Oneida, NY Gambling & Gaming: Charitable Bingo and Raffles (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- City Code §§ 30-1 to 30-3
- Per-game prize cap
- $1,000
- Per-occasion prize cap
- $3,000, aggregate
- Who may conduct games
- GML Art. 14-H / 9-A licensees only
- Unlicensed operation penalty
- Misdemeanor under § 30-1F
Summary
Oneida's Chapter 30 caps every bingo prize at $1,000 and every bingo occasion's total prizes at $3,000, and limits bingo and games of chance to organizations licensed under the state's Article 14-H and Article 9-A schemes. Running a game or leasing a hall for one without that license is a misdemeanor.
A. No person other than a licensee under the provisions of Article 14-H of the General Municipal Law shall conduct such game or shall lease or otherwise make available for conducting bingo a hall or other premises for any consideration whatsoever, direct or indirect. ... ... D. No prize shall exceed the sum or value of $1,000 in any single game of bingo. No series of prizes on any one bingo occasion shall aggregate more than $3,000. ... It shall be lawful for any authorized organization, upon obtaining a license therefor pursuant to law, to conduct games of chance within the city, subject to the provisions of ordinance, the provisions of Article 9-A of the General Municipal Law and the provisions, rules and regulations of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4996966; v33 updated 2026-07-07; through 07-07-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 30, Bingo and Games of Chance, dates to the city's original 1982 Code and implements the state licensing framework locally rather than creating a separate city license. Section 30-1A bars anyone but a licensee under Article 14-H of the state General Municipal Law from conducting bingo, or from leasing a hall for bingo for any consideration. Subsection B bans percentage-of-receipts rental deals for bingo premises and requires licensed organizations to buy their bingo supplies only from a supplier licensed under the state Bingo Control Law or from another authorized organization.
Subsection C requires that all net proceeds from a bingo game or related rental go exclusively to the licensed organization's lawful purposes, and Subsection E bars anyone but a bona fide member of the organization from managing or operating the game, with no one allowed to be paid for running it. The most concrete local numbers sit in Subsection D: no single game of bingo may award a prize worth more than $1,000, and no series of prizes across one bingo occasion may add up to more than $3,000.
An editor's note flags that these dollar limits were amended at the time the current Code was adopted, meaning the Council has revisited the caps since 1982. Section 30-2 separately confirms bingo may lawfully be held on Sundays by authorized organizations, and § 30-3 extends the same Sunday permission and the Article 9-A/state oversight to games of chance generally. Any unauthorized bingo game, or willful violation of § 30-1, is a misdemeanor under Subsection F.
Violations & Fines
The unauthorized conduct of a bingo game, or any willful violation of § 30-1, is a misdemeanor under § 30-1F. That reaches unlicensed operators, halls that lease space on a percentage-of-receipts basis, prizes exceeding the $1,000 per-game or $3,000 per-occasion caps, and anyone paid to manage or operate a game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any nonprofit run a bingo night in Oneida?
Is there a prize limit for bingo games in Oneida?
Can a hall charge rent based on how much a bingo game makes?
Are games of chance allowed on Sundays in Oneida?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oneida
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