2016 -- S 2384

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES - GAMBLING AND LOTTERIES

     

     Introduced By: Senators Lynch Prata, and Doyle

     Date Introduced: February 10, 2016

     Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 11-19-1 and 11-19-19 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-19

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entitled "Gambling and Lotteries" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-19-1. Forms of gambling prohibited. -- Every person who shall, directly or

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indirectly, set up, put forth, carry on, promote, or draw, publicly or privately, any lottery, chance,

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game, or device of any nature or kind whatsoever, or by whatsoever name it may be called, for

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the purpose of exposing, setting for sale or disposing of any money, houses, lands, merchandise,

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or articles of value, or shall sell or expose to sale lottery policies, purporting to be governed by

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the drawing of any public or private lottery, or shall sign or endorse any book, document, or paper

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whatsoever, for the purpose of enabling others to sell, or expose to sale, lottery policies, except as

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authorized in this chapter, including, but not limited to, §§11-19-46 and 11-19-47, and in title 41,

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and chapters 61 and 61.2 of title 42, shall be deemed guilty of a felony and shall be imprisoned

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not exceeding two (2) years or be fined not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000).

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     11-19-19. Revocation of license of gambling place. -- If a person in violation of §§§11-

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19-18 or 11-19-47 is a tavernkeeper, innholder, retailer, or keeper of any other house or place of

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public resort which is licensed, that license shall in addition be declared null and void by the court

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in which he or she shall be convicted.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 11-19 of the General Laws entitled "Gambling and Lotteries" is

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hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections:

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     11-19-46. Social gaming permitted. -- (a) Social gaming defined herein as a game other

 

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than a lottery, between players where gambling is incidental to a bona fide social relationship

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between participants and where no person other than the players participating in the social game

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are entitled to receive anything of value and provided that none of the participants are involved

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with professional gambling, shall be permitted under this chapter.

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     (b) No host of a social game under this chapter shall be guilty of promoting a form of

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illegal gambling when the host, in a private residence, offers gaming allowable under subsection

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(a) of this section, provided that the participants are invitees of the owner/tenant, and the

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owner/tenant derives no monetary benefit from and does not intend to derive a profit from aiding

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or inducing another to gamble by hosting the event.

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     11-19-47. Places social gambling permitted. – (a) Notwithstanding any general law to

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the contrary, it shall not be illegal for any private business, private club or place of public

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accommodation to allow on its premises:

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     (1) Social gaming allowed under §11-19-46, provided that the owner or operator of the

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premises derives no monetary benefit from and does not intend to derive a profit from aiding or

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inducing another to gamble by allowing the gaming to occur on the premises; or

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     (2) The running of "office pools" based on the result or occurrence of a social or sporting

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event, provided that:

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     (i) No money is withheld from the amount paid by the participants by the operator or the

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promoter of the pool;

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     (ii) All monies paid by the participants, as an entry fee or otherwise, are paid out to the

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winner based on the result of the pool;

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     (iii) That prior to participation each entrant has an equal chance to win the pool;

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     (iv) Participants must be of legal age to gamble as provided for in this title; and

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     (v) That holders of liquor licenses who desire to are required to apply for a permit to

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conduct such activities as part of the liquor license. Such holders shall pay a fee of one hundred

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dollars ($100) for said permit to the department of business regulation and display the permit

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prominently along with their liquor license.

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     (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a nonprofit organization may petition

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the state police to run a pool, in the same manner as proscribed in §11-19-31, and withhold an

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amount of the money in the pool for its charitable purposes, as long as:

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     (1) The percentage of the money to be withheld from the total amount of the pool does

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not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) and is clearly spelled out prior to the entrants' participation;

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     (2) No outside agent or professional fundraisers derive a profit from the activity; and

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     (3) The disbursement of proceeds is limited to the pool winner, de minimis expense

 

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incurred in running the pool, and the charity itself.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES - GAMBLING AND LOTTERIES

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     This act would allow social gaming in private residences and in public taverns or private

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clubs so long as the gambling is incidental to a bona fide social relationship between the

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participants and so long as no person other than the participants receive anything of value. It

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would provide that no entry fees or proceeds from the gaming activity be payable to the house,

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host, owner, or manager of the establishment or residence.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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