Rochester, NY Gambling & Gaming: Charitable Bingo and Raffles (2026)

Chapter 36's Bingo License Law began as a local law the Council adopted June 24, 1958, but it did not take effect on its own; § 36-7 required voter approval at a special election held August 12, 1958, on a ballot proposition asking whether to authorize bingo games in the City. Voters approved it that day, and the article took effect September 1, 1958, exactly the locally-adopted-by-referendum mechanism New York's charitable gaming statutes require before a municipality may opt in. Under § 36-3, an authorized organization can lawfully run bingo only after obtaining a City license, subject to Article 14-H of the General Municipal Law and the City's own Bingo Control Law, with definitions in § 36-2 borrowed directly from Article 14-H.

Section 36-4 delegates the licensing machinery to the City Clerk, who issues, amends and cancels bingo licenses, collects fees, and works with the Chief of Police and Internal Auditor to investigate applicants, examine books and records, and supervise how games are actually run. Section 36-5 specifically authorizes bingo on Sundays, which required its own local override since Sunday gaming isn't automatic under state law. A separate article, Games of Chance, was adopted by Ordinance 79-442 on August 14, 1979 and itself approved by referendum at the November 6, 1979 general election; § 36-24 authorizes licensed organizations to run games of chance under Article 9-A of the General Municipal Law and State Racing and Wagering Board rules, permits play on Sundays from noon to midnight except on Easter, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, and puts the Rochester Police Department in charge of supervision, with the Chief of Police reviewing license applications for the City Clerk.