N.Y. Executive Law § 431: Purpose of article

§ 431. Purpose of article. The purpose of this article is to implement

section nine of article one of the state constitution, as amended by

vote of the people at the general election in November, nineteen hundred

fifty-seven. The legislature hereby declares that the raising of funds

for the promotion of bona fide charitable, educational, scientific,

health, religious, civic and patriotic causes and undertakings, where

the beneficiaries are indefinite, is in the public interest. It hereby

finds that, as conducted prior to the enactment of this article, bingo

was the subject of exploitation by professional gamblers, promoters, and

commercial interests. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the

legislature that all phases of the supervision, licensing and the

regulation of bingo and of the conduct of bingo games, should be closely

controlled and that the laws and regulations pertaining thereto should

be strictly construed and rigidly enforced; that the conduct of the game

and all attendant activities should be so regulated and adequate

controls so instituted as to discourage commercialization in all its

forms, including the rental of commercial premises for bingo games, and

to ensure a maximum availability of the net proceeds of bingo

exclusively for application to the worthy causes and undertakings

specified herein; that the only justification for this article is to

foster and support such worthy causes and undertakings, and that the

mandate of section nine of article one of the state constitution, as

amended, should be carried out by rigid regulation to prevent

commercialized gambling, prevent participation by criminal and other

undesirable elements and prevent the diversion of funds from the

purposes herein authorized.