An Act To Allow Certain Organizations To Hold Raffles
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0771
Sponsors: SULLIVAN, GOODALL, CAREY, CROCKETT, HAMPER, RUSSELL, TRINW ARD, VALENTINO
Amends: 17 MRSA §331, 17 MRSA §332

Legislative Document 
,No. 771 
S.P.298 
In Senate, February 26, 2009 
An Act To Allow Certain Organizations To Hold Raffles 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee onLegal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator SULLIVAN of York. 
Cosponsored by Repr~sentative TUTTLE of Sanford and 
9tfl{J-~·· 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senator: GOODALL of Sagadahoc, Representatives: CAREY of Lewiston, CORNELL d~1 
HOUXof Brunswick, CROCKETT of Augusta, HAMPER of Oxford, RUSSELL of POJ11and, 
TRINW ARD of Waterville, VALENTINO of Saco. 
PrillleJ 011 n.'t.:) l;'kd p~lpr:r 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, nonprofit organizations established for the purpose of educating citizens 
about matters crucial to public health and funding research to treat and possibly cure 
illnesses need continuous funding to meet their objectives; and 
Whereas, funding sources for these nonprofit organizations are limited in times of 
economic crisis; and 
Whereas, under current law a nonprofit organization is not eligible to conduct 
certain types of fund-raising raffles; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning' of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, 
. 
. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 17 MRS A §331,sub-§8-A, ~A, as amended byPL 2007, c. 378, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
--33 
A. +he Except as provided in paragraph E, the Chief of the State Police may issue 
one special exempt raffle license per year to any organization, department or class 
eligible to hold a raffle tinder subsection 6 without obtaining a license. The special 
exempt raffle license entitles the licensee to hold one raffle in which the holder of a 
winning'chance receiv,essomething of value worth more than $10,000 but not more 
than $75,000. 
A raffle licensed under this paragraph may be structured as a, 
progressive raffle that is divided into a maximum of 12 multiple drawings with 
previous entries rolled into subsequent drawing pots and with the [mal drawing to be 
held within 12 months of the first. Drawings must be used to randomly select a 
smaller group to be eligible for the fmal prize to be awarded after the final drawing. 
, Section 341 does not apply to raffles'licensed under this section. 
Sec. 2. 17 MRSA §331, sub-§8-A,_~,asel1acted llyPL 1991,' c. 796, §3, is 
amended to read: 
-
. 
D. +he Except as provided in paragraph E, the Chief of the State Police may issue 
only one special exempt raffle license per year, either under this subsection or 
. subsection 7, to the same organization,department or class listed in subsection 6. 
Sec. 3. 17 MRSA §331, sub-§8-A, ~ 
is enacted to read: 
E. The Chief of the State Police may issue up to 4 special exempt raffle licenses per 
year to a nonprofit organization that has been a bona fide nonprofit organization with 
a presence in this State for at least 5 years and has as its primary purpose educating 
the public and funding research to preverit and treat illnesses. 
) 
) 
) 
() 
~--/) 
Sec. 4. 17 MRSA §332, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1981, c. 593, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
2. Games conclucted by members and bartenders of licensees only. A game of 
chance licensed pursuant to this section shall must be operated and conducted for the 
exclusive benefit of the licensee and shall may be operated and conducted only by duly 
authorized members of the licensee or by persons employed by the licensee as bartenders, 
except that nonmembers employed by the licensee as bartenders may not operate or 
conduct any game of chance permitted under section 332, subsection 4, paragraph B. The 
requirements of this subsection shall do not aply m:m!Y to any agricultural fair association 
licensed t6 operate a game of chance or a health-based nonprofit organization eligible to 
conduct a raffle in accordance with section 331, subsection 8-A. 
Emergency clause. 
In. view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the provisions of law, governing organizations eligible to conduct a 
raffle with a prize value between $10,000 and $75,000 to include nonprofit organizations 
that have had a presence in this State for at least 5 years and that have as a primary 
purpose educating the public and funding research to prevent and treat illnesses.