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An Act To Simplify the Laws Regarding Games of Chance
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17 MRSA §1831, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2011, c. 420, Pt. A, §11, is further amended to read:
 
5. Game of chance.   "Game of chance" means a game, contest, scheme or device in which:
 
A. A person stakes or risks something of value for the opportunity to win something of value;
 
B. The rules of operation or play require an event the result of whichoutcome is solely determined by chance, outside the control of the contestant or participant; and
 
C. Chance enters as an element that influences the outcome in a manner that cannot be eliminated through the application of skill.
 
For the purposes of this subsection, "an event the result of which is determined by chance" includes but is not limited to a shuffle of a deck of cards, a roll of a die or dice or a random drawing or generation of an object that may include, but is not limited to, a card, a die, a number or simulations of any of these. A shuffle of a deck of cards, a roll of a die, a random drawing or generation of an object or some other event the result of which is determined by chance that is employed to determine impartially the initial order of play in a game, contest, scheme or device does not alone make a game, contest, scheme or device a game of chance. For purposes of this chapter, beano, bingo, a savings promotion raffle and table games as defined in Title 8, section 1001, subsection 43-A are not games of chance.
Sec. 2. 17 MRSA §1836, first ¶, as amended by PL 2011, c. 325, §1, is further amended to read:
The Chief of the State Police may issue a license under this section to an organization eligible to conduct beano games under chapter 13-A and games of chance under this chapter to conduct up to 2 tournament games per month. For purposes of this section, "tournament game" means a game of chance played using a deck of cards with rules similar to poker or other card games.
 
SUMMARY
This bill specifies, for the purposes of the laws governing games of chance, that games of chance are those games in which the outcome is solely determined by chance, outside the control of the contestant or participant.