PRINTER'S NO. 2483
No. 1955 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY KAISER, LUCYK, MELIO, READSHAW, BELARDI, MARKOSEK,
HALUSKA, LAUGHLIN, OLASZ, GIGLIOTTI, WOJNAROSKI, McCALL,
DEMPSEY, PESCI, BELFANTI, GODSHALL, WALKO, BEBKO-JONES,
SAINATO, YOUNGBLOOD, STABACK, DALEY, TRELLO, VAN HORNE,
PIPPY, SEYFERT, WILT, PETRARCA, BOSCOLA AND CAPPABIANCA,
OCTOBER 22, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, OCTOBER 22, 1997
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of December 19, 1988 (P.L.1262, No.156),
2 entitled, as amended, "An act providing for the licensing of
3 eligible organizations to conduct games of chance, for the
4 licensing of persons to distribute games of chance, for the
5 registration of manufacturers of games of chance, and for
6 suspensions and revocations of licenses and permits;
7 requiring records; providing for local referendum by
8 electorate; and prescribing penalties," increasing prize
9 limits.
10 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11 hereby enacts as follows:
12 Section 1. Section 5 of the act of December 19, 1988
13 (P.L.1262, No.156), known as the Local Option Small Games of
14 Chance Act, amended December 19, 1990, P.L.812, No.195), is
15 amended to read:
16 Section 5. Prize limits.
17 (a) Individual prize limit.--The maximum cash value which
18 may be awarded for any single chance shall be $500.
19 (b) [Weekly limit] Limits.--No more than [$5,000] $20,000 in
1 cash or merchandise shall be awarded by any eligible
2 organization in a single night and no more than $40,000 awarded
3 in any seven-day period.
4 (c) Limit on raffles.--No more than $5,000 in cash or
5 merchandise shall be awarded in raffles in any calendar month.
6 (d) Exception.--An eligible organization may conduct a
7 raffle and award a prize or prizes valued in excess of $500 each
8 only under the following conditions:
9 (1) The licensing authority has issued a special permit
10 for the raffle under section 11.
11 (2) Eligible organizations shall be eligible to receive
12 no more than two special permits in any licensed year except
13 that volunteer fire, ambulance and rescue organizations shall
14 be eligible to receive no more than three special permits in
15 any licensed year.
16 (3) Only one raffle may be conducted under each special
17 permit.
18 (4) The total cash value of all prizes shall be no more
19 than $25,000 for each raffle.
20 (e) Limit on daily drawings.--Daily drawings shall be
21 governed by the prize limitations contained in subsections (a)
22 and (b).
23 (f) Exception.--The prize limitation contained in
24 subsections (a) and (b) may be exceeded by a daily drawing under
25 the following circumstances: a daily drawing may award a prize
26 where the cash value is in excess of $500 if such prize is the
27 result of a carryover of a drawing or drawings which resulted
28 from the winning number in such drawing or drawings not being
29 among the eligible entrants in such drawings. Nothing contained
30 herein shall authorize the prize limitations as contained in
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1 subsections (a) and (b) to be exceeded as a result of a failure
2 to conduct a drawing on an operating day during which chances
3 were sold for a daily drawing or for a daily drawing for which
4 chances were sold in excess of $1 or for which more than one
5 chance was sold to an eligible participant.
6 (g) Daily drawing exception.--When a daily drawing is set up
7 or conducted in such a manner as to pay out or award 100% of the
8 gross revenues generated from such drawing, the limitations
9 contained in subsection (b) shall not apply.
10 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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