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.
*sb0667*
SENATE BILL 667
C7 5lr2105
CF HB 633
By: Senator Guzzone
Introduced and read first time: January 26, 2025
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 21, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Gaming – Slot Machines – Skills–Based Amusement Devices 2
FOR the purpose of altering the definition of “slot machine” to provide that certain 3
skills–based amusement devices excluded from the definition may award certain 4
objects that do not exceed a certain minimal value per play and may be accumulated 5
and exchanged for merchandise or prizes of a certain value; and generally relating 6
to slot machines and skills–based amusement devices. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Criminal Law 9
Section 12–301(3) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Criminal Law 15
12–301. 16
In this subtitle: 17
(3) “slot machine” does not include a machine, apparatus, or device that: 18
2 SENATE BILL 667
(i) awards the user only free additional games or plays; 1
(ii) awards the user only noncash merchandise or noncash prizes of 2
minimal value; 3
(iii) dispenses paper pull tab tip jar tickets or paper pull tab instant 4
bingo tickets that must be opened manually by the user provided that the machine, 5
apparatus, or device does not: 6
1. read the tickets electronically; 7
2. alert the user to a winning or losing ticket; or 8
3. tabulate a player’s winnings and losses; 9
(iv) 1. is a handheld device that displays only facsimiles of bingo 10
cards that an individual uses to mark and monitor contemporaneously to a live call of bingo 11
numbers called on the premises by an individual where the user is operating the machine; 12
2. does not permit a user to play more than 54 bingo cards at 13
the same time; 14
3. does not randomly generate any numbers; and 15
4. is not part of an integrated system; 16
(v) is used by the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission 17
under Title 9 of the State Government Article; 18
(vi) if legislation takes effect authorizing the operation of video 19
lottery terminals, is a video lottery terminal as defined in and licensed under that 20
legislation; 21
(vii) is a skills–based amusement device that awards prizes [of], 22
MERCHANDISE , TICKETS, TOKENS, OR OTHER OBJECTS THA T: 23
1. PER PLAY, DO NOT EXCEED minimal value approved by 24
the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission through regulation; [or] AND 25
2. MAY BE ACCUMULATED A ND EXCHANGED FOR 26
NONCASH MERCHANDISE OR PRIZES OF VALUE T HAT: 27
A. IS SIMILAR TO THE CU MULATED VALUE OF THE 28
OBJECTS EXCHANGED ; AND 29
SENATE BILL 667 3
B. DOES NOT EXCEED A MI NIMAL WHOLESALE VALU E OF 1
$599; OR 2
(viii) is a skills–based device that awards noncash merchandise and is 3
located at a family entertainment center in Worcester County licensed under § 9–1B–02 of 4
the State Government Article. 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 6
1, 2025. 7
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.