S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6351
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 11, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Racing, Gaming and  Wager-
   ing
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the general municipal law, in relation to electronic
   bell jar games
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Legislative intent. 1. The legislature hereby finds that:
   (a)  bell jar games are a popular and profitable fundraising mechanism
 for bona fide not-for-profit organizations across the state,  generating
 millions of dollars in net revenues for charitable purposes every year;
   (b)  authorized  organizations that offer bell jars and other games of
 chance must meet strict standards established  by  the  New  York  state
 general  municipal law and the New York state gaming commission, includ-
 ing receiving a license to conduct charitable gaming activities; and
   (c) while other types of gaming in New York state  have  continued  to
 expand, modernize and improve, the operation of charitable gaming activ-
 ities has largely remained the same over the last several decades.
   2.  For  the  aforementioned  reasons, the legislature hereby declares
 that authorized organizations licensed by  the  New  York  state  gaming
 commission  to  conduct charitable gaming would greatly benefit from the
 ability to operate electronic bell jar vending machines,  which  display
 and  dispense  pre-printed  bell  jar  tickets  that  have predetermined
 winners and predetermined values for prizes, in order  to  help  sustain
 and    increase  charitable  gaming profits across the state and attract
 more members to join such organizations.
   § 2. Subdivision 3-a of section 186 of the general municipal  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  531  of  the  laws  of 2011, is amended to read as
 follows:
   3-a. "Bell jars" shall mean and include those games in which a partic-
 ipant shall draw a card from a jar, vending machine, INCLUDING AN  ELEC-

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10856-01-5
              

 S. 6351                             2
 
 TRONIC  BELL  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 shall be awarded on the basis of
 a  designated winning number, color or symbol or combination of numbers,
 colors or symbols. Bell jars shall also include seal cards, coin boards,
 event games, and merchandise boards. AN  "ELECTRONIC  BELL  JAR  VENDING
 MACHINE"  SHALL  USE  ELECTRONIC  FEATURES  TO DISPLAY AND DISPENSE PRE-
 PRINTED BELL JAR TICKETS, INCLUDING AUDIO AND VIDEO FEATURES TO  DISPLAY
 INFORMATION  ABOUT A TICKET BEING DISPENSED, PROVIDED THAT SUCH FEATURES
 DO NOT AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME.
   § 3. Subdivision 9 of section 188-a of the general municipal  law,  as
 added by chapter 960 of the laws of 1976, is amended to read as follows:
   9.  (A)  The [board] GAMING COMMISSION shall have the power to approve
 and establish a standard set of games of chance equipment and  shall  by
 its  rules  and regulations prescribe the manner in which such equipment
 is to be reproduced and distributed  to  licensed  authorized  organiza-
 tions. The sale or distribution to a licensed authorized organization of
 any  equipment other than that contained in the standard set of games of
 chance equipment shall constitute a violation of this section.
   (B) AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS PARAGRAPH, NO ELECTRONIC BELL JAR
 VENDING MACHINE SHALL BE SOLD, LEASED, DISTRIBUTED, INSTALLED, OR  OPER-
 ATED  BY ANY MANUFACTURER, DISTRIBUTOR, OR CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION UNTIL
 SUCH MACHINE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE GAMING COMMISSION.  NO  ELECTRONIC
 BELL  JAR  VENDING  MACHINE  SHALL  BE APPROVED BY THE GAMING COMMISSION
 UNLESS THE OPERATION OF THE GAME DEMONSTRATES THAT  THERE  IS  A  FINITE
 PROBABILITY  BASIS  OF  HAVING A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF CHANCES AMONG
 WHICH THERE IS A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF WINNERS THAT PAY A FIXED  AND
 PREDETERMINED  VALUE  OF PRIZES, REGARDLESS OF THE SYMBOLS THAT ARE USED
 OR HOW THOSE SYMBOLS ARE DISPLAYED ON PRE-PRINTED BELL JAR TICKETS.
   § 4. Subdivision 3 of section 189 of the  general  municipal  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  337  of  the  laws  of 1998, is amended to read as
 follows:
   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  games  of
 chance from other than a supplier licensed by the [board] GAMING COMMIS-
 SION or from another authorized organization. Lease terms and conditions
 shall  be  subject  to  rules and regulations promulgated by the [board]
 GAMING COMMISSION.    The  provisions  of  this  article  shall  not  be
 construed to authorize or permit an authorized organization to engage in
 the  business  of  leasing  games  of  chance,  supplies,  or equipment.
 Furthermore, no organization shall purchase bell jar tickets[,] or deals
 of bell jar tickets, OR PURCHASE OR LEASE ANY ELECTRONIC BELL JAR  VEND-
 ING  MACHINE,  from  any  other  person or organization other than those
 specifically authorized under sections one hundred ninety-five-n and one
 hundred ninety-five-o of this article.
   § 5. Subparagraph 2 of paragraph (a) of subdivision 6 of  section  189
 of  the  general  municipal  law, as amended by section 11 of part MM of
 chapter 59 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
   (2) six thousand FIVE HUNDRED dollars during the successive operations
 of any bell jar, coin board or merchandise board.
   § 6. Subdivision 10 of section 189 of the general  municipal  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  574  of  the  laws  of 1978, is amended to read as
 follows:
   10. No person except a bona fide member  of  the  licensed  authorized
 organization  [shall  participate  in  the  management of such games; no
 S. 6351                             3

 person except a bona fide member of the  licensed  authorized  organiza-
 tion],  its  auxiliary  or affiliated organization, shall participate in
 the operation of such game, as set forth in section one hundred  ninety-
 five-c of this article.
   § 7. Section 195-c of the general municipal law, as amended by chapter
 252 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows:
   §  195-c.  [1.]  Persons operating games; equipment; expenses; compen-
 sation.  1. No person shall [operate] MANAGE any game  of  chance  under
 any  license  issued under this article except a bona fide member of the
 authorized organization to which the license is issued, or a  bona  fide
 member  of  an  organization or association which is an auxiliary to the
 licensee or a bona fide member of  an  organization  or  association  of
 which  such  licensee is an auxiliary or a bona fide member of an organ-
 ization or association which is affiliated with the licensee  by  being,
 with it, auxiliary to another organization or association. Nothing here-
 in  shall  be construed to limit the number of games of chance licensees
 for whom such persons may operate games of chance nor  to  prevent  non-
 members  from assisting the licensee in any activity other than managing
 [or operating] games. No game of chance  shall  be  conducted  with  any
 equipment  except  such  as  shall  be owned or leased by the authorized
 organization so licensed or used without  payment  of  any  compensation
 therefor by the licensee. However, in no event shall bell jar tickets be
 transferred from one authorized organization to another, with or without
 payment of any compensation thereof. The head or heads of the authorized
 organization  shall  upon  request certify, under oath, that the persons
 [operating] MANAGING any game of chance are bona fide  members  of  such
 authorized  organization,  auxiliary  or  affiliated  organization. Upon
 request by an officer or the department any such person involved in such
 games of chance shall certify that [he or she] SUCH PERSON has no crimi-
 nal record. No items of expense shall be incurred or paid in  connection
 with the conducting of any game of chance pursuant to any license issued
 under  this article except those that are reasonable and are necessarily
 expended for games of chance supplies and  equipment,  prizes,  security
 personnel,  stated  rental  if  any,  bookkeeping or accounting services
 according to a schedule of compensation prescribed by the board, janito-
 rial services and utility supplies if any, and  license  fees,  and  the
 cost of [bus] transportation, if authorized by such clerk or department.
 No  commission, salary, compensation, reward or recompense shall be paid
 or given to any person for the sale or assisting with the sale of raffle
 tickets.
   2. For the purpose of the sale of tickets for the game of raffle,  the
 term  "operate" shall not include the sale of such tickets by persons of
 lineal or collateral consanguinity to members of an authorized organiza-
 tion licensed to conduct a raffle.
   3. EACH ELECTRONIC BELL JAR VENDING MACHINE THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED  BY
 THE  GAMING  COMMISSION PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION NINE OF
 SECTION ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-EIGHT-A OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL HAVE THE ABILI-
 TY TO:
   (A) READ A BARCODE OR SIMILAR FORM OF ENCRYPTION  OR  MARKING  ON  THE
 PRE-PRINTED BELL JAR TICKET;
   (B)  REVEAL RESULTS AND OTHER GAME INFORMATION THROUGH AUDIO AND VIDEO
 DISPLAYS;
   (C) VERIFY IF A BELL JAR TICKET IS REDEEMABLE FOR A PRIZE;
   (D) ELECTRONICALLY AGGREGATE WINNING PRIZES FOR CONTINUED PLAY;
   (E) PRODUCE A VOUCHER FOR PRIZE REDEMPTION; AND
 S. 6351                             4
 
   (F) TRACK THE SALES OF TICKETS AND REPORT SUCH  SALES  TO  THE  GAMING
 COMMISSION  AND/OR  PROVIDE  THE GAMING COMMISSION WITH REMOTE ACCESS TO
 SUCH REPORTS THROUGH A SECURE PORTAL.
   4.  THE  FOLLOWING  INFORMATION  SHALL BE DISPLAYED BY EACH ELECTRONIC
 BELL JAR VENDING MACHINE:
   (A) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TICKETS IN EACH DEAL,  WHICH  MAY  NOT  EXCEED
 SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS;
   (B) THE PRICE OF EACH TICKET;
   (C) THE NUMBER AND AMOUNT OF PRIZES IN EACH DEAL OF TICKETS;
   (D)  THE  NUMBER  OF  WINNERS  PER  TICKET  AND THE RESPECTIVE WINNING
 NUMBERS OR SYMBOLS;
   (E) THE NAME OF THE GAME;
   (F) THE NAME OR LOGO OF THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TICKETS; AND
   (G) THE SERIAL NUMBER FOR THE  DEAL  OF  TICKETS,  WHICH  SUCH  SERIAL
 NUMBER MAY NOT BE REGENERATED.
   5.  WHEN  A  VOUCHER  IS  PRODUCED  BY  AN ELECTRONIC BELL JAR VENDING
 MACHINE FOR PRIZE REDEMPTION, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION SHALL APPEAR  ON
 THE VOUCHER:
   (A) THE AGGREGATE PRIZE AMOUNT PAYABLE TO THE PLAYER;
   (B) THE VALUE OF ANY UNUSED TICKETS, IF ANY;
   (C) THE DEVICE NUMBER OR OTHER IDENTIFICATION METHOD FOR THE ELECTRON-
 IC BELL JAR VENDING MACHINE THAT PRODUCED THE VOUCHER;
   (D) THE DATE AND TIME THAT THE VOUCHER WAS PRINTED;
   (E) THE SEQUENTIAL NUMBER OF THE VOUCHER;
   (F) A BARCODE OR SIMILAR FORM OF SECURE ENCRYPTION THAT MAY BE USED TO
 VALIDATE THE PRIZE AMOUNT PAYABLE TO THE PLAYER; AND
   (G)  THE  PERIOD  OF TIME DURING WHICH UNUSED TICKETS OR PRIZE AMOUNTS
 MUST BE CLAIMED.
   6. VOUCHERS MAY BE REDEEMED FROM A VOUCHER REDEMPTION KIOSK PHYSICALLY
 SEPARATE FROM THE ELECTRONIC BELL JAR VENDING MACHINE. WHEN A VOUCHER IS
 REDEEMED FROM A VOUCHER REDEMPTION KIOSK, THE VOUCHER  INFORMATION  MUST
 BE PROCESSED CORRECTLY USING SECURE COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS.
   §  8.  Subdivisions  1 and 4 of section 195-n of the general municipal
 law, as amended by chapter 637 of the laws of 1999, are amended to  read
 as follows:
   1.  Distribution; manufacturers. For business conducted in this state,
 manufacturers licensed by the [board] GAMING COMMISSION to sell bell jar
 tickets OR SELL OR LEASE ELECTRONIC BELL JAR VENDING MACHINES shall sell
 only such tickets AND VENDING MACHINES to distributors licensed  by  the
 [board]  GAMING  COMMISSION.  Manufacturers  of  bell  jar tickets, seal
 cards, merchandise boards, and coin boards [may] SHALL submit [samples,]
 artists' renderings, or color photocopies of proposed bell jar  tickets,
 seal  cards,  merchandise  boards, coin boards, payout cards, and flares
 for review and approval by the [board] GAMING COMMISSION  PRIOR  TO  THE
 SALE  OF  THE GAME TO ANY LICENSED DISTRIBUTOR FOR RESALE IN THIS STATE.
 THE GAMING COMMISSION MAY  REQUIRE  THAT  THE  MANUFACTURER  SUBMIT  THE
 INFORMATION  REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION VIA ELECTRONIC MEDIA OR ELECTRONIC
 DATA TRANSFER.  Within thirty days of receipt of such sample or  render-
 ing,  the  [board] GAMING COMMISSION shall approve or deny such bell jar
 tickets.  [Following approval of a rendering of a bell jar ticket,  seal
 card,  merchandise  board,  or coin board by the board, the manufacturer
 shall submit to the board a sample of the printed bell jar ticket,  seal
 card,  merchandise  board,  coin  board, payout card, and flare for such
 game. Such sample shall be submitted prior to the sale of  the  game  to
 any  licensed distributor for resale in this state.] For coin boards and
 merchandise boards, nothing herein shall require the submittal of actual
 S. 6351                             5
 
 coins or merchandise as part  of  the  approval  process.  Any  licensed
 manufacturer  who  willfully  violates  the  provisions  of this section
 shall: (a) upon such first offense, have their license suspended  for  a
 period  of  thirty  days; (b) upon such second offense, participate in a
 hearing to be conducted by the [board] GAMING COMMISSION, and  surrender
 their  license  for  such  period  as  recommended by the [board] GAMING
 COMMISSION; and (c) upon such third or subsequent  offense,  have  their
 license  suspended  for  a  period  of one year and shall be guilty of a
 class E felony. Any unlicensed manufacturer who violates the  provisions
 of this section shall be guilty of a class E felony.
   4.  Reports  of  sales.  A manufacturer who sells bell jar tickets for
 resale in this state shall file with the [board] GAMING COMMISSION, on a
 form prescribed by the board, a report of all bell jar tickets  sold  to
 distributors  in  the  state.  The report shall be filed quarterly on or
 before the twentieth day of the month succeeding the end of the  quarter
 in  which  the  sale was made. The [board] GAMING COMMISSION may require
 that the report be submitted  via  magnetic  media  or  electronic  data
 transfer.    SUCH  REPORT  SHALL  ALSO  INCLUDE THE QUANTITY AND MACHINE
 NUMBERS OF ANY ELECTRONIC BELL JAR VENDING MACHINES SOLD OR LEASED TO  A
 DISTRIBUTOR LICENSED BY THE  GAMING COMMISSION.
   § 9. Subdivisions 1, 3, 4 and 5 of section 195-o of the general munic-
 ipal  law,  subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 637 of the laws of 1999,
 subdivisions 3 and 4 as added by chapter 309 of the laws  of  1996,  and
 subdivision  5  as amended by section 16 of part MM of chapter 59 of the
 laws of 2017, are amended to read as follows:
   1. Distribution; distributors. Any distributor licensed in  accordance
 with  section  one  hundred  eighty-nine-a of this article to distribute
 bell jar tickets OR ELECTRONIC BELL JAR VENDING MACHINES shall  purchase
 bell jar tickets AND SHALL PURCHASE OR LEASE ELECTRONIC BELL JAR VENDING
 MACHINES  only  from  licensed  manufacturers  and  may manufacture coin
 boards and merchandise boards only as authorized in subdivision one-a of
 this section. Licensed distributors of bell jar tickets  AND  ELECTRONIC
 BELL JAR VENDING MACHINES shall sell such tickets AND SELL OR LEASE SUCH
 VENDING  MACHINES only to not-for-profit, charitable or religious organ-
 izations registered by the [board]  GAMING  COMMISSION.    Any  licensed
 distributor who willfully violates the provisions of this section shall:
 (a)  upon  such first offense, have their license suspended for a period
 of thirty days; (b) upon such second offense, participate in  a  hearing
 to  be  conducted  by the [board] GAMING COMMISSION, and surrender their
 license for such period as recommended by the [board] GAMING COMMISSION;
 and (c) upon such  third  or  subsequent  offense,  have  their  license
 suspended  for  a  period  of  one year and shall be guilty of a class E
 felony. Any unlicensed distributor who violates this  section  shall  be
 guilty of a class E felony.
   3.  Sales  records.  A distributor shall maintain a record of all bell
 jar tickets that it sells AND ALL ELECTRONIC BELL JAR  VENDING  MACHINES
 THAT  IT  SELLS  OR  LEASES.   The record shall include, but need not be
 limited to:
   (a) the  identity  of  the  manufacturer  from  whom  the  distributor
 purchased OR LEASED the product;
   (b) the serial number of the product;
   (c)  the  name,  address,  and  license or exempt permit number of the
 organization or person to which the sale was made;
   (d) the date of the sale;
   (e) the name of the person who ordered the product;
   (f) the name of the person who received the product;
 S. 6351                             6
 
   (g) the type of product;
   (h) [the serial number of the product;
   (i)]  the  account  number identifying the sale OR FOR ELECTRONIC BELL
 JAR VENDING MACHINES, THE LEASE, from the  manufacturer  to  distributor
 and  the account number identifying the sale from the distributor to the
 licensed organization; and
   [(j)] (I) the name, form number, or other identifying information  for
 each game.
   4.  Invoices.  (A) A distributor shall supply with each sale of a bell
 jar product an itemized  invoice  showing  the  distributor's  name  and
 address,  the purchaser's name, address, and license number, the date of
 the sale, the account number identifying the sale from the  manufacturer
 to  distributor  and  the  account  number identifying the sale from the
 distributor to the licensed organization, and  the  description  of  the
 deals,  including the form number, the serial number and the ideal gross
 from every deal of bell jar or similar game.
   (B) WITHIN FIVE BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE SALE, LEASE,  OR  DISTRIBUTION
 OF AN ELECTRONIC BELL JAR VENDING MACHINE TO AN AUTHORIZED ORGANIZATION,
 THE DISTRIBUTOR SHALL PROVIDE A COPY OF AN INVOICE TO THE GAMING COMMIS-
 SION WHICH SHOWS:
   (I) THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE AUTHORIZED ORGANIZATION;
   (II) THE DATE OF SALE, LEASE OR DISTRIBUTION;
   (III)  THE  SERIAL NUMBER OF EACH ELECTRONIC BELL JAR VENDING MACHINE;
 AND
   (IV) ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS THE GAMING COMMISSION MAY REQUIRE.
   5. Reports. A distributor shall report quarterly to the gaming commis-
 sion, on a form prescribed by the gaming commission, its sales  of  each
 type of bell jar deal or tickets AND ITS SALE OR LEASE OF EACH ELECTRON-
 IC BELL JAR VENDING MACHINE.  This report shall be filed quarterly on or
 before  the twentieth day of the month succeeding the end of the quarter
 in which the sale OR LEASE was made. The gaming commission  may  require
 that  a distributor submit the quarterly report and invoices required by
 this section via electronic media or electronic data transfer.
   § 10. Section 195-q of the general municipal law is amended by  adding
 a new subdivision 3 to read as follows:
   3. (A) AN AUTHORIZED ORGANIZATION MAY ONLY OPERATE ELECTRONIC BELL JAR
 VENDING MACHINES ON PREMISES THAT IT OWNS OR LEASES.
   (B) AN AUTHORIZED ORGANIZATION MAY OPERATE NO MORE THAN TEN ELECTRONIC
 BELL JAR VENDING MACHINES.  IN NO SITUATION MAY MORE THAN TEN ELECTRONIC
 BELL  JAR VENDING MACHINES BE OPERATED AT ANY LEASED PREMISES, NO MATTER
 HOW MANY AUTHORIZED ORGANIZATIONS ARE CO-LESSEES.
   (C) NO AUTHORIZED ORGANIZATION MAY OPERATE ELECTRONIC BELL JAR VENDING
 MACHINES UNLESS THEY ARE  A  GAMES  OF  CHANCE  LICENSEE  AUTHORIZED  TO
 CONDUCT BELL JAR GAMES.
   (D)  EACH  BELL  JAR  VENDING MACHINE SHALL GENERATE SALES REPORTS AND
 SUCH OTHER INFORMATION THAT THE GAMING COMMISSION MAY  DIRECT  BY  REGU-
 LATION  IN  ORDER TO DETERMINE THAT SUCH MACHINE IS OPERATING IN ACCORD-
 ANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER. THE  GAMING  COMMISSION  SHALL
 HAVE  REMOTE  AND  SECURE  ACCESS  TO  THE  ELECTRONIC  BELL JAR VENDING
 MACHINES FOR THE PURPOSE OF MONITORING AND AUDITING AT NO  COST  TO  THE
 STATE.
   (E)  ANY  UNCLAIMED  FUNDS  OR TICKETS LEFT IN ANY ELECTRONIC BELL JAR
 VENDING MACHINE SHALL BE RETAINED BY  THE  AUTHORIZED  ORGANIZATION  AND
 REPORTED AS NET PROCEEDS.
   § 11. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026.