An Act To Allow Veterans' Organizations To Own and Operate Slot Machines
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §20006-B, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. AA, §24, is further amended to read:
Sec. 2. 8 MRSA §1001, sub-§5-C is enacted to read:
Sec. 3. 8 MRSA §1001, sub-§13-B is enacted to read:
Sec. 4. 8 MRSA §1011, sub-§2-C is enacted to read:
(1) If the eligible organization is a charitable nonprofit organization, demonstrate that a majority of the revenue, after deductions for reasonable expenses, generated from gaming conducted under Title 17, chapter 13-A or 62 has been used for the charitable purpose of the eligible organization;
(2) If the eligible organization is a charitable nonprofit organization, demonstrate that the premises on which the slot machines will be operated have been owned or leased for at least 2 consecutive years, serve as the primary location of the organization's administrative operations and are located in a municipality in which the voters have approved in a referendum election the operation of slot machines by a charitable nonprofit organization;
(3) Demonstrate that it has at least $2,000 in cash reserved in a segregated account for each slot machine the eligible organization intends to operate if issued a license;
(4) If the eligible organization is a charitable nonprofit organization, identify and submit to the board a list of the charitable purposes for which the revenue from the operation of the slot machines will be used; and
(5) Meet other criteria established by the board pursuant to rule regarding the licensing and operation of slot machines.
(1) The name and address of the eligible organization and, for an eligible organization that is a charitable nonprofit organization, the name of the organization's treasurer and at least one official on the governing board of the eligible organization who will submit the application to the board;
(2) A copy of the deed, rental agreement or lease agreement for the premises where the eligible organization intends to operate a slot machine;
(3) State and federal tax returns of the eligible organization for the immediately prior 2 calendar years; and
(4) For an eligible organization that is a charitable nonprofit organization, copies of disposition of funds reports from the operation of games of chance or beano conducted by the eligible organization for the immediately prior 2 calendar years.
Sec. 5. 8 MRSA §1011, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2005, c. 663, §6, is further amended to read:
Sec. 6. 8 MRSA §1016, sub-§1, ¶D, as amended by PL 2013, c. 212, §15, is further amended to read:
Sec. 7. 8 MRSA §1016, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2013, c. 212, §21, is further amended to read:
Sec. 8. 8 MRSA §1017, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
Sec. 9. 8 MRSA §1018, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 417, §4; c. 469, §5; and c. 585, §§5 and 6, is further amended to read:
In addition to the application fee for a license or annual fee for a registered slot machine or table game, the board may charge a one-time application fee for a license or registration listed in paragraphs A to E in an amount equal to the projected cost of processing the application and performing any background investigations. If the actual cost exceeds the projected cost, an additional fee may be charged to meet the actual cost. If the projected cost exceeds the actual cost, the difference may be refunded to the applicant. All fees collected pursuant to this section must be deposited directly to the Administrative Expenses Other Special Revenue Funds account, which is a dedicated nonlapsing account within the Gambling Control Board, except that $25,000 of the annual renewal fee for a slot machine operator or casino operator must be deposited to the Gross Slot Income Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Gambling Control Board to be transferred to the municipality in which the slot machine facility or casino is operated, in accordance with subsection 2. All application and registration fees are nonrefundable and are due upon submission of the application.
Sec. 10. 8 MRSA §1019, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2011, c. 417, §5, is further amended to read:
Sec. 11. 8 MRSA §1019, sub-§7, as amended by PL 2011, c. 417, §6, is further amended to read:
Sec. 12. 8 MRSA §1019, sub-§§8 and 9 are enacted to read:
Sec. 13. 8 MRSA §1020, sub-§2, ¶G, as amended by PL 2013, c. 212, §24, is further amended to read:
Sec. 14. 8 MRSA §1020, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2011, c. 585, §8, is further amended to read:
Sec. 15. 8 MRSA §1031, as amended by IB 2009, c. 2, §39, is further amended by adding a new first paragraph to read:
The following provisions apply to the operation of slot machines and table games by operators licensed in accordance with section 1011, subsections 2 and 2-A.
Sec. 16. 8 MRSA §1031-A is enacted to read:
§ 1031-A. Eligible organization; age limit on slot machine use; play limited to members and guests; access by minors; credit prohibited
The following provisions apply to the operation of slot machines by an eligible organization licensed in accordance with section 1011, subsection 2-C.
Sec. 17. 8 MRSA §1035, as amended by PL 2011, c. 585, §10, is further amended to read:
§ 1035. Location of slot machines
Slot machines may be located only on the premises of an eligible organization licensed in accordance with this chapter, the premises of a commercial track, the premises of a casino or the premises of an accredited postsecondary institution for the purposes of training and education under section 1011, subsection 1-B. For the purposes of this section, "premises of a commercial track" means property owned by the person who owns the property on which a commercial track is located and that is either within 200 feet of the outside edge of the racing oval or, if the commercial track was owned by a municipality when a license to operate slot machines in association with that commercial track was issued, within 2,000 feet of the center of the racing oval.
Sec. 18. 8 MRSA §1036, sub-§2-D is enacted to read:
Net revenue from the operation of slot machines by an eligible organization after the distributions required in paragraphs A to D must be used to support the charitable purposes identified to the board under section 1011, subsection 2-C, paragraph A, except that the net revenue may be used to pay compensation and defray expenses in the same manner as prescribed for revenue from games of chance by Title 17, section 1838.
Sec. 19. 8 MRSA §1036, sub-§2-E is enacted to read:
summary
This bill authorizes the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Board to issue licenses for the operation of slot machines to charitable nonprofit organizations and off-track betting facilities. A charitable nonprofit organization must have been a bona fide nonprofit for at least 2 years prior to October 1, 2014 and must own or lease the premises on which the slot machines are operated. An eligible nonprofit charitable organization is limited to 5 slot machines. Facilities licensed as off-track betting facilities are limited to 50 machines per facility. The bill increases the statewide limit on the number of slot machines to be operated from 3,000 to 3,250.
A charitable nonprofit organization authorized to operate slot machines is required to distribute 30% of net slot machine revenue to the board to be divided among the Gambling Control Board, gambling addiction and treatment programs, the General Fund and the host municipality. An off-track betting facility is required to distribute 45% of net slot machine revenue to the board to be divided among the Gambling Control Board, gambling addiction and treatment programs, the General Fund, the host municipality and the Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund.