An Act To Update and Clarify the Laws Governing Raffles
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1268
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: CYRWAY, NADEAU, DAVIS, DIAMOND, DILL, LUCHINI, MIRAMANT, WOODSOME, PICKETT, STEWART
Amends: 17 MRSA §1837-A

Legislative Document
No. 1268
S.P. 388
In Senate, March 14, 2019
An Act To Update and Clarify the Laws Governing Raffles
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator CYRWAY of Kennebec.
Cosponsored by Representative NADEAU of Winslow and
Senators: DAVIS of Piscataquis, DIAMOND of Cumberland, DILL of Penobscot, LUCHINI 
of Hancock, MIRAMANT of Knox, WOODSOME of York, Representatives: PICKETT of 
Dixfield, STEWART of Presque Isle.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  17 MRSA §1837-A, as amended by PL 2017, c. 365, §1, is further 
amended to read:
§1837-A.  Raffles
1.  Registration required.  Unless otherwise specified by this section, a person or 
organization may not conduct a raffle without registering with the Gambling Control 
Unit.
2.  Raffle with a prize of $2,500 or less.  A Except for raffles conducted by an 
eligible organization under subsection 2-A, a person or organization is not required to 
register with the Gambling Control Unit to conduct a raffle in which the total value of the 
prize offered to the holder of the winning chance does not exceed $2,500.  If the raffle is 
conducted in a manner in which there are multiple winning chances, the total value of all 
prizes offered may not exceed a value of $2,500.
2-A.  Raffle with a prize of $10,000 or less conducted by eligible organization.  
An eligible organization as described in section 1832, subsection 2 is not required to 
register with the Gambling Control Unit to conduct a raffle in which the total value of the 
prize offered to the holder of the winning chance does not exceed $10,000. If the raffle is 
conducted in a manner in which there are multiple winning chances, the total value of all 
prizes offered may not exceed a value of $10,000.
3.  Raffle with a noncash prize of $2,501 to $10,000.  A Except for raffles 
conducted by an eligible organization under subsection 4, a person or organization may 
conduct a raffle in which the total value of the prize offered to the holder of the winning 
chance is greater than $2,501 and does not exceed $10,000 upon the acceptance of a 
registration by the Gambling Control Unit.  The Gambling Control Unit may not accept a 
registration for a raffle under this subsection unless the registration states a verifiable 
charitable purpose for which the proceeds of the raffle are dedicated to benefit.  If the 
raffle is conducted in a manner in which there are multiple winning chances, the total 
value of all prizes offered may not exceed a value of $10,000.  A prize offered for a raffle 
conducted under this subsection may not be in the form of cash and may not be 
exchanged for cash.
4.  Raffle with a noncash prize up to $75,000 conducted by eligible organization; 
cash prizes up to $20,000.  An eligible organization as described in section 1832, 
subsection 2 may conduct a raffle in which the total value of the prize offered to the 
holder of the winning chance does not exceed $75,000 upon the acceptance of a 
registration by the Gambling Control Unit.  The registration must state a verifiable 
charitable purpose for which the proceeds of the raffle are dedicated to benefit.  If the 
raffle is conducted in a manner in which there are multiple winning chances, the total 
value of all prizes offered may not exceed a value of $75,000.  A noncash prize for a 
raffle conducted under this subsection may be in the alternate form of cash or may not be 
exchanged for cash not to exceed $20,000.  The total amount of cash prizes that may be 
awarded for a raffle conducted under this subsection may not exceed $20,000 with no 
more than one $10,000 prize for the holder of a winning chance.  An eligible organization 
may not conduct more than one raffle under this subsection in a 12-month period.
5.  Raffle conducted by persons 18 years of age or older; exception.  Raffle 
chances or tickets may not be sold by a person under 18 years of age, except for raffles 
conducted under subsections 2 and 3 designed to benefit activities of children at an event 
generally attended by persons under 18 years of age.
6.  Multiple raffles.  An eligible organization as described in section 1832, 
subsection 2 may conduct more than one raffle at a time under this section. Each raffle 
conducted under this subsection must meet the requirements of subsection 2-A or 
subsection 4.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the law governing raffles for certain nonprofit organizations in the 
following ways:
1.  Increasing the amount of total value of all prizes for which the nonprofit 
organization is not required to register the raffle with the Gambling Control Unit from 
$2,500 to $10,000;
2.  Allowing noncash raffle prizes to be in the alternate form of cash or to be 
exchanged for cash;
3.  Removing the limitation allowing only one raffle with a noncash prize up to 
$75,000 and a cash prize up to $20,000 in a 12-month period; and
4.  Clarifying that the nonprofit organization may conduct more than one raffle at a 
time.