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An Act To Enhance Fund-raising Opportunities by Certain Nonprofit and Fraternal Organizations
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17 MRSA §331, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1975, c. 740, §5, is further amended to read:
 
1. License required.NoA person, firm, corporation, association or organization shallmay not hold, conduct or operate a game of chance within the State unless a license therefor is obtained from the Chief of the State Police, or theexcept that organizations may conduct or operate games of chance without a license when the total amount of money collected in entry fees, chances or wagers for any one event is less than $10,000 and the organization has collected no more than $15,000 in entry fees, chances or wagers in a calendar year. A game of chance that constitutes "social gambling" as that term is defined by Title 17-A, section 952, subsection 8 does not require a license or notification as required by this subsection. An organization wanting to conduct a game of chance that does not require a license and is within the limits described in this subsection shall notify the Chief of the State Police no less than 5 business days prior to conducting the game of chance and provide the name and tax identification number of the organization conducting the game and the time, date and location of the event and shall submit a $30 registration fee.
Sec. 2. 17 MRSA §332, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2005, c. 563, §14, is further amended to read:
 
1. Organizations eligible. Notwithstanding any other provisionsprovision of law, and in accordance with section 331, subsection 1, the Chief of the State Police may issue a license to operate a game of chance to an agricultural society eligible for a stipend under Title 7, chapter 4, or to a bona fide nonprofit charitable, educational, political, civic, recreational, fraternal, patriotic or religious organization, or to a volunteer fire department or to an auxiliary of any of these organizations, any of which must be founded, chartered or organized in this State for a period of not less than 2 consecutive years before applying for a license.
 
SUMMARY
This bill provides that organizations may conduct games of chance without a license if they collect no more than $15,000 in entry fees, chances or wagers in a calendar year. An unlicensed game of chance event is limited to $10,000 in entry fees, chances or wagers. An organization conducting a game of chance without a license must still register its name and tax identification number and the time, date and location of the event with the Chief of the State Police. The registration fee is $30.