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*sb0538*
SENATE BILL 538
C7 (6lr2014)
ENROLLED BILL
— Budget and Taxation/Ways and Means —
Introduced by Senator McCray
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at _________________ _______ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
President.
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
2 SENATE BILL 538
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 1
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 2
Article – Criminal Law 3
Section 13–505.1 4
Annotated Code of Maryland 5
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Chapter 372 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025 8
Section 2 9
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 11
Article – Criminal Law 12
13–501. 13
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 14
(b) “Commissioner” means the Baltimore City Police Commissioner. 15
(c) “Designated city agency” means an agency designated by the Baltimore City 16
government. 17
(d) (1) “Electronic device” means a device that is capable of transmitting, 18
receiving, or recording messages, images, sounds, data, or other information by el ectronic 19
means or that, in appearance, purports to be a cell phone, computer, or other such device. 20
(2) “Electronic device” includes a cell phone or computer. 21
(3) “Electronic device” does not include a video lottery terminal as defined 22
under § 9–1A–01 of the State Government Article. 23
(e) “Gaming event” means a carnival, bazaar, or raffle. 24
(f) (1) “Geofence” means technology that establishes a virtual geographical 25
boundary. 26
(2) “Geofence” includes boundaries that are established or monitored 27
through the use of: 28
(i) global positioning technology; 29
(ii) cell tower connectivity; 30
SENATE BILL 538 3
(iii) cellular data; 1
(iv) radio frequency identification; 2
(v) wireless fidelity technology; or 3
(vi) any other form of location determination technology. 4
(g) “Raffle” means one or more drawings from a single series of chances sold. 5
13–503. 6
(a) This section does not apply to a raffle authorized under § 13 –505.1 of this 7
subtitle. 8
(b) Before an organization listed in subsection (c) of this s ection may operate a 9
gaming event, the organization shall obtain a permit from the commissioner. 10
(c) (1) An organization that meets the conditions of paragraph (2) of this 11
subsection may conduct a gaming event for the benefit of any of the following list ed 12
organizations if the organization is a bona fide: 13
(i) religious organization; 14
(ii) fraternal organization; 15
(iii) civic organization; 16
(iv) veterans’ hospital; 17
(v) amateur athletic organization in which all playing members are 18
under the age of 18 years; or 19
(vi) charitable organization. 20
(2) An organization conducting a gaming event shall: 21
(i) be located in Baltimore City; and 22
(ii) spend a majority of the organization’s funds in Baltimore City 23
for: 24
1. fraternal purposes; 25
2. civic purposes; 26
3. purposes related to a veterans’ hospital; 27
4 SENATE BILL 538
4. purposes related to amateur athletics; or 1
5. charitable purposes. 2
(d) (1) Before the commissioner may issue a permit, the commissioner shall 3
review the character of the organization applying for the permit to ascertain that the 4
organization meets the requirements of §§ 13–503 through 13–505 of this subtitle. 5
(2) The commissioner shall make any application for a permit and the 6
action taken by the commissioner on that application a matter of public record. 7
(e) (1) The permit shall state that the gaming event shall be managed and 8
operated personally only by members of the organization obtaining the permit. 9
(2) The permit is not transferable. 10
(f) An organization conducting a gaming event in Baltimore City may not allow 11
an individual or group of individuals to: 12
(1) benefit financially from the gaming event; or 13
(2) receive any of the proceeds of the gaming event for personal use or 14
benefit. 15
13–505. 16
(a) A permit holder may award prizes in merchandise and money in a raffle in 17
any amount. 18
(b) Except as provided in § 13–505.1(d)(1)(ii) of this subtitle, a permit holder may 19
not conduct more than 12 raffles in a calendar year. 20
13–505.1. 21
(a) A raffle may be conducted by an organization that: 22
(1) is located in Baltimore City; 23
(2) spends a majority of the organization’s funds in Baltimore City for: 24
(i) fraternal purposes; 25
(ii) civic purposes; 26
(iii) purposes related to a veterans’ hospital; 27
SENATE BILL 538 5
(iv) purposes related to amateur athletics; or 1
(v) charitable purposes; and 2
(3) is affiliated with: 3
(I) a professional Major League Baseball team that plays its home 4
games in Baltimore City; OR 5
(II) A PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAM 6
THAT PLAYS ITS HOME GAMES IN BALTIMORE CITY. 7
(b) (1) Before conducting a raffle, an organization shall obtain a written permit 8
from the designated city agency. 9
(2) Before issuing a permit, the designated city agency shall ascertain the 10
character of the organization to determine if the permit should be issued. 11
(c) (1) A permit issued to an organization under this section may not be 12
transferred. 13
(2) The permit shall state that the raffle is required to be managed and 14
operated only by members of the organization obtaining the permit. 15
(d) (1) (i) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the designated city 16
agency may issue a single permit to an organization to hold raffles at multiple professional 17
Major League Baseball OR PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE games 18
played in Baltimore City. 19
(ii) There is no limit on the number of raffles that an organization 20
may conduct in conjunction with professional Major League Baseball OR PROFESSIONAL 21
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE games played in Baltimore City. 22
(2) A permit to hold raffles at multiple professional Major League Baseball 23
OR PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE games played in Baltimore City 24
expires [at the end of the calendar year in] 1 YEAR AFTER THE DATE ON which the permit 25
is issued. 26
(e) An organization conducting a raffle may: 27
(1) set the price of raffle tickets; and 28
(2) award prizes in merchandise and money in any amount. 29
(f) An organization conducting a raffle may not allow an individual or group of 30
individuals to: 31
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(1) benefit financially from the raffle; or 1
(2) receive any of the proceeds of the raffle for personal use or benefit. 2
(g) (1) A raffle ticket sold by an organization in conjunction with a professional 3
Major League Baseball OR PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE game played 4
in Baltimore City: 5
(i) may only be sold using age–verification measures to ensure that 6
the buyer is at least 18 years old; 7
(ii) may be sold and received in –person or on an electronic device 8
only within the geographical boundaries described in paragraph (2) of this subsection; and 9
(iii) 1. WITH RESPECT TO A RA FFLE CONDUCTED BY AN 10
ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3)(I) OF THIS SECTION, shall be 11
sold and received not earlier than 1 hour before the official start of the baseball game and 12
not later than the seventh inning of that baseball game; OR 13
2. WITH RESPECT TO A RA FFLE CONDUCTED BY AN 14
ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3)(II) OF THIS SECTION, SHALL 15
BE SOLD AND RECEIVED NOT EARLIER THAN 4.5 HOURS BEFORE THE OFF ICIAL 16
START OF THE FOOTBAL L GAME AND NOT LATER THAN THE THIRD QUART ER OF 17
THAT FOOTBALL GAME. 18
(2) An organization conducting a raffle under this section: 19
(i) is not subject to § 12 –108 of this article, provided that an 20
individual may not purchase more than $50 worth of tickets or make more than one credit 21
transaction each day; and 22
(ii) shall use a geofence to ensure that raffle tickets sold and received 23
on an electronic device are sold and received within an area in Baltimore C ity that is 24
bounded as follows: 25
1. WITH RESPECT TO A RA FFLE CONDUCTED BY AN 26
ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3)(I) OF THIS SECTION DURING 27
A BASEBALL GAME , from the intersection of West Camden Street and South Howard 28
Street, south on South Howard Street to West Conway Street, west on West Conway Street 29
to South Eutaw Street, south on South Eutaw Street to West Lee Street, west on West Lee 30
Street to Russell Street, north on Russell Street to South Paca Street, northeast on South 31
Paca Street to West Camden Street, and east on West Camden Street to the intersection of 32
West Camden Street and South Howard Street; AND 33
SENATE BILL 538 7
2. WITH RESPECT TO A RA FFLE CONDUCTED BY AN 1
ORGANIZATION DESCRIB ED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3)(II) OF THIS SECTION 2
DURING A FOOTBALL GAME, FROM THE INTERSECTION OF WEST CAMDEN STREET 3
AND SOUTH HOWARD STREET, WEST ON WEST CAMDEN STREET TO WASHINGTON 4
BOULEVARD, SOUTHWEST ON WASHINGTON BOULEVARD TO WEST BARRE STREET, 5
SOUTH ON WEST BARRE STREET TO CARROLL STREET, NORTHEAST ON CARROLL 6
STREET TO SOUTH PACA STREET, SOUTH ON SOUTH PACA STREET TO WEST 7
OSTEND STREET, INCLUDING THE SOUTHE RN BOUNDARY OF 701 WEST OSTEND 8
STREET, EAST ON THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF 701 WEST OSTEND STREET TO 9
RIDGELY STREET, NORTH ON RIDGELY STREET TO THE INTERSE CTION OF WEST 10
OSTEND STREET AND RIDGELY STREET, EAST ON WEST OSTEND STREET TO CAL 11
RIPKEN WAY, NORTH ON CAL RIPKEN WAY TO SOUTH HOWARD STREET, AND 12
NORTH ON SOUTH HOWARD STREET TO THE INTERSE CTION OF SOUTH HOWARD 13
STREET AND WEST CAMDEN STREET. 14
Chapter 372 of the Acts of 2025 15
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 16
1, 2025. [It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and 1 month 6 YEARS 4 YEARS AND 17
1 MONTH and, at the end of June 30, 2026 MAY 31, 2031 JUNE 30, 2029, this Act, with 18
no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no further 19
force and effect.] 20
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 21
1, 2026. It shall remain effective until the taking effect of the termination provision 22
specified in Section 2 of Chapter 372 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025. If that 23
termination provision takes effect, this Act, with no further action required by the General 24
Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no furthe r force and effect. This Act may not be 25
interpreted to have any effect on that termination provision. 26
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.