EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0399*
HOUSE BILL 399
C7 5lr1963
CF SB 341
By: Delegate Edelson
Introduced and read first time: January 16, 2025
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 5, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Baltimore City – Raffles – Organizations Affiliated With a Professional Major 2
League Baseball Team 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing certain organizations that are affiliated with a professional 4
major league baseball team that plays its home games in Baltimore City to conduct 5
certain raffles; requiring the organization to obtain a permit to conduct raffles from 6
an agency designated by the Baltimore City government; requiring that raffle tickets 7
are sold using age–verification measures to ensure that the buyer is at least a certain 8
age; authorizing a raffle ticket to be sold and received in person or on an electronic 9
device located within the geographical boundaries of Baltimore City the professional 10
major league baseball stadium; and generally relating to raffles in Baltimore City. 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Criminal Law 13
Section 13–501, 13–503, 13–505, and 13–510 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 16
BY adding to 17
Article – Criminal Law 18
Section 13–505.1 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 21
2 HOUSE BILL 399
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Criminal Law 3
13–501. 4
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 5
(b) “Commissioner” means the Baltimore City Police Commissioner. 6
(C) “DESIGNATED CITY AGENC Y” MEANS AN AGENCY DESI GNATED BY THE 7
BALTIMORE CITY GOVERNMENT . 8
(D) (1) “ELECTRONIC DEVICE ” MEANS A DEVICE THAT IS CAPABLE OF 9
TRANSMITTING , RECEIVING, OR RECORDING MESSAGE S, IMAGES, SOUNDS, DATA, OR 10
OTHER INFORMATION BY ELECT RONIC MEANS OR THAT , IN APPEARANCE , 11
PURPORTS TO BE A CEL L PHONE, COMPUTER, OR OTHER SUCH DEVICE . 12
(2) “ELECTRONIC DEVICE ” INCLUDES A CELL PHON E OR COMPUTER . 13
(3) “ELECTRONIC DEVICE ” DOES NOT INCLUDE A V IDEO LOTTERY 14
TERMINAL AS DEFIN ED UNDER § 9–1A–01 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE. 15
[(c)] (E) “Gaming event” means a carnival, bazaar, or raffle. 16
(F) (1) “GEOFENCE” MEANS TECHNOLOGY THA T ESTABLISHES A 17
VIRTUAL GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARY. 18
(2) “GEOFENCE” INCLUDES BOUNDARIES THAT ARE ESTABLISHED 19
OR MONITORED THROUGH THE USE OF: 20
(I) GLOBAL POSITIONING T ECHNOLOGY ; 21
(II) CELL TOWER CONNECTIV ITY; 22
(III) CELLULAR DATA ; 23
(IV) RADIO FREQUENCY IDEN TIFICATION; 24
(V) WIRELESS FIDELITY TE CHNOLOGY; OR 25
(VI) ANY OTHER FORM OF LOCATION DETERMINATI ON 26
TECHNOLOGY . 27
HOUSE BILL 399 3
[(d)] (G) “Raffle” means one or more drawings from a single series of chances 1
sold [from chance books]. 2
13–503. 3
(a) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A RAFFLE AU THORIZED UNDER § 4
13–505.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 5
(B) Before an organization listed in subsection [(b)] (C) of this section may operate 6
a gaming event, the organization shall obtain a permit from the commissioner. 7
[(b)] (C) (1) An organization that meets the conditions of paragraph (2) of this 8
subsection may conduct a gaming event for the benefit of any of the following listed 9
organizations if the organization is a bona fide: 10
(i) religious organization; 11
(ii) fraternal organization; 12
(iii) civic organization; 13
(iv) veterans’ hospital; 14
(v) amateur athletic organization in which all playing members are 15
under the age of 18 years; or 16
(vi) charitable organization. 17
(2) An organization conducting a gaming event shall: 18
(i) be located in Baltimore City; and 19
(ii) spend a majority of the organization’s funds in Baltimore City 20
for: 21
1. fraternal purposes; 22
2. civic purposes; 23
3. purposes related to a veterans’ hospital; 24
4. purposes related to amateur athletics; or 25
5. charitable purposes. 26
4 HOUSE BILL 399
[(c)] (D) (1) Before the commissioner may issue a permit, the commissioner 1
shall review the character of the organization applying for the permit to ascertain that the 2
organization meets the requirements of §§ 13–503 through 13–505 of this subtitle. 3
(2) The commissioner shall make any application for a permit and the 4
action taken by the commissioner on that application a matter of public record. 5
[(d)] (E) (1) The permit shall state that the gaming event shall be managed 6
and operated personally only by members of the organization obtaining the permit. 7
(2) The permit is not transferable. 8
[(e)] (F) An organization conducting a gaming event in Baltimore City may not 9
allow an individual or group of individuals to: 10
(1) benefit financially from the gaming event; or 11
(2) receive any of the proceeds of the gaming event for personal use or 12
benefit. 13
13–505. 14
(a) A permit holder may award prizes in merchandise and money in a raffle in 15
any amount. 16
(b) [A] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN § 13–505.1(D)(1)(II) OF THIS SUBTITLE , A 17
permit holder may not conduct more than 12 raffles in a calendar year. 18
13–505.1. 19
(A) A RAFFLE MAY BE CONDUC TED BY AN ORGANIZATI ON THAT: 20
(1) IS LOCATED IN BALTIMORE CITY; 21
(2) SPENDS A MAJORITY OF THE ORGANIZATION ’S FUNDS IN 22
BALTIMORE CITY FOR: 23
(I) FRATERNAL PURPOSES ; 24
(II) CIVIC PURPOSES ; 25
(III) PURPOSES RELATED TO A VETERANS’ HOSPITAL; 26
(IV) PURPOSES RELATED TO AMATEUR ATHLETICS ; OR 27
(V) CHARITABLE PURPOSES ; AND 28 HOUSE BILL 399 5
(3) IS AFFILIATED WITH A PROFESSIONAL MAJOR L EAGUE BASEBALL 1
TEAM THAT PLAYS ITS HOME GAMES IN BALTIMORE CITY. 2
(B) (1) BEFORE CONDUCTING A R AFFLE, AN ORGANIZATION SHAL L 3
OBTAIN A WRITTEN PER MIT FROM THE DESIGNA TED CITY AGENCY . 4
(2) BEFORE ISSUING A PERM IT, THE DESIGNATED CITY AGENCY 5
SHALL ASCERTAIN THE CHARACTER OF TH E ORGANIZATION TO DE TERMINE IF THE 6
PERMIT SHOULD BE ISS UED. 7
(C) (1) A PERMIT ISSUED TO AN ORGANIZATION UNDER T HIS SECTION 8
MAY NOT BE TRANSFERR ED. 9
(2) THE PERMIT SHALL STAT E THAT THE RAFFLE IS REQUIRED TO BE 10
MANAGED AND OPERATED ONLY BY MEMBERS OF T HE ORGANIZATION OBTAINI NG 11
THE PERMIT. 12
(D) (1) (I) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE 13
DESIGNATED CITY AGEN CY MAY ISSUE A SINGL E PERMIT TO AN ORGAN IZATION TO 14
HOLD RAFFLES AT MULT IPLE PROFESSIONAL MA JOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAMES 15
PLAYED IN BALTIMORE CITY. 16
(II) THERE IS NO LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF RAFFLE S THAT AN 17
ORGANIZATION MAY CON DUCT IN CONJUNCTION WITH PROFESSIONAL MA JOR 18
LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME S PLAYED IN BALTIMORE CITY. 19
(2) A PERMIT TO HOLD RAFFL ES AT MULTIPLE PROFE SSIONAL 20
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBAL L GAMES PLAYED IN BALTIMORE CITY EXPIRES AT THE 21
END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR IN WHICH THE PE RMIT IS ISSUED. 22
(E) AN ORGANIZATION CONDU CTING A RAFFLE MAY : 23
(1) SET THE PRICE OF RAF FLE TICKETS; AND 24
(2) AWARD PRIZES IN MERC HANDISE AND MONEY IN ANY AMOUNT . 25
(F) AN ORGANIZATION CONDU CTING A RAFFLE MAY N OT ALLOW AN 26
INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS TO : 27
(1) BENEFIT FINANCIALLY FROM THE RAFFLE ; OR 28
(2) RECEIVE ANY OF THE P ROCEEDS OF THE RAFFL E FOR PERSONAL 29
USE OR BENEFIT . 30 6 HOUSE BILL 399
(G) (1) A RAFFLE TICKET SOLD B Y AN ORGANIZATION IN CO NJUNCTION 1
WITH A PROFESSIONAL MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBAL L GAME PLAYED IN BALTIMORE 2
CITY: 3
(I) MAY BE SOLD ONLY USI NG AGE–VERIFICATION MEASURE S 4
TO ENSURE THAT THE B UYER IS AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD; 5
(I) (II) MAY BE SOLD AND RECE IVED IN PERSON OR ON AN 6
ELECTRONIC DEVICE ON LY WITHIN THE GEOGRA PHICAL BOUNDARIES OF 7
BALTIMORE CITY DESCRIBED IN PARAGRA PH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION ; AND 8
(II) (III) SHALL BE SOLD AND RE CEIVED NOT EARLIER T HAN 1 9
HOUR BEFORE THE OFFI CIAL START OF THE BA SEBALL GAME AND NOT LATER THAN 10
THE SEVENTH INNING O F THAT BASEBALL GAME . 11
(2) AN ORGANIZATION CONDU CTING A RAFFLE UNDER THIS SECTION 12
SHALL USE A GEOFENCE TO ENSURE THAT RAFFL E TICKETS SOLD AND R ECEIVED ON 13
AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE ARE SOLD AND RECEIVE D WITHIN THE GEOGRAP HICAL 14
BOUNDARIES OF BALTIMORE CITY THE PROFESSIONAL MAJ OR LEAGUE BASEBALL 15
STADIUM. 16
13–510. 17
(a) A person may not knowingly conduct or attempt to conduct a bazaar or raffle 18
in violation of §§ 13–503 through 13–505 AND 13–505.1 of this subtitle. 19
(b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction 20
is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both. 21
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 22
1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and, at the end of May 31, 2028, 23
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 24
of no further force and effect. 25