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Planning a Raffle or Bingo Night? Better Get a Town Permit

As of Jan. 1, 2018, a new 2017 state law transfers permit and oversight for charitable gaming operations from the State of Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) to the municipality in which the games are conducted. That means that in towns and cities where non-profit groups conduct bingo games, bazaars, and raffles, “a municipal official” is now responsible for charitable gaming oversight and permitting.

Under the act, a municipal official is defined as the municipality’s chief of police or, if there is no police department, the town’s chief executive officer.

In Westbrook, where the Elks Club regularly conducts bingo games, the Board of Selectmen decided to propose new town ordinance language to clarify how and where organizations should now seek permits to conduct charitable games and the costs of such permits. On Feb. 26, the proposed new language—Section 10-2 Bazaars and Raffles, and Section 10-3 Bingo—was adopted by the Town Meeting. The new sections replace old ordinance sections with the same titles.

Now, under the new rules, any Westbrook non-profit group that wants to hold a raffle, bingo game, or bazaar to raise funds must apply for a permit in the Office of the First Selectman.

The replacement provisions mostly mirror those of Connecticut General Statutes Section 7-170 through 7-186 as amended and section 7-169 that previously governed the state’s oversight and rules with respect to charitable gaming.

“If this had failed to pass, schools, fire departments, churches and the Elks Club could not hold any bazaars, raffles or bingo anymore,” said Don Harger, who is in charge of the Westbrook Elks Club’s gaming activities.

Harger said that the Elks bingo games in 2017 sent about $5,000 to $6,000 per year to the state treasurer as a cost-share for the bingo game proceeds. Now, with the new town ordinance in place, those funds will be transmitted to the Westbrook Resident Trooper’s office, which in turn will give it to the Westbrook Town Finance Office to deposit.

Old Saybrook Police Take the Lead

First Selectman Carl Fortuna, Jr., confirmed that in Old Saybrook, it is the chief of police who approves non-profit organizations requests to conduct charitable game events and raffles. The organization’s event chair goes to the Police Station on Lynde Street to get a form to fill out with the details of the event or raffle.

Fortuna said that several organizations’ events or raffles have already been approved since January when local towns assumed this new responsibility for charitable gaming oversight.