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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1490S.P. 605 In Senate, April 8, 2025
An Act to Allow Nonprofit Organizations to Sell Progressive Pull-
tab Games and to Offer Partner-assisted Beano and to Establish
New Guidelines for the Expansion of Gambling
(EMERGENCY)
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator GROHOSKI of Hancock. Page 1 - 132LR2385(01)1 acts and resolves of the Legislature do not
2 become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
3 current interpretation of authorized lucky seven or similar sealed ticket
4 games does not include games designed by the manufacturer to include a jackpot prize that
5 is carried over to a subsequent series of tickets or cards with the same form number in the
6 event that jackpot prize is not won, also known as progressive pull-tab games, despite
7 historical practice allowing such games; and
8 many eligible nonprofit organizations have already registered with the
9 Department of Public Safety's Gambling Control Unit to offer such games and not being
10 able to offer progressive pull-tab games will result in a negative financial impact; and
11 in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within
12 the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as
13 immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now,
14 therefore,
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16 is enacted to read:
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18 For the purposes of this
19 section, "gambling" has the same meaning as in Title 17-A, section 952, subsection 4 and
20 includes any type of gambling authorized under this Title, but does not include gambling
21 authorized under Title 17, chapter 13-A or 62.
22 A joint standing committee of the
23 Legislature that considers proposed legislation to authorize a new form of gambling in the
24 State or to substantially expand an existing authorized form of gambling in the State shall
25 hold a public hearing and determine the level of support for the proposal among the
26 members of the committee. If there is support for the proposal among a majority of the
27 members of the committee, the committee shall refer the proposal to the board and the
28 Gambling Control Unit within the department for review and evaluation pursuant to
29 subsection 3. Once review and evaluation has been completed, the committee shall review
30 the findings of the board and the unit.
31 Upon referral pursuant to subsection 2 of a proposal to
32 authorize a new form of gambling in the State or to substantially expand an existing
33 authorized form of gambling in the State from the joint standing committee of the
34 Legislature having jurisdiction over the proposal, the board and the Gambling Control Unit
35 shall jointly conduct a review of the proposal and an evaluation of the financial impact that
36 the proposal would have on eligible organizations as described under Title 17, section 1832,
37 subsection 2 licensed or registered to conduct games of chance. The board and unit shall
38 report their findings to the committee in a timely manner.
39 A proposal to authorize a new form of gambling in the State or
40 to substantially expand an existing authorized form of gambling in the State may not be
41 enacted into law unless review and evaluation pursuant to subsection 3 has been completed
42 and the review and evaluation has determined that no negative financial impact would Page 2 - 132LR2385(01)
43 result from the proposal on eligible organizations as described under Title 17, section 1832,
44 subsection 2 licensed or registered to conduct games of chance.
3 as enacted by PL 2003, c. 353, §1, is repealed and the
4 following enacted in its place:
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6 A person conducting or assisting in the conduct of beano may
7 assist a player by playing that player's cards while the player takes a restroom break. This
8 subsection does not apply to the conduct of high-stakes beano.
9 A person conducting beano may play with another person
10 conducting beano as a partnered pair. A partnered pair conducting beano under this
11 subsection may play no more than 18 tally cards per game.
12 as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. KKKKK,
13 §8, is further amended by amending the first blocked paragraph to read:
14 For the purposes of this subsection, "an event the result of which is determined by chance"
15 includes but is not limited to a shuffle of a deck of cards, a roll of a die or dice or a random
16 drawing or generation of an object that may include, but is not limited to, a card, a die, a
17 number or simulations of any of these. A shuffle of a deck of cards, a roll of a die, a random
18 drawing or generation of an object or some other event the result of which is determined
19 by chance that is employed to determine impartially the initial order of play in a game,
20 contest, scheme or device does not alone make a game, contest, scheme or device a game
21 of chance. For the purposes of this chapter, "game of chance" includes a lucky seven or
22 similar sealed ticket game. For purposes of this chapter, beano, bingo and table games as
23 defined in Title 8, section 1001, subsection 43‑A
24 is enacted to read:
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26 ticket game" means a game consisting of tickets or cards with preprinted symbols, numbers
27 or other figures that are hidden by an opaque, removable material. Each ticket or card
28 represents a chance to win a specific single prize, including a monetary prize, or specific
29 set of prizes. A winning ticket or card contains a predetermined winning configuration of
30 symbols, numbers or other figures. "Lucky seven or similar sealed ticket game" includes a
31 lucky seven or similar sealed ticket game that is designed by the manufacturer to include a
32 jackpot prize that is carried over to a subsequent series of tickets or cards with the same
33 form number in the event that jackpot prize is not won. "Lucky seven or similar sealed
34 ticket game" does not include the lottery under Title 8, chapter 14-A or 16.
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36 takes effect when approved.
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38 This bill requires review and evaluation of any proposal to authorize new for-profit
39 gambling in the State or to expand existing authorized for-profit gambling in the State.
40 Following a public hearing on such a proposal, and if a majority of the joint standing
41 committee of jurisdiction supports the proposal, the proposal must be submitted to the
42 Gambling Control Board and the Gambling Control Unit within the Department of Public
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43 Safety for review and evaluation of the financial impact that the proposal would have on
44 eligible nonprofit organizations licensed or registered to conduct games of chance. The
45 Legislature may not enact into law any such proposal unless the proposal is reviewed and
46 evaluated by the Gambling Control Board and the Gambling Control Unit and determined
47 to have no negative financial impact on eligible nonprofit organizations licensed or
48 registered to conduct games of chance.
7 The bill also authorizes partner-assisted beano, as long as the partnered pair plays no
8 more than 18 tally cards per game.
9 The bill also defines "lucky seven or similar sealed ticket game," which is a game of
10 chance, and clarifies that lucky seven or similar sealed ticket games include so-called
11 progressive pull-tab games, which are games designed by the manufacturer to include a
12 jackpot prize that is carried over to a subsequent series of tickets or cards with the same
13 form number in the event that jackpot prize is not won.
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