An Act To Increase the Betting Limit on Games of Chance at Fairs and Festivals and To Expand Allowed Operation
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1154
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: HANDY, LIBBY, CLOUTIER, CRAVEN
Amends: 17 MRSA §1834, 17 MRSA §1835, 17 MRSA §1835-A

Legislative Document
No. 1154
H.P. 843
House of Representatives, March 7, 2019
An Act To Increase the Betting Limit on Games of Chance at Fairs 
and Festivals and To Expand Allowed Operation
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative HANDY of Lewiston.
Cosponsored by Senator LIBBY of Androscoggin and
Representatives: CLOUTIER of Lewiston, CRAVEN of Lewiston.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  17 MRSA §1834, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. KKKKK, 
§16, is further amended to read:
4.  Games of cards.  The fee for a license issued to an organization to operate a game 
of cards, when the organization charges no more than a $10 daily entry fee for 
participation in the games of cards and when no money or valuable thing other than the 
$10 daily entry fee is gambled by any person in connection with the game of cards, is $30 
for each calendar year or portion of a calendar year.  For card games that are played by 
placing the maximum bet of $1 $5 per hand or deal, the license fee for a calendar month 
is $60 and the fee for licenses issued for a calendar year is $700.
Sec. 2.  17 MRSA §1835, sub-§§1 and 3, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. 
KKKKK, §17, are further amended to read:
1.  Wagers or entry fees for card games; exceptions.  The following limits apply to 
a card game.
A.  The maximum bet for a licensed card game in which bets are placed per hand or 
per deal is $1 $5.
B.  Licensed card games that award part or all of the entry fees paid to participate in 
the game as prize money and in which no money or thing of value is wagered except 
for the entry fee are limited to a $10 daily entry fee and no more than 60 players at 
any one time at any one location.
C.  If Notwithstanding paragraph A, if the licensee operates card games for less than 
total days in a calendar year and contributes 100% of the gross revenue from those 
games to charity, the amount wagered must be limited to:
(1)  A $1 daily entry fee;
(2)  Fifty cents per game; or
(3)  Twenty-five cents per card received.
Prior to play of the game, the licensee shall determine which of the limits in 
subparagraphs (1), (2) and (3) is to be used and shall post the limit where the game is 
conducted.
3.  Games conducted at agricultural fair by members of the agricultural society 
or a bona fide nonprofit.  Card games operated and conducted solely by members of an 
agricultural society or card games operated and conducted by members of bona fide 
nonprofit organizations on the grounds of the agricultural society and during the annual 
fair of the agricultural society may use cash, tickets, tokens or other devices approved by 
the Gambling Control Unit by rule.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the tickets, tokens or other devices 
approved by the Gambling Control Unit must be unique to the agricultural society and 
may be in denominations of 25¢, 50¢ or, $1 or $5.  The tickets, tokens or devices 
approved by the Gambling Control Unit may be sold and redeemed only by a person who 
has been a member or active volunteer of the agricultural society for at least 2 fair 
seasons.  The agricultural society has the burden of proof for demonstrating the 
qualification of members or active volunteers.
An agricultural society that uses tokens shall provide records and reports as required by 
section 1839.
Sec. 3.  17 MRSA §1835, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. KKKKK, 
§17, is further amended to read:
5.  Location.  A license issued pursuant to this section must specify the location 
where the organization may operate the licensed card game.  A licensee may not operate 
card games in more than one location at the same time.
A.  An agricultural society or a bona fide nonprofit organization may operate a card 
game on the grounds of an agricultural society and during the annual fair of the 
agricultural society.
B.  No more than one licensee may operate a card game at a time on the same 
premises.  In any room where a licensed card game is being conducted, there must be 
at least one member of the licensee present in that room for every 2 nonmembers who 
are present.  That member must have been a member of the licensee for at least one 
year.  A member of the licensee, either directly or through another member or guest, 
may not stake or risk something of value in the licensee's card game unless the 
member has been a member of the licensee for at least 14 days not including the day 
of admission into membership.
A bona fide nonprofit organization may operate a licensed card game to which the 
general public has access once every 3 months for a period not to exceed 3 4 consecutive 
days.  The licensed card game may be operated at any location described in the license 
and may be conducted only by members of the licensee.  
Sec. 4.  17 MRSA §1835-A, sub-§1, ¶¶A and B, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 284, 
Pt. KKKKK, §18, are amended to read:
A.  The maximum bet for a licensed game of chance is $1 $5.
B.  If Notwithstanding paragraph A, if the registrant operates games of chance for 
less than 3 total days in a calendar year and contributes 100% of the gross revenue 
from those games of chance to charity, the amount wagered must be limited to:
(1)  A $1 daily entry fee; or
(2)  Fifty cents per game.
Sec. 5.  17 MRSA §1835-A, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. KKKKK, 
§18, is amended to read:
3.  Games conducted at agricultural fair by members of the agricultural society 
or a bona fide nonprofit.  Games of chance operated and conducted solely by members 
of an agricultural society or games of chance operated and conducted by members of 
bona fide nonprofit organizations on the grounds of the agricultural society and during 
the annual fair of the agricultural society may use cash, tickets, tokens or other devices 
approved by the Gambling Control Unit by rule.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the tickets, tokens or other devices 
approved by the Gambling Control Unit must be unique to the agricultural society and 
may be in denominations of 25¢, 50¢ or, $1 or $5.  The tickets, tokens or devices 
approved by the Gambling Control Unit may be sold and redeemed only by a person who 
has been a member or active volunteer of the agricultural society for at least 2 fair 
seasons.  The agricultural society has the burden of proof for demonstrating the 
qualification of members or active volunteers.
An agricultural society that uses tokens shall provide records and reports as required by 
section 1839.
Sec. 6.  17 MRSA §1835-A, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. KKKKK, 
§18, is amended to read:
5.  Location.  A registration for a game of chance must specify the location where the 
organization may operate the game.  A registrant may not operate games of chance in 
more than one location at the same time.
A.  An agricultural society or a bona fide nonprofit organization may operate a game 
of chance on the grounds of an agricultural society and during the annual fair of the 
agricultural society.
B.  No more than one registrant may operate a game of chance at a time on the same 
premises.  In any room where a registered game of chance is being conducted, there 
must be at least one member of the organization registered to conduct games of 
chance present in that room for every 2 nonmembers who are present.  That member 
must have been a member of the registered organization for at least one year.  A 
member of the organization registered to conduct games of chance, either directly or 
through another member or guest, may not stake or risk something of value in the 
registrant's game of chance unless the member has been a member of the organization 
registered to conduct games of chance for at least 14 days not including the day of 
admission into membership.
A bona fide nonprofit organization may operate a registered game of chance to which the 
general public has access once every 3 months for a period not to exceed 3 4 consecutive 
days.  The game of chance may be operated at any location described in the organization's 
registration and may be conducted only by members of the registrant.  This subsection 
does not apply to raffles conducted in accordance with section 1837-A.
SUMMARY
This bill raises the betting limit for games of chance from $1 to $5.  It also allows a 
bona fide nonprofit organization to operate a licensed card game or registered game of 
chance to which the general public has access for 4 consecutive days instead of 3 days 
and removes the current 3-month waiting period between game operations.