It’s time to modernize bell jar vending machines
Last February, I stopped into a VFW hall to drop off a Valentine cards for Vets. Hanging on the wall, towards the back of the bar, was a bell jar vending machine. Like the old cigarette vending machines, when a customer puts in a dollar and pulls out a lever, a bell jar ticket with pull tabs gets dispensed. Most people head back to their seats to pull their ticket tabs and see if they’ve won. Each stack of tickets has a defined number of winners. There’s no skill involved. There’s no computer randomization. There’s simply a paper ticket with prize information hidden underneath a tab.
Bell jar vending machines are used by many VFW and American Legion posts to support their charitable mission. Years ago, there were other charitable gaming activities offered — casino nights, bingo games, etc. As new forms of commercial gaming became available, however, these other activities became less profitable. The bell jar machines remained popular, generating income that was used to help support local veterans in need.
I sat down with the post Commander and asked about the bell jar vending machines. A lot of the members like it, he said, but they are hard for the post to manage the state’s reporting requirements. He told me that only volunteer members are allowed, by law, to operate the machines, and that members were getting older and finding it more difficult. The answer, he said, was the new electronic bell jar vending machines. Tickets come in a roll that is easy to load into the machine. The machines generate an electronic report that can be easily sent to the state. Being less operator dependent makes these machines much easier to administer. In addition, when a ticket is dispensed, the machine scans it. The player has the option of having the results displayed on a screen or they can pull the tab as they’ve always done.
The New York State legislature has been trying for years to support Veterans by passing legislation that allows for the use of the electronic bell jar vending machines. In 2018, Governor Cuomo vetoed it, saying these machines are a form of slot machines and their presence in VFWs or American Legions that are near the Seneca casinos, violate the Tribal gaming compacts. The casino owners have also told me that they don’t want the competition from the electronic bell jar vending machines.
Nevertheless, this year, the legislature once again overwhelmingly passed a bill permitting electronic bell jar vending machines with 97% of Assembly members and 95% of Senators voting in favor. As the bill sponsor, I worked to make the bill responsive to the concerns raised in the earlier veto message. This legislation places significant limitations on the number of machines that can be installed in a post, scaling the number based on the number of members. If a post has more than 300 members, the maximum number of machines is five. My bill also limits the graphics and sounds that can be used on the display. These electronic bell jar machines don’t behave like a slot machines, in which a computer determines the outcome of each play. Bell jar machines are more akin to the lottery scratch-off dispensers.
I hope Governor Hochul sees the value in modernizing the bell jar vending machine. This is an important priority for Veterans’ organization around the state and it will help them fulfill their charitable mission in a responsible manner. I urge the Governor to sign A7475-B/S6351-B.
Carrie Woerner
Member, NYS Assembly
113th Assembly District
Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties
