An Act to Remove State Requirements for Nonprofits on Raffles and Internet Raffles with Prizes of $2,500 or Less

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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1086
H.P. 708 House of Representatives, March 18, 2025
An Act to Remove State Requirements for Nonprofits on Raffles and
Internet Raffles with Prizes of $2,500 or Less
Received by the Clerk of the House on March 14, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Veterans and Legal Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ARDELL of Monticello.
Cosponsored by Representative: NUTTING of Oakland.

Page 1 - 132LR2259(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 17 MRSA §1837-A, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2021, c. 136, §8, is further
3 amended to read:
42. Raffle with a prize of $2,500 or less. Except for raffles conducted by an eligible
5 organization under subsection 7, a A person or organization is not required to register with
6 the Gambling Control Unit to conduct a raffle in which the total value of the prize offered
7 to the holder of the winning chance does not exceed $2,500. If the raffle is conducted in a
8 manner in which there are multiple winning chances, the total value of all prizes offered
9 may not exceed a value of $2,500.
10Sec. 2. 17 MRSA §1837-A, sub-§7, as amended by PL 2021, c. 636, §2, is further
11 amended to read:
127. Internet raffles; restrictions. An eligible organization described in section 1832,
13 subsection 2 may conduct a raffle in which the total value of all prizes offered is greater
14 than $2,500 described in subsection 2‑A or subsection 4 as an Internet raffle if the eligible
15 organization registers with the Gambling Control Unit and the Internet raffle is operated in
16 accordance with the requirements of this chapter by an Internet raffle operator identified
17 on the registration form. Notwithstanding subsection 6, an eligible organization may not
18 conduct more than one Internet raffle at the same time. The eligible organization and
19 Internet raffle operator may not permit a person under 18 years of age to purchase a chance
20 or ticket for an Internet raffle and may not advertise or market the Internet raffle in a manner
21 that has a high likelihood of reaching persons under 18 years of age or that is specifically
22 designed to appeal particularly to persons under 18 years of age. An eligible organization
23 is not required to register with the Gambling Control Unit to conduct an Internet raffle in
24 which the total value of the prize or prizes offered to the holder of the winning chance or
25 to the holders of the winning chances does not exceed $2,500 pursuant to subsection 2.
26Sec. 3. 17 MRSA §1837-B, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 136, §11, is amended
27 to read:
281. License and approval required. A person may not operate an Internet raffle unless
29 the person is licensed as an Internet raffle operator under subsection 2, the Internet raffle is
30 conducted on behalf of an eligible organization registered under section 1837‑A, subsection
31 7, each payment for a chance or ticket for the Internet raffle is made through an Internet
32 raffle system approved under subsection 4 and the winning chance or chances are selected
33 by an Internet raffle system approved under subsection 4. This section does not apply to
34 an eligible organization described in section 1832, subsection 2 that conducts an Internet
35 raffle in which the total value of the prize or prizes offered to the holder of the winning
36 chance or to the holders of the winning chances does not exceed $2,500 pursuant to section
37 1837-A, subsection 2.
38SUMMARY
39 This bill allows nonprofit organizations to conduct raffles and Internet raffles in which
40 the prize or prizes does not exceed $2,500 without having to register with the Department
41 of Public Safety, Gambling Control Unit.
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