An Act To Authorize Low-stakes Cribbage Games by Charitable and Fraternal Organizations
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 2134
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: MILLS
Amends: 17 MRSA §333-A, 17 MRSA §339, 17 MRSA §341

Legislative Document 
No. 2134 
S.P.814 
January 8, 2008 
An Act To Authorize Low-stakes Cribbage Games by Charitable 
and Fraternal Organizations 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator MILLS of Somerset. 
Printed on recycled paper 
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 §333-A, first~, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 205, § I, is amended 
to read: 
The Chief of the State Police may issue a license to conduct tournament games as 
provided in this section to an organization eligible to conduct beano games under chapter 
13-A and games of chance under this chapter. 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 eard games cribbage. The Chief of the State Police may not issue a tournament 
game license to an organization for poker more than once per month. The Chief of the 
State Police may issue a tournament game license for cribbage only once per calendar 
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year and only if the purpose of the license is to host a tournament for the benefit of a 
national organization representing competitive cribbage players. 
Sec. 2. 17 MRSA §333-A, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 205, §I, is amended 
to read: 
4. Tournament. The organization licensed to conduct a tournament game under this 
section shall display the rules of the game and the license issued to conduct the 
tournament. The maximum number of players allowed is 100 for poker games and 1,000 
for cribbage. Winners are determined by a process of elimination. The use of currency is 
prohibited as part of tournament play. The maximum entry fee to play in the tournament 
is $100, except the organization may add $5 to the entry fee to defray the cost of the 
license application. Only one entry fee is permitted per person. A tournament must be 
completed within 48 hours. Other games of chance are prohibited, except for lucky seven 
or similar sealed tickets. 
Sec. 3. 17 MRSA §339, as amended by PL 1997, c. 684, §6, is further amended to 
read: 
§339. Fees; games of cards 
1. Original application fee. The original application for a license to operate a game 
of chance must be accompanied by a fee of $7.50. This is not a fee for a license and is not 
refundable. 
2. Operation of games of chance. Except as provided in subsection 3, the fee for a 
I 
license to operate a game of chance is $15 for each week computed on a Monday to 
Sunday basis or portion thereof. The license may be issued for a calendar month for a fee 
of $60 or for a calendar year for a fee of $700. 
Any combination of monthly or weekly licenses may be issued. Except as provided in 
subsection 3, licenses to conduct any authorized game of chance may be issued for a 
period not to exceed 6 months on one application. 
2-A. Operation of electronic video machines. The fee for a game of chance license 
to operate an electronic video machine is $15 for each week computed on a Monday to 
I 
Sunday basis or portion of a week. The license may be issued for a calendar month for a 
fee of$60. 
Any combination of monthly or weekly licenses may be issued. Licenses to operate an 
authorized electronic video machine may be issued for a period not to exceed 6 months 
on one application. 
3. Games of cards. The fee for a license issued to an organization to operate a game 
of cards, '""hen the organization charges no more than $1 daily entry fee for participation 
in the games of cards and \,'hen no money or valuable thing other than the $1 daily entry 
fee is gambled by any person in connection with the game of cards, is $7.50 for each 
calendar year or portion thereof. An organization, as defined in section 3 II, may operate 
I I 
a game of cards for up to 60 players at anyone time and may award prizes to the players 
as long as: 
A. The organization charges each player no more than $5 per day as an entry fee; 
B. Prizes are awarded exclusively from the entry fees; and 
C. Each player gambles in the game no more than the $5 entry fee on anyone day. 
The fee for a license to operate a game of cards under this subsection is $30 for each 
calendar year or portion thereof. 
4. Distributors. The fee for a license issued to a distributor is $625 for each calendar 
year or portion thereof. 
5. Printers. The fee for a I icense issued to a printer is $15 for each calendar year or 
portion thereof. 
6. Application. Licenses to operate any authorized game of chance may be issued 
for a period not to exceed 6 months on one application. 
All fees required by this section must accompany the application for any license 
issued by authority of this chapter. 
Fees submitted as license fees must be refunded if the license is not issued. Rebates 
may not be given for any unused license or portion of an unused license. If any license is 
suspended or revoked as provided by this chapter, fees paid for licenses issued may not 
be refunded. 
Sec. 4. 17 MRSA §341, sub-§I, as amended by PL 1999, c. 716, §9, is further 
I 
amended to read: 
1. Limits. A licensed game of chance is limited as to the amount to be gambled for 
anyone chance to $1, except that an organization may operate and conduct a game of 
cards aRd charge no more thaR $1 daily entry fee for participatioR in a game of cards, as 
10Rg as no mORey or vall:lable thiRg other thaR $1 daily eRtry fee is gambled in cORnection 
".lith a game of cards in accordance with section 339, subsection 3. 
SUMMARY 
This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing games of cards, 
including cribbage, sponsored by charitable and fraternal organizations. 
1. It increases the allowable daily entry fee from $1 to $5. 
2. It increases the license fee from $7.50 to $30. 
3. It specifies that a game of cards may not consist of more than 60 players at any 
one time. 
This bill also authorizes the Chief of the State Police to issue a tournament game 
license for cribbage, with a maximum of 1,000 players, once per calendar year.