1406                             Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 824

Commissioners", be and the same are hereby repealed and re-enacted,
with amendments, to read as follows:

84C. (a) Nothing contained in Article 27, Sections [288] 237 to
[307] 264, inclusive, of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957
[1939] Edition), title "Crimes and Punishments", sub-title "Gaming",
shall be construed as prohibiting, penalizing, or making unlawful the
keeping, maintenance, operation or distribution for operation, in
Charles County, by any person, [firm or corporation, on and after
July 1, 1949,] of any mechanical or electrical amusement devices
which require the insertion of a coin or token for their operation
and which offer [and] an award to the operator based in whole or
in part upon chance or his skill, provided that said mechanical or
electrical amusement devices or machines are licensed by the person,
[firm or corporation] who owns or operates the premises upon
which said amusement devices are maintained for the use of
the public as hereinafter provided in this sub-title. Provided,
however, that any bona fide charitable or veterans' organization
and any bona fide fire company may own and operate not
more than five such devices for which no license fee shall be required
where all the proceeds of such devices are devoted to the exclusive
benefit of such organization or company and such devices are main-
tained solely in the club room or regular meeting place of such organi-
zation or company. And provided further, that any bona fide religious
or volunteer firemen's organization may operate on not more than
two dates in any calendar year up to ten such devices without license
at any carnival or social where the proceeds of such devices are
devoted to the exclusive benefit of such organizations.

[(b) No person or firm shall be granted a license hereunder unless
such person or persons comprising the firm are shown affirmatively
to be bona fide property owners in Charles County on January 1,
1951, or are registered voters in said County. No corporation shall
be granted a license hereunder unless all officers, directors, and the
holders of 90% of the stock of such corporation are shown affirma-
tively to have been individual property owners in Charles County on
January 1, 1951, or shall be registered voters in said County.]

(b) No person shall be granted a license hereunder unless such per-
son is shown affirmatively to be a bona fide property owner in Charles

County for at least five years prior to such application and a regis-

tered voter in Charles County for at least five years prior to such

application. No such license shall be issued to any corporation.

(B) NO PERSON OR FIRM SHALL BE GRANTED A
LICENSE OR RENEWAL OF LICENSE HEREUNDER UNLESS
SUCH PERSON OR PERSONS COMPRISING THE FIRM ARE
SHOWN AFFIRMATIVELY TO HAVE BEEN BONA FIDE
RESIDENTS OF CHARLES COUNTY FOR TWO YEARS PRIOR
TO SUCH APPLICATION AND ARE REGISTERED VOTERS
IN SAID COUNTY. NO CORPORATION SHALL BE GRANTED
A LICENSE OR RENEWAL OF LICENSE HEREUNDER UN-
LESS ALL OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS
ARE SHOWN AFFIRMATIVELY TO HAVE BEEN BONA FIDE
RESIDENTS OF CHARLES COUNTY FOR TWO YEARS PRIOR
TO SUCH APPLICATION AND ARE REGISTERED VOTERS IN
SAID COUNTY.