An Act To Ensure Ready Access by Consumers to Information Regarding Alcoholic Beverages and Gambling Activities while Decreasing Gambling Abuse
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1188
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: FAIRCLOTH
Amends: 8 MRSA §374, 28-A MRSA §15

Legislative Document 
No. 1188 
H.P.817 
House of Representatives, March 8, 2005 
An Act To Ensure Ready Access by Consumers to Information 
Regarding Alcoholic Beverages and Gambling Activities while 
Decreasing Gambling Abuse 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative FAIRCLOTH of Bangor. 
Pruutd on recycled paper 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §374, sub-§l, 1rM, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 
301, §2, is amended to read: 
M. 
The imprinting on all lottery tickets sold in the State 
of the overall odds 
of winning 
a 
prize 
for 
each 
game 
pursuant to section 390. 
Sec. 2. 8 MRSA §§390 and 390-A are enacted to read: 
S390. COnsumer information 
An advertisement or ticket for a lottery under this chapter 
or chapter 16 must state the odds of winning the highest prize 
for 
that lottery and 
include 
the 
telephone 
number 
for 
the 
statewide mental health crisis 24-hour hotline administered by 
the Department of Health and Human Services that a person may 
call to address gambling addiction. 
If an advertisement is in 
print. the stated odds 
and telephone number required by this 
section must be easily readable. 
The stated odds and telephone 
number required by this section must be printed on both sides of 
a ticket for a lottery under this chapter or chapter 16. 
S390-A. 
Credit card sales prohibited 
A lottery ticket or share may not be purchased by a credit 
card as defined by Title 9-A, section 1-301, subsection 16. 
Sec. 3. 28-A MRSA §15 is enacted to read: 
S15. 
Consumer information 
1. 
Off premises licensees. A licensee under chapter 19 or 
chapter 45 shall display one sign per 20 linear feet of shelf 
space dedicated to alcoholic beverages listing the statewide 
mental 
health 
crisis 
24-hour 
hotline 
administered 
by 
the 
Department of Health and Human Services that a person may call to 
discuss alcohol abuse issues. 
A licensee who has less than 20 
linear feet of shelf space dedicated to alcoholic beverages is 
exempt from the -requirements of this subsection. 
2. 
an-premises licensees. A licensee under chapter 43 shall 
display in a location behind the bar that is clearly visible to 
patrons a sign listing the statewide mental health crisis 24-hour 
hotline 
administered by 
the 
Department 
of 
Health 
and 
Human 
Services that a per~m may call to discuss alcohol abuse issues. 
Sec. 4. Lottery ticket print. 
The State Liquor 
and Lottery 
Commission shall double the size of the print that exists on the 
effective date of this Act of the odds of winning the highest 
prize on a ticket for a lottery under the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 8, chapters 14-A and 16. 
Sec. 5. Crisis hotline. 
The Commissioner of Health and Human 
Services shall ensure that the statewide mental health crisis 
24-hour hotline administered by the Department of Health and 
Human Services accepts calls from and provides referrals for 
persons who have gambling or alcohol issues or other substance 
abuse and addiction issues. 
Sec. 6. Alcohol abuse signs. 
The Commissioner of Public Safety 
shall create a sign listing the statewide mental health crisis 
24-hour hotline administered by the Department of Health and 
Human Services that a person may call to discuss alcohol abuse 
issues 
pursuant 
to 
the 
Maine 
Revised Statutes, 
Title 
28-A, 
section 15. 
The 
commissioner shall 
make 
the 
sign available 
on-line 
to 
be 
downloaded 
and printed or 
upon 
request of 
a 
licensee under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 28-A, chapters 
19, 43 and 45. 
SUMMARY 
This bill does the following. 
1. 
It requires lottery advertisements to include the odds 
of winning the jackpot and the telephone number of statewide 
mental health crisis hotline administered by the Department of 
Heal th and Human Services that a person may call about gambling 
addiction. 
2. 
It prohibits the purchase of lottery tickets with a 
credit card. 
3. 
It requires 
most 
alcohol retailers to post 
a 
sign 
listing the telephone number of statewide mental health crisis 
24-hour hotline administered by the Department of Health and 
Human Services that a person may call who has substance abuse 
issues. 
4. 
It requires the State Liquor and Lottery Commission to 
double the size of the print of the odds of winning on lottery 
tickets and to display on both sides of the ticket the odds of 
winning the jackpot and a 24-hour hotline telephone number. 
5. 
It directs the Commissioner of Health and Human Services 
to ensure that a statewide mental health crisis 24-hour hotline 
administered by the 
Department of Health 
and 
Human 
Services 
accepts calls from and provides referrals for persons who have 
alcohol or gambling issues or other substance abuse and addiction 
issues. 
6. 
It directs the Commissioner of Public Safety to create a 
sign listing the statewide mental health crisis 24-hour hotline 
administered by the Department of Health and Human Services that 
a person may call to discuss alcohol abuse issues and make the 
sign available on-line to be printed or upon request of a retail 
liquor licensee.