NY Penal L § 225.00 (2021)
2021 New York Laws PEN - Penal Part 3 - Specific Offenses Title M - Offenses Against Public Health and Morals Article 225 - Gambling Offenses 225.00 - Gambling Offenses; Definitions of Terms.

§ 225.00 Gambling offenses; definitions of terms.   The following definitions are applicable to this article:   1.  "Contest  of  chance"  means  any  contest, game, gaming scheme or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon  an element  of  chance,  notwithstanding  that skill of the contestants may also be a factor therein.   2. "Gambling." A person engages in gambling when he  stakes  or  risks something  of  value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his control or influence, upon  an  agreement or understanding that he will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.   3.  "Player" means a person who engages in any form of gambling solely as a contestant or bettor, without receiving  or  becoming  entitled  to receive  any profit therefrom other than personal gambling winnings, and without   otherwise   rendering   any   material   assistance   to   the establishment, conduct or operation of the particular gambling activity. A  person who gambles at a social game of chance on equal terms with the other participants therein does not otherwise render material assistance to the  establishment,  conduct  or  operation  thereof  by  performing, without  fee  or  remuneration,  acts directed toward the arrangement or facilitation of the game, such as inviting persons to  play,  permitting the use of premises therefor and supplying cards or other equipment used therein.  A  person  who  engages  in  "bookmaking",  as defined in this section is not a "player."   4. "Advance gambling activity." A person "advances gambling  activity" when,  acting  other  than  as  a  player,  he  engages in conduct which materially aids any form of gambling activity. Such conduct includes but is not limited to conduct directed toward the creation or  establishment of  the  particular  game, contest, scheme, device or activity involved, toward  the  acquisition  or  maintenance  of  premises,  paraphernalia, equipment  or  apparatus therefor, toward the solicitation or inducement of persons to participate therein, toward  the  actual  conduct  of  the playing  phases  thereof, toward the arrangement of any of its financial or recording phases, or toward any other phase  of  its  operation.  One advances gambling activity when, having substantial proprietary or other authoritative  control  over  premises being used with his knowledge for purposes of gambling activity, he permits such to occur or  continue  or makes no effort to prevent its occurrence or continuation.   5.  "Profit  from  gambling activity." A person "profits from gambling activity" when, other than as a player, he accepts or receives money  or other property pursuant to an agreement or understanding with any person whereby he participates or is to participate in the proceeds of gambling activity.   6. "Something of value" means any money or property, any token, object or  article exchangeable for money or property, or any form of credit or promise directly  or  indirectly  contemplating  transfer  of  money  or property  or  of  any  interest  therein,  or  involving  extension of a service, entertainment or a privilege of playing at  a  game  or  scheme without charge.   7.  "Gambling  device"  means  any  device,  machine, paraphernalia or equipment which is used or usable in the playing phases of any  gambling activity,  whether such activity consists of gambling between persons or gambling by a person involving the playing of a machine. Notwithstanding the foregoing, lottery tickets, policy slips and other items used in the playing phases of lottery and policy schemes are not gambling devices.   7-a. A "coin operated gambling device" means a gambling  device  which operates  as  a  result of the insertion of something of value. A device designed, constructed or readily adaptable or convertible for  such  use  is  a coin operated gambling device notwithstanding the fact that it may require adjustment, manipulation or repair in order to operate as  such. A  machine  which  awards free or extended play is not a gambling device merely  because  such  free or extended play may constitute something of value provided that the outcome depends upon the skill of the player and not in a material degree upon an element of chance.   8. "Slot machine" means a gambling device which, as a  result  of  the insertion  of  a  coin  or  other  object,  operates,  either completely automatically or with the aid of some physical act  by  the  player,  in such  manner  that,  depending  upon  elements  of  chance, it may eject something of value. A device so constructed,  or  readily  adaptable  or convertible  to such use, is no less a slot machine because it is not in working order or because some mechanical act of manipulation  or  repair is required to accomplish its adaptation, conversion or workability. Nor is  it  any  less  a  slot  machine  because,  apart  from  its  use  or adaptability as such, it may also sell or deliver something of value  on a  basis  other  than chance. A machine which sells items of merchandise which are of equivalent value, is not a slot machine merely because such items differ from each other in composition, size, shape or color.   9.  "Bookmaking"  means  advancing  gambling  activity  by  unlawfully accepting  bets from members of the public as a business, rather than in a casual or personal fashion, upon the  outcomes  of  future  contingent events.   10.  "Lottery"  means  an  unlawful  gambling  scheme in which (a) the players pay or agree to pay something of value for chances,  represented and  differentiated  by numbers or by combinations of numbers or by some other media, one or more of which  chances  are  to  be  designated  the winning  ones;  and  (b)  the  winning chances are to be determined by a drawing or by some other method based upon the element  of  chance;  and (c) the holders of the winning chances are to receive something of value provided,  however,  that  in  no  event  shall  the  provisions of this subdivision be construed to include a raffle as such term is defined  in subdivision  three-b  of  section  one hundred eighty-six of the general municipal law.   11. "Policy" or "the numbers game" means a form of  lottery  in  which the  winning  chances  or  plays  are not determined upon the basis of a drawing or other act on the part of persons conducting or connected with the scheme, but upon the basis of the outcome or outcomes  of  a  future contingent event or events otherwise unrelated to the particular scheme.   12. "Unlawful" means not specifically authorized by law.   13.  "Authorized  gaming establishment" means any structure, structure and adjacent or attached structure, or grounds adjacent to  a  structure in  which  casino  gaming, conducted pursuant to article thirteen of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, or Class III  gaming,  as authorized  pursuant  to a compact reached between the state of New York and a federally recognized Indian nation  or  tribe  under  the  federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, is conducted and shall include all public  and non-public areas of any such building, except for such areas of a building where either Class I or II gaming  are  conducted  or  any building  or  grounds  known  as  a video gaming entertainment facility, including facilities where food and drink are served, as well  as  those areas  not normally open to the public, such as where records related to video lottery gaming operations are kept, except shall not  include  the racetracks  or  such areas where such video lottery gaming operations or facilities do not take place  or  exist,  such  as  racetrack  areas  or fairgrounds   which   are  wholly  unrelated  to  video  lottery  gaming operations,  pursuant  to  section  sixteen  hundred   seventeen-a   and  paragraph five of subdivision a of section sixteen hundred twelve of the tax law, as amended and implemented.   14.  "Authorized  gaming  operator"  means  an  enterprise or business entity authorized by state or federal law to  operate  casino  or  video lottery gaming.   15.  "Casino gaming" means games authorized to be played pursuant to a license granted  under  article  thirteen  of  the  racing,  pari-mutuel wagering  and  breeding law or by federally recognized Indian nations or tribes pursuant to a gaming  compact  reached  in  accordance  with  the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, Pub. L. 100-497, 102 Stat. 2467, codified at 25 U.S.C. §§ 2701-21 and 18 U.S.C. §§ 1166-68.   16.  "Cash equivalent" means a treasury check, a travelers check, wire transfer  of  funds,  transfer  check,  money  order,  certified  check, cashiers  check,  payroll  check,  a  check  drawn on the account of the authorized gaming operator payable to the patron or  to  the  authorized gaming   establishment,   a   promotional   coupon,   promotional  chip, promotional cheque, promotional token, or a voucher recording cash drawn against a credit card or charge card.   17. "Cheques" or "chips" or "tokens" means nonmetal, metal  or  partly metal  representatives of value, redeemable for cash or cash equivalent, and issued and sold by an authorized  casino  operator  for  use  at  an authorized  gaming  establishment. The value of such cheques or chips or tokens shall be considered equivalent in  value  to  the  cash  or  cash equivalent  exchanged  for such cheques or chips or tokens upon purchase or redemption.   18. "Class I gaming" and "Class II gaming" means those forms of gaming that are not Class III gaming, as defined in subsection eight of section four of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C. § 2703.   19. "Class III gaming" means those forms of gaming that are not  Class I or Class II gaming, as defined in subsections six and seven of section four  of  the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C. § 2703 and those games enumerated in the Appendix of a gaming compact.   20. "Compact" or  "gaming  compact"  means  the  agreement  between  a federally  recognized  Indian  tribe and the state of New York regarding Class III gaming activities entered into pursuant to the federal  Indian Gaming  Regulatory  Act, Pub. L. 100-497, 102 Stat. 2467, codified at 25 U.S.C. §§ 2701-21 and 18 U.S.C. §§ 1166-68 (1988 & Supp. II).   21. "Gaming equipment or device" means any machine or device which  is specially designed or manufactured for use in the operation of any Class III or video lottery game.   22.   "Gaming   regulatory  authority"  means,  with  respect  to  any authorized  gaming  establishment  on   Indian   lands,   territory   or reservation,   the  Indian  nation  or  tribal  gaming  commission,  its authorized officers, agents and representatives acting in their official capacities or such other agency of a nation or tribe as  the  nation  or tribe  may  designate  as  the  agency responsible for the regulation of Class III gaming,  jointly  with  the  state  gaming  agency,  conducted pursuant  to  a gaming compact between the nation or tribe and the state of New York, or with respect to any casino gaming authorized pursuant to article thirteen of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law or video lottery gaming  conducted  pursuant  to  section  sixteen  hundred seventeen-a  and  paragraph  five  of  subdivision  a of section sixteen hundred twelve of the tax law, as amended and implemented.   23. "Premises" includes any structure, parking lot, building, vehicle, watercraft, and any real property.   24. "Sell" means to sell, exchange, give or dispose of to another.   25. "State gaming  agency"  shall  mean  the  New  York  state  gaming commission, its authorized officials, agents, and representatives acting  in their official capacities as the regulatory agency of the state which has  responsibility  for regulation with respect to video lottery gaming or casino gaming.   26.  "Unfair  gaming  equipment"  means  loaded  dice,  marked  cards, substituted cards or dice, or fixed  roulette  wheels  or  other  gaming equipment which has been altered in a way that tends to deceive or tends to  alter  the  elements  of  chance  or  normal  random selection which determine the result of the game or outcome, or the amount or  frequency of the payment in a game.   27. "Unlawful gaming property" means:  (a) any device, not prescribed for use in casinio gaming by its rules, which is capable of assisting a player:  (i)  to  calculate  any  probabilities  material  to  the outcome of a contest of chance; or  (ii) to receive or transmit information material to the outcome  of  a contest of chance; or  (b)  any  object or article which, by virtue of its size, shape or any other quality, is capable of being used in casino gaming as an  improper substitute  for  a  genuine  chip,  cheque, token, betting coupon, debit instrument, voucher or other instrument or indicia of value; or  (c) any unfair gaming equipment.   28. "Video lottery gaming" has the meaning set  forth  in  subdivision six of section sixteen hundred two of the tax law.   29.  "Voucher"  means  an  instrument  of  value  generated by a video lottery terminal representing a monetary amount and/or play  value  owed to  a  customer  at  a  specific  video  lottery terminal based on video lottery gaming winnings and/or amounts not wagered.