§ 431. Purpose of article. The purpose of this article is to implement
section nine of article one of the state constitution, as amended by
vote of the people at the general election in November, nineteen hundred
fifty-seven. The legislature hereby declares that the raising of funds
for the promotion of bona fide charitable, educational, scientific,
health, religious, civic and patriotic causes and undertakings, where
the beneficiaries are indefinite, is in the public interest. It hereby
finds that, as conducted prior to the enactment of this article, bingo
was the subject of exploitation by professional gamblers, promoters, and
commercial interests. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the
legislature that all phases of the supervision, licensing and the
regulation of bingo and of the conduct of bingo games, should be closely
controlled and that the laws and regulations pertaining thereto should
be strictly construed and rigidly enforced; that the conduct of the game
and all attendant activities should be so regulated and adequate
controls so instituted as to discourage commercialization in all its
forms, including the rental of commercial premises for bingo games, and
to ensure a maximum availability of the net proceeds of bingo
exclusively for application to the worthy causes and undertakings
specified herein; that the only justification for this article is to
foster and support such worthy causes and undertakings, and that the
mandate of section nine of article one of the state constitution, as
amended, should be carried out by rigid regulation to prevent
commercialized gambling, prevent participation by criminal and other
undesirable elements and prevent the diversion of funds from the
purposes herein authorized.