[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township
of Moorestown as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
[Adopted 10-5-2009 by Ord. No. 26-2009[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance was approved at referendum
11-3-2009.
The purpose of this article is to regulate all games of chance
held, operated or conducted within the Township of Moorestown, pursuant
to Acts of the Legislature of the State of New Jersey known as the
"Bingo Licensing Law," N.J.S.A. 5:8-24 et seq., and the "Raffles Licensing
Law," N.J.S.A. 5:8-50 et seq., and in accordance with the rules and
regulations issued or to be promulgated by the Legalized Games of
Chance Control Commission within the Department of Law and Public
Safety in the State of New Jersey (LGCCC). All applications, licenses
and proceedings in connection therewith shall be subject to the provisions
of such acts and any laws and rules and regulations hereafter enacted
and shall be further subject to the provisions of this article.
It shall be lawful for the Municipal Clerk, except when prohibited
by statute, to license bona fide organizations or associations of
veterans of any war in which the United States has been engaged, churches
or religious congregations and religious organizations, charitable,
educational and fraternal organizations, civic and service clubs,
senior citizen associations and clubs, officially recognized volunteer
fire companies, and officially recognized volunteer first aid or rescue
squads, to hold and operate the specific kind of game or games of
chance commonly known as "bingo" and "raffles" when the entire net
proceeds of such games of chance are to be devoted to educational,
charitable, patriotic, religious or public-spirited uses, and in the
case of senior citizen associations and clubs to the support of these
organizations, and for any such organization or association, church,
congregation, society, club, company or squad, when so licensed, to
hold, operate and conduct such games of chance pursuant to the terms
and conditions set forth in and by this article, the New Jersey Bingo
and Raffles Licensing Laws, the LGCCC Law and the rules and regulations
adopted and promulgated or to be promulgated or adopted by the New
Jersey LGCCC but only when the entire net proceeds thereof are devoted
to the uses aforesaid and for any person or persons to participate
in and play such games of chance conducted under any such license.
No person, organization, association, club, fire company or
squad shall operate or conduct within the Township of Moorestown any
game of chance, as the same is defined in the Bingo Licensing Law
(N.J.S.A. 5:8-24 et. seq.) and the Raffles Licensing Law (N.J.S.A.
5:8-50 et seq.) as the same may be hereinafter amended and supplemented,
without first obtaining a license issued by the Township of Moorestown.
Said license shall be issued pursuant and subject to the provisions
of the aforementioned statutes and the rules and regulations promulgated
pursuant thereto or issued thereunder by the LGCCC or its successor.
Each applicant for either a bingo or raffle license or any game
of chance covered by the aforesaid statutes shall file with the Municipal
Clerk a written application on forms prescribed by and in conformance
with the statutes referred to in the previous section and the rules
and regulations promulgated or issued by the LGCCC.
The Municipal Clerk shall, in accordance with the Bingo and
Raffles Licensing Laws and in accordance with the rules and regulations
issued by the LGCCC, cause an investigation of the qualifications
of each applicant and the merits of each application, with due expedition
after the filing of the application. If he/she determines that the
applicant is duly qualified to be licensed to hold, operate and conduct
games of chance, he/she shall issue a license to the applicant for
the holding, operation and conduct of the specific kind of games of
chance applied for, accordingly, upon payment of the license fee or
fees.
Each license shall be in such form as shall be prescribed in
the rules and regulations promulgated by the LGCCC and shall contain
a description of the kind of games of chance authorized to be held,
operated and conducted thereunder; a statement of the name and address
of the licensee; the names and addresses of the member(s) of the licensee
under whom such games of chance will be held, operated and conducted;
the number of times or the hours during which such games of chance
are authorized to be conducted; the place(s) where and the date(s)
and time(s) when such games of chance are to be conducted; the specific
purposes to which the entire net proceeds of such games of chance
are to be devoted; if any prize(s) is (are) to be offered and given
in cash, a statement of the amounts of the prizes authorized so to
be offered and given; and any other information which may be required
by said rules and regulations to be contained therein, and each license
issued for the conduct of any game or games of chance shall be conspicuously
displayed at the place where the same is to be conducted at all times
during the conduct thereof.
A.
A special license shall be issued to any bona fide senior citizen
association or club desiring to hold, operate or conduct games of
chance solely for the purpose of amusement and recreation of its members
if:
(1)
The association or club holds a valid registration certificate issued
by the LGCCC;
(2)
No player or other person furnishes something of value for the opportunity
to participate;
(3)
The prize(s) to be awarded are of nominal retail value;
(4)
No person other than a bona fide active member of the licensed organization
plays, conducts or assists in the conduct of the game(s); and
(5)
No person is paid for conducting or assisting in the conduct of the
game(s).
B.
The special senior citizen license shall be valid for a maximum period
of two years or until suspended, revoked or modified by the LGCCC
or the issuing municipality.
Games of chance commonly known as "bingo" and "raffles," as
provided by the Laws of the State of New Jersey 1954, Chapters 5 and
6, may be conducted on the first day of the week commonly known and
designated as "Sunday," provided that the applicant for the license
to conduct such game otherwise qualifies under the provisions of the
aforementioned statutes of the State of New Jersey and the rules and
regulations of the LGCCC and, specifically, provided that the organization
conducting the games is a charitable, religious or other organization
specifically qualifying under the provisions of the aforementioned
statutes.
The issuing authority responsible for approving bingo and raffle
licenses shall be the Municipal Clerk.
A municipal fee in an amount equal to the amount charged by
the LGCCC shall be charged for each license and shall be due at the
time the application is made. This fee is in addition to, separate
and apart from, the fee charged by the LGCCC.
Whenever the suspension or revocation of a license is to be
considered, the rules set forth at N.J.A.C. 13:47-10 et seq. shall
be followed.
