§ 186. Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms shall\nhave the following meanings:\n 1. "Municipality" shall mean any city, town or village within this\nstate.\n 2. "Board" shall mean New York state gaming commission created\npursuant to section one hundred two of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering\nand breeding law.\n * 2-a. "Commission" means the New York state gaming commission.\n * NB Effective December 19, 2026\n 3. "Games of chance" shall mean and include only the games known as\n"merchandise wheels", "coin boards", "merchandise boards", "seal cards",\n"event games", "raffles", and "bell jars" and such other specific games\nas may be authorized by the board, in which prizes are awarded on the\nbasis of a designated winning number or numbers, color or colors, symbol\nor symbols determined by chance, but not including games commonly known\nas "bingo or lotto" which are controlled under article fourteen-H of\nthis chapter and also not including "bookmaking", "policy or numbers\ngames" and "lottery" as defined in section 225.00 of the penal law. No\ngame of chance shall involve wagering of money by one player against\nanother player.\n * 3-a. "Bell jars" shall mean and include those games in which a\nparticipant shall draw a card from a jar, vending machine, or other\nsuitable device or container which contains numbers, colors or symbols\nthat are covered and which, when uncovered, may reveal that a prize\nshall be awarded on the basis of a designated winning number, color or\nsymbol or combination of numbers, colors or symbols. Bell jars shall\nalso include seal cards, coin boards, event games, and merchandise\nboards.\n * NB Effective until December 19, 2026\n * 3-a. "Bell jars" shall mean and include those games in which a\nparticipant shall draw a card from a jar, vending machine, including an\nelectronic bell jar vending machine, or other suitable device or\ncontainer which contains numbers, colors or symbols that are covered and\nwhich, when uncovered, may reveal that a prize shall be awarded on the\nbasis of a designated winning number, color or symbol or combination of\nnumbers, colors or symbols. Bell jars shall also include seal cards,\ncoin boards, event games, and merchandise boards.\n * NB Effective December 19, 2026\n 3-b. "Raffle" shall mean and include those games of chance in which a\nparticipant pays money in return for a ticket or other receipt and in\nwhich a prize is awarded on the basis of a winning number or numbers,\ncolor or colors, or symbol or symbols designated on the ticket or\nreceipt, determined by chance as a result of:\n (a) a drawing from among those tickets or receipts previously sold; or\n (b) a random event, the results of which correspond with tickets or\nreceipts previously sold.\n 3-c. "Coin board" and "merchandise board" shall mean a board used in\nconjunction with bell jar tickets which contains and displays various\ncoins and/or merchandise as prizes. A player having a bell jar ticket\nwith a number matching a pre-designated number reflected on the board\nfor a prize wins that prize.\n 3-d. "Seal cards" shall mean a board or placard used in conjunction\nwith a deal of the same serial number which contains one or more\nconcealed areas that, when removed or opened, reveal a predesignated\nwinning number, letter, or symbol located on the board or placard. A\nseal card used in conjunction with an event game shall not be required\nto contain lines for prospective seal winners to sign their name.\n 3-e. "Event game" shall mean a bell jar game in which certain winners\nare determined by the random selection of one or more bingo numbers, the\nuse of a seal card or by another method approved by the board.\n 4. "Authorized organization" shall mean and include any bona fide\nreligious or charitable organization or bona fide educational, fraternal\nor service organization or bona fide organization of veterans or\nvolunteer firefighters, which by its charter, cert
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