Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §375, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:

1-A.__Location of lottery machines.__The director may issue a license to sell lottery tickets to an applicant who meets the requirements of subsection 1 regardless of the location of any existing lottery sales agent.

Sec. 2. 8 MRSA §387, as amended by PL 1995, c. 494, §5, is further amended to read:

§387. State Lottery Fund; appropriation of money

1. Appropriation. The money in the State Lottery Fund may be appropriated only:

A. For the payment of prizes to the holders of winning lottery tickets or shares;

B. For the expense of the division bureau in its operation of the lottery;

C. For payment to the General Fund; and

D. For payment to the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund pursuant to Title 12, section 7782.; and

E.__For the payment of annual revenue sharing to sales agents.

2. Apportionment. The money in the State Lottery Fund shall must be apportioned so that not less than 45% of the total ticket sales received in the lottery will be is disbursed as prizes to holders of winning tickets. Twelve percent of total ticket sales must be distributed by the director to lottery agents as revenue sharing on a yearly basis.__Each agent must be paid 12% of the agent's annual ticket sales. All other money, less reasonable costs for the proper administration of the State Lottery, shall be is the State's share.

SUMMARY

This bill allows the Director of the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services to issue licenses to sell lottery tickets without regard to the distance between the new location and any other location. The bill also directs the State Liquor and Lottery Commission to distribute 12% of annual lottery ticket sales revenue back to sales agents as revenue sharing.