Maine § 1837-A. - Raffles

§ 1837-A.. Raffles

1.  Registration required.  Unless otherwise specified by this section, a person or organization may not conduct a raffle without registering with the Gambling Control Unit.

2.  Raffle with a prize of $2,500 or less.  Except for raffles conducted by an eligible organization under subsection 7, a person or organization is not required to register with the Gambling Control Unit to conduct a raffle in which the total value of the prize offered to the holder of the winning chance does not exceed $2,500. If the raffle is conducted in a manner in which there are multiple winning chances, the total value of all prizes offered may not exceed a value of $2,500.

2-A.  Raffle with a prize of $10,000 or less conducted by eligible organization.  Except as provided in subsection 7, an eligible organization as described in section 1832, subsection 2 is not required to register with the Gambling Control Unit to conduct a raffle in which the total value of the prize offered to the holder of the winning chance does not exceed $10,000. If the raffle is conducted in a manner in which there are multiple winning chances, the total value of all prizes offered may not exceed a value of $10,000.

3.  Raffle with a noncash prize greater than $2,500 but not greater than $10,000.  Except for raffles conducted by an eligible organization under subsection 4, a person or organization may conduct a raffle in which the total value of the prize offered to the holder of the winning chance is greater than $2,500 and does not exceed $10,000 upon the acceptance of a registration by the Gambling Control Unit. The Gambling Control Unit may not accept a registration for a raffle under this subsection unless the registration states a verifiable charitable purpose for which the proceeds of the raffle are dedicated to benefit. If the raffle is conducted in a manner in which there are multiple winning chances, the total value of all prizes offered may not exceed a value of $10,000. A prize offered for a raffle conducted under this subsection may not be in the form of cash and, notwithstanding subsection 8, may not be exchanged for cash.

4.  Raffle with a noncash prize of up to $150,000 or a cash prize of up to $10,000 per holder of a winning chance conducted by eligible organization.  An eligible organization as described in section 1832, subsection 2 may register with the Gambling Control Unit to conduct a raffle in which the total value of the prize or prizes awarded to the holder of a winning chance or to the holders of the winning chances does not:

A. Exceed $150,000 that is not in the form of cash and, notwithstanding subsection 8, may not be exchanged for cash; or   [PL 2023, c. 86, §3 (AMD).]

B. Include more than one $10,000 cash prize for each holder of a winning chance.   [PL 2023, c. 86, §3 (AMD).]

At the time of registration, the eligible organization shall state a verifiable charitable purpose that the proceeds of the raffle are dedicated to benefit.  

Beginning December 1, 2024, the Gambling Control Unit shall adjust every 2 years the noncash prize dollar value based on the Consumer Price Index as reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and rounded to the nearest amount divisible by $100.  

5.  Raffle conducted by persons 18 years of age or older; exception.  Raffle chances or tickets may not be sold by a person under 18 years of age, except for raffles conducted under subsections 2 and 3 designed to benefit activities of children at an event generally attended by persons under 18 years of age.

6.  Multiple raffles.  An eligible organization as described in section 1832, subsection 2 may conduct more than one raffle at a time that meet the requirements of subsections 2‑A, 3 and 4. When an eligible organization conducts multiple raffles as permitted by this subsection, the eligible organization is not required to begin and end those raffles on the same dates.

7.  Internet raffles; restrictions.  An eligible organization described in section 1832, subsection 2 may conduct a raffle described in subsection 2‑A or subsection 4 as an Internet raffle if the eligible organization registers with the Gambling Control Unit and the Internet raffle is operated in accordance with the requirements of this chapter by an Internet raffle operator identified on the registration form. Notwithstanding subsection 6, an eligible organization may not conduct more than one Internet raffle at the same time. The eligible organization and Internet raffle operator may not permit a person under 18 years of age to purchase a chance or ticket for an Internet raffle and may not advertise or market the Internet raffle in a manner that has a high likelihood of reaching persons under 18 years of age or that is specifically designed to appeal particularly to persons under 18 years of age.

8.  Lottery ticket as noncash prize; total value.  A lottery ticket offered as a prize in a raffle held in accordance with this section is considered a noncash prize and the total value of the lottery ticket is determined by the purchase price of the lottery ticket and not by the potential or actual value of the lottery ticket winnings.