Maryland § 13-505.1 - IN EFFECT

§ 13-505.1. IN EFFECT

    IN EFFECT

    // EFFECTIVE UNTIL JUNE 30, 2026 PER CHAPTER 372 OF 2025 //

    (a)    A raffle may be conducted by an organization that:

        (1)    is located in Baltimore City;

        (2)    spends a majority of the organization’s funds in Baltimore City for:

            (i)    fraternal purposes;

            (ii)    civic purposes;

            (iii)    purposes related to a veterans’ hospital;

            (iv)    purposes related to amateur athletics; or

            (v)    charitable purposes; and

        (3)    is affiliated with a professional Major League Baseball team that plays its home games in Baltimore City.

    (b)    (1)    Before conducting a raffle, an organization shall obtain a written permit from the designated city agency.

        (2)    Before issuing a permit, the designated city agency shall ascertain the character of the organization to determine if the permit should be issued.

    (c)    (1)    A permit issued to an organization under this section may not be transferred.

        (2)    The permit shall state that the raffle is required to be managed and operated only by members of the organization obtaining the permit.

    (d)    (1)    (i)    Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the designated city agency may issue a single permit to an organization to hold raffles at multiple professional Major League Baseball games played in Baltimore City.

            (ii)    There is no limit on the number of raffles that an organization may conduct in conjunction with professional Major League Baseball games played in Baltimore City.

        (2)    A permit to hold raffles at multiple professional Major League Baseball games played in Baltimore City expires at the end of the calendar year in which the permit is issued.

    (e)    An organization conducting a raffle may:

        (1)    set the price of raffle tickets; and

        (2)    award prizes in merchandise and money in any amount.

    (f)    An organization conducting a raffle may not allow an individual or group of individuals to:

        (1)    benefit financially from the raffle; or

        (2)    receive any of the proceeds of the raffle for personal use or benefit.

    (g)    (1)    A raffle ticket sold by an organization in conjunction with a professional Major League Baseball game played in Baltimore City:

            (i)    may only be sold using age–verification measures to ensure that the buyer is at least 18 years old;

            (ii)    may be sold and received in–person or on an electronic device only within the geographical boundaries described in paragraph (2) of this subsection; and

            (iii)    shall be sold and received not earlier than 1 hour before the official start of the baseball game and not later than the seventh inning of that baseball game.

        (2)    An organization conducting a raffle under this section:

            (i)    is not subject to § 12–108 of this article, provided that an individual may not purchase more than $50 worth of tickets or make more than one credit transaction each day; and

            (ii)    shall use a geofence to ensure that raffle tickets sold and received on an electronic device are sold and received within an area in Baltimore City that is bounded as follows: from the intersection of West Camden Street and South Howard Street, south on South Howard Street to West Conway Street, west on West Conway Street to South Eutaw Street, south on South Eutaw Street to West Lee Street, west on West Lee Street to Russell Street, north on Russell Street to South Paca Street, northeast on South Paca Street to West Camden Street, and east on West Camden Street to the intersection of West Camden Street and South Howard Street.