South Carolina § 33-57-170 - Penalties.

§ 33-57-170. Penalties.

(A) A person or organization that knowingly and wilfully conducts a nonprofit raffle without obtaining the necessary registration or qualifying for an exemption is guilty of conducting an illegal lottery and, upon conviction of a first offense, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. For a second or subsequent offense, a person or organization is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(B) A person or organization that knowingly and wilfully violates a provision of this chapter with the intent to deceive or defraud an individual or nonprofit organization is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction of a first offense, must be fined not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. For a second or subsequent offense, a person or organization is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(C) A person or organization that knowingly and wilfully gives false or misleading information to the Secretary in a registration or report required by this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction of a first offense, must be fined not more than two thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. For a second or subsequent offense, a person or organization is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(D) Upon the conviction of a member of a nonprofit organization or the conviction of a nonprofit organization for a violation pursuant to this section, all proceeds of the raffle from which the offense arose shall be disgorged to the Secretary. Proceeds disgorged pursuant to this chapter shall be retained by the Secretary for purposes of enforcement of this chapter.

(E) An organization whose officer or director is convicted of a violation pursuant to this section shall be prohibited from registering to conduct a raffle for a period of no less than five calendar years after the date of the conviction.

HISTORY: 2013 Act No. 11, SECTION 1, eff April 4, 2015; 2020 Act No. 148, SECTION 3.B., eff September 28, 2020.

Editor's Note

2013 Act No. 11, SECTION 5, provides as follows:

"SECTION 5. The provisions of this act become effective thirty days after ratification of an amendment to Section 7, Article XVII of the Constitution of this State allowing its terms as proposed to the qualified electors of this State at the 2014 General Election."

2015 Act No. 3, SECTION 1, eff March 5, 2015, provides in part as follows:

"SECTION 1. The amendment to Article XVII of the Constitution of South Carolina, 1895, prepared under the terms of Joint Resolution 102 of 2013, having been submitted to the qualified electors at the General Election of 2014 as prescribed in Section 1, Article XVI of the Constitution of South Carolina, 1895, and a favorable vote having been received on the amendment, is ratified and declared to be a part of the Constitution so that Section 7 of Article XVII is amended to read: [text of amendment follows]."

2020 Act No. 148, SECTION 3.B., provides as follows:

"[SECTION 3.]B. This SECTION takes effect upon approval by the Governor [September 28, 2020]. The provisions of Chapter 57, Title 33 of the 1976 Code, as they existed on June 30, 2020, are reenacted. The reenactment discharges, releases, and extinguishes any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred after July 1, 2020, but before the effective date of this SECTION. This SECTION shall continue to apply until such time as Chapter 57, Title 33, or parts thereof, are otherwise repealed, mutatis mutandis."