Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today announced he has signed on as a cosponsor of new legislation, coined the Charitable Gaming Act of 2016, which would allow charitable organizations and raffle holders to accept credit and legal tender for raffles as well as advertise and sell tickets online. Hawley has also introduced his own legislation, A.10516, to remedy New York’s archaic and detrimental gaming laws.

“I am eager to see this bill come to the floor for a vote,” Hawley said. “It is scheduled to pass through committee today, and being authored by a Majority member gives it that much more potential to move through the legislative process. As I’ve said before, this is an issue that affects communities and benevolent organizations all across the state. Our statutes need to catch up with technology before more damage is done, and that is exactly what this legislation aims to do.”