An Act to Allow Nonprofit Organizations to Sell Progressive Pull-
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1490
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: GROHOSKI
Amends: 8 MRSA §1009, 17 MRSA §329, 17 MRSA §1831

Legislative Document
No. 1490
S.P. 605
In Senate, April 8, 2025
An Act to Allow Nonprofit Organizations to Sell Progressive Pull-
tab Games and to Offer Partner-assisted Beano and to Establish 
New Guidelines for the Expansion of Gambling
(EMERGENCY)
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator GROHOSKI of Hancock.
Emergency preamble.  Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, current interpretation of authorized lucky seven or similar sealed ticket 
games does not include games designed by the manufacturer to include a jackpot prize that 
is carried over to a subsequent series of tickets or cards with the same form number in the 
event that jackpot prize is not won, also known as progressive pull-tab games, despite 
historical practice allowing such games; and
Whereas, many eligible nonprofit organizations have already registered with the 
Department of Public Safety's Gambling Control Unit to offer such games and not being 
able to offer progressive pull-tab games will result in a negative financial impact; 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.  8 MRSA §1009 is enacted to read:
§1009.  Gambling expansion review procedures
1.  New or expanded authorized gambling proposals.  For the purposes of this 
section, "gambling" has the same meaning as in Title 17-A, section 952, subsection 4 and 
includes any type of gambling authorized under this Title, but does not include gambling 
authorized under Title 17, chapter 13-A or 62.
2.  Procedures before legislative committees. A joint standing committee of the 
Legislature that considers proposed legislation to authorize a new form of gambling in the 
State or to substantially expand an existing authorized form of gambling in the State shall 
hold a public hearing and determine the level of support for the proposal among the 
members of the committee. If there is support for the proposal among a majority of the 
members of the committee, the committee shall refer the proposal to the board and the 
Gambling Control Unit within the department for review and evaluation pursuant to 
subsection 3. Once review and evaluation has been completed, the committee shall review 
the findings of the board and the unit. 
3.  Review and evaluation.  Upon referral pursuant to subsection 2 of a proposal to 
authorize a new form of gambling in the State or to substantially expand an existing 
authorized form of gambling in the State from the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over the proposal, the board and the Gambling Control Unit 
shall jointly conduct a review of the proposal and an evaluation of the financial impact that 
the proposal would have on eligible organizations as described under Title 17, section 1832, 
subsection 2 licensed or registered to conduct games of chance. The board and unit shall 
report their findings to the committee in a timely manner.
4.  Legislative action.  A proposal to authorize a new form of gambling in the State or 
to substantially expand an existing authorized form of gambling in the State may not be 
enacted into law unless review and evaluation pursuant to subsection 3 has been completed 
and the review and evaluation has determined that no negative financial impact would 
result from the proposal on eligible organizations as described under Title 17, section 1832, 
subsection 2 licensed or registered to conduct games of chance.
Sec. 2.  17 MRSA §329, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 353, §1, is repealed and the 
following enacted in its place:
§329.  Assistance for player
1.  Restroom break.  A person conducting or assisting in the conduct of beano may 
assist a player by playing that player's cards while the player takes a restroom break.  This 
subsection does not apply to the conduct of high-stakes beano.
2.  Partner-assisted beano.  A person conducting beano may play with another person 
conducting beano as a partnered pair. A partnered pair conducting beano under this 
subsection may play no more than 18 tally cards per game.
Sec. 3.  17 MRSA §1831, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. KKKKK, 
§8, is further amended by amending the first blocked paragraph to read:
For the purposes of this subsection, "an event the result of which is determined by chance" 
includes but is not limited to a shuffle of a deck of cards, a roll of a die or dice or a random 
drawing or generation of an object that may include, but is not limited to, a card, a die, a 
number or simulations of any of these. A shuffle of a deck of cards, a roll of a die, a random 
drawing or generation of an object or some other event the result of which is determined 
by chance that is employed to determine impartially the initial order of play in a game, 
contest, scheme or device does not alone make a game, contest, scheme or device a game 
of chance. For the purposes of this chapter, "game of chance" includes a lucky seven or 
similar sealed ticket game. For purposes of this chapter, beano, bingo and table games as 
defined in Title 8, section 1001, subsection 43‑A are not games of chance.
Sec. 4.  17 MRSA §1831, sub-§8-A is enacted to read:
8-A.  Lucky seven or similar sealed ticket game.  "Lucky seven or similar sealed 
ticket game" means a game consisting of tickets or cards with preprinted symbols, numbers 
or other figures that are hidden by an opaque, removable material. Each ticket or card 
represents a chance to win a specific single prize, including a monetary prize, or specific 
set of prizes. A winning ticket or card contains a predetermined winning configuration of 
symbols, numbers or other figures. "Lucky seven or similar sealed ticket game" includes a 
lucky seven or similar sealed ticket game that is designed by the manufacturer to include a 
jackpot prize that is carried over to a subsequent series of tickets or cards with the same 
form number in the event that jackpot prize is not won. "Lucky seven or similar sealed 
ticket game" does not include the lottery under Title 8, chapter 14-A or 16.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill requires review and evaluation of any proposal to authorize new for-profit 
gambling in the State or to expand existing authorized for-profit gambling in the State. 
Following a public hearing on such a proposal, and if a majority of the joint standing 
committee of jurisdiction supports the proposal, the proposal must be submitted to the 
Gambling Control Board and the Gambling Control Unit within the Department of Public 
Safety for review and evaluation of the financial impact that the proposal would have on 
eligible nonprofit organizations licensed or registered to conduct games of chance. The 
Legislature may not enact into law any such proposal unless the proposal is reviewed and 
evaluated by the Gambling Control Board and the Gambling Control Unit and determined 
to have no negative financial impact on eligible nonprofit organizations licensed or 
registered to conduct games of chance.
The bill also authorizes partner-assisted beano, as long as the partnered pair plays no 
more than 18 tally cards per game.
The bill also defines "lucky seven or similar sealed ticket game," which is a game of 
chance, and clarifies that lucky seven or similar sealed ticket games include so-called 
progressive pull-tab games, which are games designed by the manufacturer to include a 
jackpot prize that is carried over to a subsequent series of tickets or cards with the same 
form number in the event that jackpot prize is not won.