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<section article="gcr" article_name="Criminal Law" number="13-2503" title_number="13" title_name="Gaming -- Local Provisions" subtitle_number="25" subtitle_name="Wicomico County">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The sheriff may issue a license to an organization listed in subsection (b) of this section to conduct a game that uses any of the following devices to award prizes of merchandise or money:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>a paddle wheel;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>a wheel of fortune;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>a chance book;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>bingo;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>a raffle; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>any other gaming device.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>To qualify for a license under this subtitle, an organization shall be:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>a bona fide religious organization that has conducted religious services at a fixed location in the county for at least 5 years before the organization applies for a license;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>a tax–supported volunteer fire company or an auxiliary unit whose members are directly associated with the fire company;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>an organization that has been located in the county for at least 5 years before it applies for a license and is:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a nationally chartered veterans’ organization or an auxiliary unit whose members are directly associated with the veterans’ organization;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>a nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under § 501(c)(3) or (4) of the Internal Revenue Code;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>a nonprofit fraternal organization that is exempt from taxation under § 501(c)(10) of the Internal Revenue Code; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>a nonprofit organization that:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>intends to use the gaming license to raise money for an exclusively charitable, athletic, or educational purpose that meets the conditions of subsection (c) of this section; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>states the charitable, athletic, or educational purpose in the application to the sheriff.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>For the purposes of subsection (b)(3)(iv) of this section, a purpose is considered a charitable, athletic, or educational purpose if the purpose:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>meets the requirements for a charitable contribution under § 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>does not benefit a:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>law enforcement unit;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>fraternal organization for a law enforcement unit;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>political club;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>political committee;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>political party; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>unit of State government or a political subdivision of the State other than:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>an ambulance company;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>a fire fighting company;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>a rescue company;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>a primary school;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>a secondary school; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="6">
          <text>an institution of higher education.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>An applicant for a license shall submit an application to the sheriff.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The application shall contain:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a copy of the tax–exempt verification of the organization;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>a copy of the applicant’s charter, if applicable; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>a certification by a principal officer of the applicant stating:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>the dates for which the license is sought;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>the place at which the game will be conducted;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>the type of game for which the license is sought;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>that only the regular members of the applicant will conduct the games and operate the gaming device for which the license is sought;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>that the applicant will not use the assistance of gaming professionals in conducting games or operating gaming devices;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="6">
          <text>that persons conducting the games and operating the gaming devices or assisting in conducting the games and operating the gaming devices will not receive compensation or reward; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="7">
          <text>that all proceeds obtained under the license will be used to further the purposes of the organization.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The sheriff shall retain the copies of the applicant’s verification of tax exemption and charter.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The sheriff may issue a license:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>for one or more specific dates; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>for a period not exceeding 1 year.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The licensing year shall run from July 1 through the following June 30.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The license shall state:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the dates that the game will be conducted;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the place that the game will be conducted; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>the type of game authorized.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided under paragraph (2) of this subsection, a licensee may not conduct a game on Sunday.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>A licensee may operate a raffle on Sunday.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A raffle is considered to be operated on the day that the licensee selects the raffle winner.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The sheriff shall license a 50/50 game operated for a period of more than 1 day as a raffle.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>A licensee may not allow a child who is under the age of 16 years to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>operate a game or gaming device for which a license is issued under this subtitle;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>conduct a game in which a gaming device is operated; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>play or participate in a game in which a gaming device is operated.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The licensee may not pay a fee for the rental of the premises on which a game is conducted to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>itself;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>a trustee of the licensee;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>a committee of the licensee; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>an organization with the same members or substantially the same members as the licensee.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>The sheriff shall charge each applicant:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>a license fee of $1 for each day for which a license is issued; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the following additional amounts:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>except as provided in items (ii) through (v) of this item, $1 for each gaming device to be operated each day;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>$1 for each day that a pull tab or instant bingo device is to be sold;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>$1 for each day that a bingo event is to be conducted;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>$1 for each day that a bingo special event is to be conducted; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>$1 for each raffle to be conducted.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
