An Act To Allow Nonprofit Organizations and Indian Tribes To Sponsor Texas Hold 'Em Tournaments March 14,2007
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1397
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: MITCHELL, CROCKETT, MARRACHE, SILSBY

Legislative Document 
No. 1397 
S.P.485 
An Act To Allow Nonprofit Organizations and Indian Tribes To 
Sponsor Texas Hold 'Em Tournaments 
March 14,2007 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator MITCHELL of Kennebec. 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Cosponsored by Representative CROCKETT of Augusta and Senator: MARRACHE of 
Kennebec, Representative: SILSBY of Augusta. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 17 MRS A §332, sub-§7 is enacted to read: 
7. Texas hold 'em poker. The Chief of the State Police may issue a license to 
conduct a Texas hold 'em poker tournament under this subsection to an eligible 
organization under subsection I or to a federally recognized Indian tribe licensed for 
high-stakes beano under section 314-A, subsection l. The number of tables for a Texas 
hold 'em tournament is limited to the capacity of the licensee's facility in which the 
tournament is held, and each table in the tournament is limited to no more than 10 
players. A licensee may keep 25% of a fee from a participant under this subsection and 
75% of the fee must be paid as prizes to the winners of the tournament. Of the 25% 
II 
retained by the licensee after the payment of prizes, 75% must be distributed to the Maine 
State Grant Program established in Title 20-A, chapter 419-A. 
A participant in a 
tournament under this subsection must be at least 18 years of age. A prize awarded by a 
tournament licensed under this subsection must be posted in clear view in the licensee's 
facility in which the tournament is held at least 2 hours before the start of the tournament. 
Other requirements of a Texas hold 'em tournament licensed under this subsection 
include: 
A. A licensee may not hold more than 3 tournaments in a week and the time for a 
tournament may not last more than 4 1/2 hours. A participant of a tournament under 
this paragraph must pay an entrance fee of $50; 
B. A licensee may hold a super Texas hold 'em tournament once a month in which a 
participant must pay an entrance fee of $75. A separate permit from the Chief of the 
State Police is required for a tournament under this paragraph. A tournament under 
this paragraph may not last more than 6 1/2 hours; 
C. A licensee may hold a giant Texas hold 'em tournament twice a calendar year in 
which a participant must pay an entrance fee of $100. A separate permit from the 
Chief of the State Police is required for a tournament under this paragraph. 
A 
tournament under this paragraph must last until al\ but 10 participants are eliminated 
from the tournament, at which time the tournament may not last more than 30 
minutes; and 
D. A tournament licensed under this subsection may include a sub-tournament for 
eliminated players. A subtournament under this paragraph must begin within 2 hours 
from the start time of the original tournament and may last no longer than 2 hours. A 
fee for a participant of a subtournament under this subsection may not exceed 50% of 
the cost of the original tournament. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Indian tribes to hold 
Texas hold 'em poker tournaments in which the licensee may keep up to 25% of the 
entrance fee and 75% of the fee must go to prizes for winners of the tournament. Of the 
remaining fee after the prizes are paid, 75% must go to the Maine State Grant Program. 
A licensee may hold no more than 3 tournaments a week with an entrance fee of $50, 
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may hold a super tournament once a month with an entrance fee of $75 and a giant 
tournament twice a year with an entrance fee of $1 00. The bill allows any tournament to 
conduct a subtournament of eliminated participants that must start within 2 hours of the 
original tournament. The entrance fee may not exceed 50% of the fee for the original 
tournament.