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An Act To Exempt Fraternal and Veterans' Organizations from Cribbage Tournament Licensing Requirements
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17 MRSA §1832, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. KKKKK, §15, is further amended to read:
 
1. License or registration required.   AExcept as provided in subsection 9, a person, firm, corporation, association or organization may not hold, conduct or operate a game of chance without a license issued by or, as applicable, without registering with the Gambling Control Unit in accordance with this section. A license is not required when a game of chance constitutes social gambling.
Sec. 2.  17 MRSA §1832, sub-§9  is enacted to read:
 
9.  Exception for cribbage tournaments conducted by fraternal and veterans' organizations.     The following organizations may conduct a cribbage tournament in which cash prizes are not awarded without obtaining a license from or registering with the Gambling Control Unit:
 
A.  A nonprofit fraternal or veterans' organization that has been in existence and founded, chartered or organized in the State for at least 2 consecutive years prior to operating the cribbage tournament; and
 
B.  An auxiliary organization associated with an organization described in paragraph A that has been in existence for a least 2 consecutive years prior to operating the cribbage tournament.
 
For the purposes of this subsection, "cribbage" has the same meaning as in section 1836, subsection 4-B.
 
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes nonprofit fraternal and veterans' organizations to conduct cribbage tournaments in which no cash prizes are awarded without obtaining a license from or registering with the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Unit.