What's happening
This bill allows alcoholic beverages to be awarded as prizes in games of chance, with age restrictions for participants.
Why it matters
Legalizes alcoholic beverages as prizes in games of chance. , potentially making fundraising events, charity raffles, and similar activities more appealing or lucrative for organizations, but also raising questions about the normalization of alcohol as a reward.
Introduces a new age restriction. anyone under 21 is prohibited from participating in raffles where alcohol is a prize, aligning these activities with the legal drinking age and addressing public health and safety concerns.
Could increase participation and revenue for organizations. that use games of chance as fundraising tools, as alcohol is often seen as a desirable prize, but may also require new compliance measures to ensure age verification and responsible promotion.
Signals a shift in state policy regarding alcohol regulation. , potentially setting a precedent for how alcohol-related incentives are handled in other contexts and prompting further debate about alcohol accessibility and community standards.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Booze Prizes at Games
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to racing and wagering
- Referred to racing and wagering
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Allow Booze as Game Prizes
In Assembly Committee · Racing And Wagering · Sponsor Rich Funke
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4605
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Committee on Racing and Wagering
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to allowing alcoholic beverages as prizes in any game of chance
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 195-d of the general municipal law, as amended by section 13 of part MM of chapter 59 of the laws of 2017, subdivision 3 as amended by chapter 464 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
§ 195-d. Charge for admission and participation; amount of prizes; award of prizes. 1. A fee may be charged by any licensee for admission to any game or games of chance conducted under any license issued under this article. The clerk or department may in its discretion fix a minimum fee.
2. With the exception of bell jars, coin boards, seal cards, merchandise boards and raffles, every winner shall be determined and every prize shall be awarded and delivered 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 game of chance.]
3. A player may purchase a chance with cash or, if the authorized organization wishes, with a personal check, credit card or debit card.
§ 2. Subdivision 3 of section 190-a of the general municipal law, as added by chapter 400 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
3. No person under the age of eighteen shall be permitted to play, operate or assist in any raffle conducted pursuant to this section. Where any such raffle awards a prize containing alcohol, no person under the age of twenty-one shall be permitted to play, operate or assist in such raffle conducted pursuant to this section.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07069-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.