extent that such
conduct is specifically authorized by this chapter; but this immunity
shall not extend to any person or corporation knowingly conducting
or participating in the conduct of any game of chance under any license
obtained by any false pretense or statement made in any application
for such license or otherwise, or possessing, selling or disposing
of shares, tickets or rights to participate in, or permitting the
conduct upon any premises owned by him or it of, any game of chance
conducted under any license known to him or it to have been obtained
by any such false pretense or statement.
[1]
Editor's Note: Article 130 of the Penal Law
was repealed by Chapter 1030 of the Laws of 1965. Provisions regarding
games of chance can currently be found in the Penal Law under § 225.00
et seq.
Any person, association or corporation who or which shall make any false statement in any application for a license hereunder or in any statement annexed thereto, or shall pay any rental for the use of any premises for holding, operating or conducting any game of chance under this chapter or for any other purpose in connection with the holding, operating or conducting thereof unless the amount of such rental is stated in a statement annexed to the application for the license as provided in § 78-4 of this chapter, or shall pay or receive any sum for such rental in excess of the sum stated as the rental to be charged therefor in such statement executed by him or her or on its behalf, or shall fail to keep such books and records as shall fully and truly record all transactions connected with the holding, operating and conducting of games of chance under any such license, or shall falsify or make any false entry in any books or records so far as they relate to any transaction connected with the holding, operating or conducting of any game of chance under any such license, or shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter or of any term of such license, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall forfeit any license issued to it under this chapter and be ineligible to apply for a license under this chapter for one year thereafter.
This chapter may be amended from time to time
or repealed by the Town Board, and such amendment or repeal, as the
case may be, may be made effective and operative not earlier than
30 days following the date of enactment of the ordinance effecting
such amendment or repeal, as the case may be; and the approval of
a majority of the electors shall not be a condition prerequisite to
the taking effect of such ordinance.
