In New York, the game most people call a pull tab goes by the name "bell jar" ticket, and it is a well established form of charitable gaming. Licensed nonprofit groups have run bell jar games for decades to raise money for their causes. The games are authorized under the state's Games of Chance Law and overseen by the New York State Gaming Commission through its Division of Charitable Gaming. Because New York uses a local option system, the games are legal only in cities and towns that have voted to permit games of chance.
Who can run pull-tab games in New York
Bell jar games can only be conducted by qualified nonprofit organizations, not by private individuals or for profit businesses. Eligible groups include bona fide religious, charitable, educational, fraternal, civic, and service organizations, along with veterans posts and volunteer fire and ambulance companies. An organization generally must have been in existence for at least one year before it can be licensed.
To run bell jar games, an organization first obtains a games of chance identification number from the Gaming Commission and then a bell jar license from the local municipality where it operates. All of the net proceeds must be used for the organization's lawful charitable or civic purposes. Tickets and equipment must be bought from suppliers licensed by the state.
How bell jar games work and where you find them
A bell jar ticket is a small paper card that a player draws from a jar or a Gaming Commission approved vending machine. The player opens the perforated tabs to reveal numbers, colors, or symbols, and certain matching combinations win a prize. New York's bell jar family also includes related formats such as coin boards, merchandise boards, and seal cards.
Tickets usually cost between 25 cents and a few dollars, and prizes on a single bell jar ticket can run up to 1,000 dollars. In practice you find these games at the kinds of member run halls that host charitable gaming, such as veterans posts, fraternal lodges, volunteer fire departments, and religious or civic organization halls.
Notable rules and recent changes
Players must be at least 18 years old to buy bell jar tickets. Organizations file quarterly reports with the Gaming Commission and remit a percentage of ticket proceeds to the state, and there are limits on days of sale, including no bell jar sales on Christmas Day or Easter Sunday.
The biggest recent change came in December 2025, when Governor Hochul signed legislation (Senate bill S6351B and Assembly bill A7475B) authorizing electronic bell jar vending machines. The law was written mainly to help veterans organizations raise more money, and it drew opposition from the Seneca Nation of Indians and the state gaming industry, who argued the machines resembled slot machines and could conflict with existing tribal gaming compacts. Traditional paper bell jar games remain the most common form statewide.
Where can I play pull tabs in New York?
Pull tabs, sold as bell jar tickets, are found at member run charitable venues such as VFW and American Legion posts, Elks and other fraternal lodges, volunteer fire departments, and religious or civic organization halls.
Find a spot586 places to play pull tabs in New York