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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0717*
HOUSE BILL 717
C7 6lr2051
CF SB 538
By: Delegate Edelson
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Baltimore City – Raffles – Organizations Affiliated With Professional Baseball 2
and Football Teams 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing certain organizations that are affiliated with a professional 4
National Football League team that plays its home games in Baltimore City to 5
conduct certain raffles, subject to certain limitations; repealing extending a certain 6
termination date of certain provisions of law authorizing certain organizations that 7
are affiliated with a professional Major League Baseball team that plays its home 8
games in Baltimore City to conduct certain raffles; and generally relating to raffles 9
in Baltimore City. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – Criminal Law 12
Section 13–501, 13–503, and 13–505 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Article – Criminal Law 17
Section 13–505.1 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 21
Chapter 372 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025 22
2 HOUSE BILL 717
Section 2 1
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 3
Article – Criminal Law 4
13–501. 5
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 6
(b) “Commissioner” means the Baltimore City Police Commissioner. 7
(c) “Designated city agency” means an agency designated by the Baltimore City 8
government. 9
(d) (1) “Electronic device” means a device that is capable of transmitting, 10
receiving, or recording messages, images, sounds, data, or other information by electronic 11
means or that, in appearance, purports to be a cell phone, computer, or other such device. 12
(2) “Electronic device” includes a cell phone or computer. 13
(3) “Electronic device” does not include a video lottery terminal as defined 14
under § 9–1A–01 of the State Government Article. 15
(e) “Gaming event” means a carnival, bazaar, or raffle. 16
(f) (1) “Geofence” means technology that establishes a virtual geographical 17
boundary. 18
(2) “Geofence” includes boundaries that are established or monitored 19
through the use of: 20
(i) global positioning technology; 21
(ii) cell tower connectivity; 22
(iii) cellular data; 23
(iv) radio frequency identification; 24
(v) wireless fidelity technology; or 25
(vi) any other form of location determination technology. 26
(g) “Raffle” means one or more drawings from a single series of chances sold. 27
HOUSE BILL 717 3
13–503. 1
(a) This section does not apply to a raffle authorized under § 13 –505.1 of this 2
subtitle. 3
(b) Before an organization listed in subsection (c) of this section may operat e a 4
gaming event, the organization shall obtain a permit from the commissioner. 5
(c) (1) An organization that meets the conditions of paragraph (2) of this 6
subsection may conduct a gaming event for the benefit of any of the following listed 7
organizations if the organization is a bona fide: 8
(i) religious organization; 9
(ii) fraternal organization; 10
(iii) civic organization; 11
(iv) veterans’ hospital; 12
(v) amateur athletic organization in which all playing members are 13
under the age of 18 years; or 14
(vi) charitable organization. 15
(2) An organization conducting a gaming event shall: 16
(i) be located in Baltimore City; and 17
(ii) spend a majority of the organization’s funds in Baltimore City 18
for: 19
1. fraternal purposes; 20
2. civic purposes; 21
3. purposes related to a veterans’ hospital; 22
4. purposes related to amateur athletics; or 23
5. charitable purposes. 24
(d) (1) Before the commissioner may issue a permit, the commissioner shall 25
review the character of the organization applying for the permit to ascertain that the 26
organization meets the requirements of §§ 13–503 through 13–505 of this subtitle. 27
4 HOUSE BILL 717
(2) The commissioner shall make any application for a permit and the 1
action taken by the commissioner on that application a matter of public record. 2
(e) (1) The permit shall state that the gaming event shall be managed and 3
operated personally only by members of the organization obtaining the permit. 4
(2) The permit is not transferable. 5
(f) An organization conducting a gaming event in Baltimore City may not allow 6
an individual or group of individuals to: 7
(1) benefit financially from the gaming event; or 8
(2) receive any of the proceeds of the gaming event for personal use or 9
benefit. 10
13–505. 11
(a) A permit holder may award prizes in merchandise and money in a raffle in 12
any amount. 13
(b) Except as provided in § 13–505.1(d)(1)(ii) of this subtitle, a permit holder may 14
not conduct more than 12 raffles in a calendar year. 15
13–505.1. 16
(a) A raffle may be conducted by an organization that: 17
(1) is located in Baltimore City; 18
(2) spends a majority of the organization’s funds in Baltimore City for: 19
(i) fraternal purposes; 20
(ii) civic purposes; 21
(iii) purposes related to a veterans’ hospital; 22
(iv) purposes related to amateur athletics; or 23
(v) charitable purposes; and 24
(3) is affiliated with: 25
(I) a professional Major League Baseball team that plays its home 26
games in Baltimore City; OR 27
HOUSE BILL 717 5
(II) A PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAM 1
THAT PLAYS ITS HOME GAMES IN BALTIMORE CITY. 2
(b) (1) Before conducting a raffle, an organization shall obtain a written permit 3
from the designated city agency. 4
(2) Before issuing a permit, the designated city agency shall ascertain the 5
character of the organization to determine if the permit should be issued. 6
(c) (1) A permit issued to an organization under this section may not be 7
transferred. 8
(2) The permit shall state that the raffle is required to be managed and 9
operated only by members of the organization obtaining the permit. 10
(d) (1) (i) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the designated city 11
agency may issue a single permit to an organization to hold raffles at multiple professional 12
Major League Baseball OR PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE games 13
played in Baltimore City. 14
(ii) There is no limit on the number of raffles that an organization 15
may conduct in conjunction with professional Major League Baseball OR PROFESSIONAL 16
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE games played in Baltimore City. 17
(2) A permit to hold raffles at multiple professional Major League Baseball 18
OR PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE games played in Baltimore City 19
expires [at the end of the calendar year in ] ONE YEAR AFTER THE D ATE ON which the 20
permit is issued. 21
(e) An organization conducting a raffle may: 22
(1) set the price of raffle tickets; and 23
(2) award prizes in merchandise and money in any amount. 24
(f) An organization conducting a raffle may not allow an individual or group o f 25
individuals to: 26
(1) benefit financially from the raffle; or 27
(2) receive any of the proceeds of the raffle for personal use or benefit. 28
(g) (1) A raffle ticket sold by an organization in conjunction with a professional 29
Major League Baseball OR PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE game played 30
in Baltimore City: 31
6 HOUSE BILL 717
(i) may only be sold using age–verification measures to ensure that 1
the buyer is at least 18 years old; 2
(ii) may be sold and received in –person or on an electronic device 3
only within the geographical boundaries described in paragraph (2) of this subsection; and 4
(iii) 1. WITH RESPECT TO A RA FFLE CONDUCTED BY AN 5
ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3)(I) OF THIS SECTION, shall be 6
sold and received not earlier than 1 hour befo re the official start of the baseball game and 7
not later than the seventh inning of that baseball game; OR 8
2. WITH RESPECT TO A RA FFLE CONDUCTED BY AN 9
ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3)(II) OF THIS SECTION, SHALL 10
BE SOLD AND RECEIVED NOT E ARLIER THAN 4.5 HOURS BEFORE THE OFF ICIAL 11
START OF THE FOOTBAL L GAME AND NOT LATER THAN THE THIRD QUART ER OF 12
THAT FOOTBALL GAME. 13
(2) An organization conducting a raffle under this section: 14
(i) is not subject to § 12 –108 of this article, provided that an 15
individual may not purchase more than $50 worth of tickets or make more than one credit 16
transaction each day; and 17
(ii) shall use a geofence to ensure that raffle tickets sold and received 18
on an electronic device are sold and received within an area in Baltimore City that is 19
bounded as follows: 20
1. WITH RESPECT TO A RA FFLE CONDUCTED BY AN 21
ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3)(I) OF THIS SECTION DURING 22
A BASEBALL GAME , from the intersection of West Camden Street and South Howard 23
Street, south on South Howard Street to West Conway Street, west on West Conway Street 24
to South Eutaw Street, south on South Eutaw Street to West Lee Street, west on West Lee 25
Street to Russell Street, north on Russell Street to South Paca Street, northeast on South 26
Paca Street to West Camden Street, and east on West Camden Street to the intersection of 27
West Camden Street and South Howard Street; AND 28
2. WITH RESPECT TO A RA FFLE CONDUCTED BY AN 29
ORGANIZATION DESCRIB ED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3)(II) OF THIS SECTION 30
DURING A FOOTBALL GA ME, FROM THE INTERSECTION OF WEST CAMDEN STREET 31
AND SOUTH HOWARD STREET, WEST ON WEST CAMDEN STREET TO WASHINGTON 32
BOULEVARD, SOUTHWEST ON WASHINGTON BOULEVARD TO WEST BARRE STREET, 33
SOUTH ON WEST BARRE STREET TO CARROLL STREET, NORTHEAST ON CARROLL 34
STREET TO SOUTH PACA STREET, SOUTH ON SOUTH PACA STREET TO WEST 35
OSTEND STREET, INCLUDING THE SOUTHE RN BOUNDARY OF 701 WEST OSTEND 36
STREET, EAST ON THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF 701 WEST OSTEND STREET TO 37
HOUSE BILL 717 7
RIDGELY STREET, NORTH ON RIDGELY STREET TO THE INTERSE CTION OF WEST 1
OSTEND STREET AND RIDGELY STREET, EAST ON WEST OSTEND STREET TO CAL 2
RIPKEN WAY, NORTH ON CAL RIPKEN WAY TO SOUTH HOWARD STREET, AND 3
NORTH ON SOUTH HOWARD STREET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH HOWARD 4
STREET AND WEST CAMDEN STREET. 5
Chapter 372 of the Acts of 2025 6
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 7
1, 2025. [It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year 4 years and 1 month and, at the end 8
of June 30, 2026 2029, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, 9
shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect.] 10
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 11
1, 2026. It shall rema in effective until the taking effect of the termination provision 12
specified in Section 2 of Chapter 372 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025. If that 13
termination provision takes effect, this Act, with no further action required by the General 14
Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect. This Act may not be 15
interpreted to have any effect on that termination provision. 16
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.