New York is implementing reforms aimed at making charitable gaming more competitive in the state’s increasingly crowded gaming market.
The changes, which took effect earlier this month, include raising the maximum single prize for bingo from $1,000 to $5,000 and the maximum prize per bingo event from $3,000 to $15,000. The maximum single prize for bell jar has been upped from $500 to $1,000 and from $3,000 to $6,000 per deal.
Licensing also has gotten easier, with the minimum threshold for licensing a raffle increased from $20,000 to $30,000, and the time required before an authorized organization can conduct a game of chance reduced from three years to one year.
Also, organizations may now accept personal checks as payment for games, and, for the first time, bingo and other charity games will be allowed to advertise on television and the internet.
On the flip side, bingo will no longer be open to players under 18, though minors over the age of 16 can still perform non-gaming activities such as assisting at food concessions and cleaning, maintenance and site preparation.
