PRINTER'S NO. 2451
No. 2006 Session of 1981
INTRODUCED BY LAUGHLIN, McCLATCHY, BURNS, RYBAK, STEWART,
WOZNIAK, WAMBACH, KOWALYSHYN, CAWLEY, BROWN, COLAFELLA,
KOLTER, McCALL AND FEE, OCTOBER 21, 1981
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, OCTOBER 21, 1981
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of July 10, 1981 (P.L.214, No.67), entitled "An
2 act relating to the lawful conduct of bingo, prescribing
3 penalties and making a repeal," adding a definition,
4 exempting organized senior citizens' groups from licensing
5 and other requirements in certain circumstances.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Section 3, act of July 10, 1981 (P.L.214, No.67),
9 known as the "Bingo Law," is amended by adding a definition to
10 read:
11 Section 3. Definitions.
12 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13 have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
14 meanings given to them in this section:
15 * * *
16 "Organized senior citizens' group." Any group or association
17 consisting primarily of retired persons over the age of 55 who
18 reside together in a community setting, or meet or attend
19 outings regularly on a social basis, whether or not formally
1 organized.
2 Section 2. Section 5 of the act is amended to read:
3 Section 5. Rules for licensing.
4 (a) Issuance and fee.--The licensing authority shall
5 license, upon application, any association as defined in section
6 3 to conduct the game of bingo at one location in the county.
7 The association shall be permitted to conduct the game of bingo
8 at the association's exposition or carnival site in addition to
9 the regularly scheduled games for which the license was
10 originally granted for a period not to exceed ten days. The
11 license fee to be charged to each nonprofit association shall be
12 $100 per annum [except to those recognized senior citizens'
13 groups who conduct bingo for their members only the fee shall be
14 $50 per annum]. The license fee to be charged to each
15 agricultural association or county fair shall be $100 per annum.
16 The fees collected pursuant to this section shall be paid by the
17 licensing authority into the general fund of the county and used
18 for county purposes.
19 (b) Display.--Licenses issued pursuant to this section shall
20 be publicly displayed at games conducted by licensees.
21 (c) Operation.--No association may hire any person not a
22 bona fide member of the association to manage, set up bingo,
23 operate or actually run the game of bingo, except those
24 associations which obtain a yearly license to conduct bingo at
25 carnivals or expositions not exceeding ten days in duration and
26 operate bingo for merchandise only in which case any charitable
27 organization may be hired to manage, set up bingo, and operate
28 or actually run the game. No supplier of merchandise shall have
29 a pecuniary interest in the operation or proceeds of the bingo
30 game.
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1 (d) Application for license.--Each association shall apply
2 to the licensing authority for a license on a form to be
3 prescribed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Said form shall
4 contain an affidavit to be affirmed by the executive officer or
5 secretary of the association stating that:
6 (1) No person under the age of 18 will be permitted by
7 the association to play bingo unless accompanied by an adult.
8 (2) The facility in which any game of bingo is to be
9 played does have adequate means of ingress and egress or
10 adequate sanitary facilities available in the area.
11 (3) The association is the owner of the equipment used
12 in playing bingo.
13 (4) The association is the owner of the premises upon
14 which bingo is played or if it is not, that the association
15 is not leasing such premises from the owner thereof under an
16 oral agreement, nor is it leasing such premises from the
17 owner thereof under a written agreement at a rental which is
18 determined by the amount of receipts realized from the
19 playing of bingo.
20 (5) The association will not conduct the playing of
21 bingo more than twice per week in any one week, except those
22 associations excluded under subsection (c).
23 (6) The association, in any calendar day will not award
24 a total of more than $4,000 in prizes.
25 (e) Limitation on compensation.--No person may be employed
26 in the operation or the actual running of a bingo game for
27 compensation greater than $50 per day or any part thereof, and
28 any person compensated shall be paid individually.
29 (f) Organized senior citizens' groups.--Any organized senior
30 citizens' group may properly conduct bingo activities within the
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1 Commonwealth without being subject to the license fee and other
2 requirements, if they are in compliance with the following
3 conditions:
4 (1) No prize awarded shall exceed $50 in value for any
5 one game of bingo, jackpot game or otherwise.
6 (2) All net proceeds of bingo games shall be used to
7 promote the social activities of the entire group.
8 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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