THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY BENNINGHOFF, CALTAGIRONE, EVANKOVICH, GIBBONS, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GRELL, HARRIS, KAUFFMAN, MAHONEY, MILLARD, READSHAW, ROAE, VULAKOVICH AND YOUNGBLOOD, APRIL 5, 2011

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAMING OVERSIGHT, APRIL 5, 2011  

AN ACT

Amending the act of December 19, 1988 (P.L.1262, No.156),

entitled, as amended, "An act providing for the licensing of

eligible organizations to conduct games of chance, for the

licensing of persons to distribute games of chance, for the

registration of manufacturers of games of chance, and for

suspensions and revocations of licenses and permits;

requiring records; providing for local referendum by

electorate; and prescribing penalties," further providing for

prize limits.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 5 of the act of December 19, 1988

(P.L.1262, No.156), known as the Local Option Small Games of

Chance Act, amended December 19, 1990 (P.L.812, No.195) and

October 18, 2000 (P.L.602, No.79), is amended to read:

Section 5.  Prize limits.

(a)  Individual prize limit.--The maximum cash value which

may be awarded for any single chance shall be [$500] $1,000.

(b)  Weekly limit.--No more than [$5,000] $25,000 in cash or

merchandise shall be awarded by any eligible organization in any

seven-day period. Payouts of less than $26 shall not be counted

toward the weekly limit.

(c)  Limit on raffles.--No more than $5,000 in cash or

merchandise shall be awarded in raffles in any calendar month.

(d)  Exception.--An eligible organization may conduct a

raffle and award a prize or prizes valued in excess of [$500]

$1,000 each only under the following conditions:

(1)  The licensing authority has issued a special permit

for the raffle under section 11.

(2)  Eligible organizations shall be eligible to receive

no more than two special permits in any licensed year except

that volunteer fire, ambulance and rescue organizations shall

be eligible to receive no more than three special permits in

any licensed year.

(3)  Only one raffle may be conducted under each special

permit.

(4)  The total cash value of all prizes shall be no more

than $100,000 per calendar year.

(e)  Limit on daily drawings.--Daily drawings shall be

governed by the prize [limitations contained in subsections (a)

and (b). An eligible organization shall not conduct daily

drawings during a period when a weekly drawing is taking place]

limitation contained in subsection (a).

(f)  Exception.--The prize limitation contained in

[subsections (a) and (b)] subsection (a) may be exceeded by a

daily drawing under the following circumstances: a daily drawing

may award a prize where the cash value is in excess of [$500]

$1,000 if such prize is the result of a carryover of a drawing

or drawings which resulted from the winning number in such

drawing or drawings not being among the eligible entrants in

such drawings. Nothing contained herein shall authorize the

prize [limitations as contained in subsections (a) and (b)]

limitation as contained in subsection (a) to be exceeded as a

result of a failure to conduct a drawing on an operating day

during which chances were sold for a daily drawing or for a

daily drawing for which chances were sold in excess of $1 or for

which more than one chance was sold to an eligible participant.

(g)  Daily drawing and weekly drawing exception.--When a

daily drawing or weekly drawing is set up or conducted in such a

manner as to pay out or award 100% of the gross revenues

generated from such drawing, the limitations contained in

subsection (b) shall not apply.

(h)  Limit on weekly drawings.--Weekly drawings shall be

governed by the prize limitations contained in subsection (b).

The prize limitation contained in subsection (b) may be exceeded

by a weekly drawing under the following circumstances: a weekly

drawing may award a prize where the cash value is in excess of

[$5,000] $25,000 if such prize is the result of a carryover of a

drawing or drawings which resulted from the winning number or

numbers in such drawing or drawings not being among the eligible

entrants in such drawings. Nothing contained in this act shall

authorize the prize limitations as contained in subsection (b)

to be exceeded as a result of a failure to conduct a drawing for

a week during which chances were sold for a weekly drawing or

for a weekly drawing for which chances were sold in excess of

$1. [An eligible organization shall not conduct weekly drawings

during a period when a daily drawing is taking place.]

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.