An Act To Improve the Operation of "Texas Hold 'Em Tournaments (AFTER DEADLINE) No. 2206 February 1 I, 2008
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 2206
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: SCHNEIDER, PATRICK, MARRACHE
Amends: 17 MRSA §331

Legislative Document 
S.P.849 
An Act To Improve the Operation of "Texas Hold 'Em" 
Tournaments 
(AFTER DEADLINE) 
No. 2206 
February 1 I, 2008 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205. 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator SCHNEIDER of Penobscot. 
Cosponsored by Representative PATRICK of Rumford and 
Senator: MARRACHE of Kennebec. 
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JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 17 MRSA §331, sub-§I, as amended by PL 1975, c. 740, §5, is further 
amended to read: 
1. License required. Ne Except as provided in subsection 2-C, no person, firm, 
corporation, association or organization sflall may 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 the game of chance constitutes "social gambling" as that term is defined by 
Title 17-A, section 952, subsection 8. 
Sec. 2. 17 MRS A §331, sub-§2-C is enacted to read: 
2-C. "Texas hold 'em" poker tournaments; certain nonprofit organizations. 
Notwithstanding the licensing requirements set forth in this chapter, a bona fide nonprofit 
charitable, educational, political, civic, recreational, fraternal, patriotic, religious or 
veterans' organization is authorized to hold a maximum of 6 "Texas hold 'em" poker 
tournaments annually without obtaining a license from the Chief ofthe State Police if: 
A. 
The nonprofit organization has been in existence and founded, chartered or 
organized in the State for at least 7 years; and 
B. The nonprofit organization owns, rents or leases a building or facility in which to 
hold the "Texas hold 'em" poker tournaments. 
A nonprofit organization that hold a "Texas hold 'em" poker tournament pursuant to this 
subsection must notify the Chief of the State Police of that organization's intention to hold 
the tournament at least 24 hours in advance of the tournament. 
For purposes of this subsection, "Texas Hold 'em" means a card game in which each 
player may use any combination from 5 cards dealt face-up on the card table and the 
player's own 2 cards to make a 5-card poker hand. The Chief of the State Police may 
adopt rules to implement this subsection. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are 
routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides that a bona fide nonprofit charitable, educational, political, civic, 
recreational, fraternal, patriotic, religious or veterans' organization is authorized to hold a 
maximum of 6 "Texas hold 'em" poker tournaments annually without obtaining a license 
from the Chief of the State Police if the organization possesses a building or facility in 
which to hold the tournaments and has been in existence and founded, chartered or 
organized in the State for at least 7 years. 
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