Union, NY Gambling & Gaming: Charitable Bingo and Raffles (2026)
Key Facts
- Who can run bingo
- Licensed authorized organizations under GML Article 14-H
- Single-game prize cap
- $1,000
- Prize series cap
- $3,000 on any one bingo occasion
- Games of chance Sunday hours
- 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight only
- No games of chance
- Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, license forfeited, one-year bar
Summary
The Town of Union authorizes bingo and games of chance only for licensed authorized organizations under General Municipal Law Article 14-H and Article 9-A. Bingo prizes are capped at $1,000 in a single game and $3,000 in a series on one occasion, and unauthorized games are a misdemeanor. Games of chance have their own Sunday hours.
It shall be lawful for any authorized organization, as defined in the General Municipal Law, Article 14-H, § 476, upon obtaining the required license and upon paying in advance the required fee for each game, to conduct the game of bingo within the territorial limits of the Town of Union, including on Sunday, subject to the provisions of this article, Article 14-H of the General Municipal Law and Article 19-B of the Executive Law and the following restrictions: ... B. No bingo games shall be held, operated or conducted on or within any leased premises if rental under such lease is to be paid, wholly or partly, on the basis of a percentage of the receipts or net profits derived from the operation of the game. ... E. No prize shall exceed the sum or value of $1,000 in any single game of bingo. ... F. No series of prizes on any one bingo occasion shall aggregate more than $3,000. ... I. The unauthorized conduct of a bingo game and any willful violation of this article shall constitute and be punishable as a misdemeanor.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 79 of the Town of Union Code is a local adoption of the state charitable gaming scheme. Article I, adopted 11-7-1972 as L.L. No. 1-1972, makes it lawful for any authorized organization, as defined in General Municipal Law Article 14-H, § 476, to conduct bingo within the territorial limits of the Town of Union, including on Sunday. The organization must hold the required license and pay the required fee in advance for each game. Section 79-1 attaches restrictions: only a licensee under Article 14-H can conduct bingo or lease a hall or premises for it; no game can be held on leased premises if the rent is paid wholly or partly as a percentage of receipts or net profits; supplies must come from a supplier licensed under the Bingo Control Law or from another authorized organization; and the entire net proceeds go exclusively to the lawful purposes of the organization.
Prizes are capped. No prize can exceed the sum or value of $1,000 in any single game of bingo, and no series of prizes on one bingo occasion can aggregate more than $3,000. Only a bona fide member of the organization can take part in managing or operating a game, and no person can receive remuneration for doing so. A person licensed to sell bingo supplies or equipment cannot conduct, participate in or assist in the conduct of bingo. Limited period bingo follows Article 14-H and the rules of the Bingo Control Commission.
Article II, adopted 6-5-1991 as L.L. No. 8-1991 and titled the Games of Chance Local Law of the Town of Union, rests on General Municipal Law Article 9-A. It defines the Town as the area outside the Incorporated Villages of Endicott and Johnson City and names the Sheriff of the County of Broome as the chief law enforcement officer of the Town of Union. Under § 79-7, games of chance can begin on Sunday only between 12:00 noon and 12:00 midnight, though a license application can request time past midnight if the following day is a legal holiday. No games of chance can run on Easter Sunday, Christmas Day or New Year's Eve. Under § 79-8, the chief law enforcement officer exercises the control and supervision powers in Subdivisions 1 and 2 of General Municipal Law § 194.
Violations & Fines
The unauthorized conduct of a bingo game and any willful violation of Article I is punishable as a misdemeanor (§ 79-1(I)). Under § 79-3 the violator also forfeits any license issued and cannot apply for a license for one year, and false statements in applications or reports count as violations. Section 79-9 applies the same misdemeanor, forfeiture and one-year bar to unauthorized games of chance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can run bingo in the Town of Union?
What are the bingo prize limits?
Can a hall owner charge a percentage of bingo receipts as rent?
When can games of chance run on Sunday?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Union
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