An Act to Update the Gambling Laws to Allow Once-annual Casino Nights for Charitable Purposes or Registered Political Committees
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1088
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: RUDNICKI, ANDREWS, COLLINGS, DANA, FAULKINGHAM, PERRY, STOVER, SUPICA, HICKMAN
Amends: 17 MRSA §1832, 17 MRSA §1835-A

Legislative Document
No. 1088
H.P. 683
House of Representatives, March 9, 2023
An Act to Update the Gambling Laws to Allow Once-annual Casino 
Nights for Charitable Purposes or Registered Political Committees
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative RUDNICKI of Fairfield.
Cosponsored by Representatives: ANDREWS of Paris, COLLINGS of Portland, DANA of the 
Passamaquoddy Tribe, FAULKINGHAM of Winter Harbor, PERRY of Bangor, STOVER of 
Boothbay, SUPICA of Bangor, Senator: HICKMAN of Kennebec.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  17 MRSA §1832, sub-§2-B is enacted to read:
2-B.  Once-annual registration.  The Gambling Control Unit may accept a registration 
from any person or organization to conduct games of chance a single time in a calendar 
year, the proceeds from which are dedicated to a charitable purpose or a fund-raising event 
sponsored by a committee registered and filing reports under Title 21-A, chapter 13. A 
person or organization seeking to conduct games of chance under this subsection shall 
register in a manner prescribed by the Gambling Control Unit and shall maintain records 
in the same manner as described under section 1839, except that disposition of funds reports 
are not required to be submitted to the Gambling Control Unit but must be maintained in 
the same manner as other records.
Sec. 2.  17 MRSA §1832, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. KKKKK, 
§15, is further amended to read:
6.  Multiple licenses.  The Gambling Control Unit may issue more than one license or 
registration to conduct or operate a game governed by this chapter simultaneously to an 
eligible organization described in subsection 2 and any person or organization as described 
in subsection 2-B.  Each game governed by this chapter must have a separate license, the 
nature of which must be specified on the license.
Sec. 3.  17 MRSA §1835-A, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2021, c. 136, §7, is further 
amended to read:
2.  Games conducted by members and bartenders of registrant only.  A game of 
chance registered pursuant to this chapter must be operated and conducted for the exclusive 
benefit of the registrant and, except for an Internet raffle conducted by an Internet raffle 
operator, must be operated and conducted only by duly authorized members of the 
registrant or by persons employed by the registrant as bartenders.  Nonmembers employed 
by the registrant as bartenders may not operate or conduct any game of chance permitted 
under subsection 5, paragraph B. The requirements of this subsection do not apply to any 
agricultural society registered to operate a game of chance or a person or organization 
issued a once-annual registration under section 1832, subsection 2-B.
Sec. 4.  17 MRSA §1835-A, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2019, c. 117, §6, is further 
amended to read:
5.  Location; frequency.  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 no more than 4 times in a calendar year for a period not to exceed 
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. A person 
or organization registered under section 1832, subsection 2-B is authorized to conduct 
games of chance for one day in any 12-month period.
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Unit to accept 
a once-annual registration from any person or organization to conduct games of chance, 
the proceeds from which are dedicated to a charitable purpose or a fund-raising event 
sponsored by a registered party committee, political action committee or ballot question 
committee.