Maine Charitable Games of Chance Licensing

Maine's Games of Chance chapter, 17 M.R.S. §§ 1831-1846, puts the state's Gambling Control Unit in charge of every charitable card game, raffle, tournament game, and annual "game night" run by a nonprofit. Under § 1832(1), no person, firm, corporation, committee, or organization may hold, conduct, or operate a game of chance without a Unit-issued license or, for raffles and cribbage tournaments, a Unit registration: the only exception is social gambling among private individuals. To qualify as an "eligible organization" under § 1832(2), a group must have been founded, chartered, or organized in Maine for at least two consecutive years and fall into one of four classes: agricultural societies, bona fide nonprofit charitable, educational, political, civic, recreational, fraternal, patriotic, or religious organizations, volunteer fire departments, or their auxiliaries. Political committees may also register for a once-annual game night under § 1832(2-B), with proceeds dedicated to fund-raising rather than charity. Every applicant representative must be at least 18 (§ 1832(3)), and a card-game or tournament license, plus a game-night registration, requires prior written approval from the local governing authority where the event will be held (§ 1832(4)).

Fees, set by § 1834, scale with duration: a game-of-chance license runs $15 a week, $60 a month, or $700 a year; low-stakes card games with no more than a $10 daily entry fee cost $30 a year; a once-annual game night registration is a flat $100; distributor licenses cost $625 a year and Internet raffle operator licenses cost $500 a year. Under § 1835-A, the maximum single bet on a licensed game of chance is $5, and games may be operated only by duly authorized members of the registrant or by bartender-employees, never by an outside operator, and no one under 18 may take part. Raffles run separately under § 1837-A: an eligible organization needs no registration at all if the total prize value is $10,000 or less, but a registered raffle can award noncash prizes worth up to $150,000 or multiple $10,000 cash prizes per winner.

Running a card game, raffle, tournament game, or electronic video machine for charity without the required Gambling Control Unit license or registration is a Class D crime under 17 M.R.S. § 1844. Maine's misdemeanor tier, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. The Unit also polices existing license and registration holders under § 1842 and can suspend or revoke a license; fees already paid are not refunded once a license is suspended or revoked.