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IRVINGTON, N.Y. Lady Chance favored the Irvington Board of Trustees on Election Night as residents approved a referendum allowing raffles in the village by 3 to 1.
The law grants the village clerk authority to issue permits to hold raffles. The law does not allow other games of chance to take place.
The referendum needed a simple majority to pass. With 85 percent of districts reporting the referendum was approved by 76 percent to 24 percent. Fewer than 200 people voted on the issue.
The Irvington Board of Trustees passed a law allowing raffles in September. State law required a referendum on the issue.
Lawrence Schopfer, village administrator, said the village realized it did not permit raffles after the parks and recreation department wanted to raise money for village events with a raffle. New York State law permits certain games of chance, but Schopfer said the village needed to have a law on the books saying the village clerk could issue permits.
Most neighboring communities have games of chance laws already, Schopfer said, but they're more comprehensive. The village decided only to approve raffles for expediency's sake, noting that other communities have very complicated laws regarding games of chance.
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