An Act To Amend the Law Regarding Super Cribbage Tournaments (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1254
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: WARD, MASON, DILLINGHAM, FARRIN, HANINGTON, LUCHINI, TURNER
Amends: 17 MRSA §1836

Legislative Document
No. 1254
H.P. 877
House of Representatives, March 30, 2017
An Act To Amend the Law Regarding Super Cribbage 
Tournaments
(AFTER DEADLINE)
(EMERGENCY)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205.
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative WARD of Dedham.
Cosponsored by Senator MASON of Androscoggin and
Representatives: CASÁS of Rockport, DILLINGHAM of Oxford, FARRIN of Norridgewock, 
HANINGTON of Lincoln, LUCHINI of Ellsworth, TURNER of Burlington.
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, this legislation must take effect before the expiration of the 90-day period 
to ensure the law regarding super cribbage tournaments is amended before September 30, 
2017, allowing the law to remain in effect; 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 MRSA §1836, sub-§4-A, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 163, §1, is 
amended to read: 
4-A.  Exception for super cribbage tournament.  Notwithstanding any provision of 
this section to the contrary, the Chief of the State Police may issue up to 3 licenses per 
year for the conduct of a super cribbage tournament.  For the purposes of this subsection, 
"cribbage" means a card game that uses a board and pegs to keep score and of which the 
characteristic feature is a crib into which players discard cards from their dealt hand to 
create a crib of 4 cards unseen by other players that will be ultimately part of the dealer's 
hand.  The license fee for a super cribbage tournament is $75.  A super cribbage 
tournament must be conducted in the same manner as prescribed for a tournament game 
by this section except as follows. 
A.  The super cribbage tournament may be conducted by a nationally chartered 
organization that organizes tournament-style cribbage games and that is exempt from 
taxation under the United States Internal Revenue Code, Section 501(c)(3) so long as 
the principal organizer has been a member of that organization for a period of not less 
than 3 years. 
B.  The minimum number of players required is 50. 
C.  The maximum entry fee allowed is $100 per player. 
D.  The super cribbage tournament need not be held on premises owned by the 
licensee. 
E.  The super cribbage tournament may be conducted over a period of up to 72 hours. 
F.  Notwithstanding subsection 2, 50% of the proceeds of the super cribbage 
tournament after prizes are paid must be paid to a bona fide charitable organization, 
other than the licensee, listed on the tournament application submitted to the Chief of 
the State Police. 
This subsection is repealed September 30, 2017. 
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the law regarding super cribbage tournaments to remove the 
provision repealing the law on September 30, 2017.