PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor                             Ch. 557

Section 258B(d)

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1992 Replacement Volume and 1994 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 27 - Crimes and Punishments

258B.

(a) Any group of citizens of Prince George's County, or any company, association
or body corporate BODY, bona fide organized within Prince George's County for the
promotion of the purposes of a volunteer fire department, or of any charitable,
benevolent, patriotic, fraternal, educational, religious or civic object, and not organized
for the private profit or gain of any member of such group, company, association or body
corporate, may conduct and operate any benefit performance, such as an outdoor or
indoor carnival, fair, picnic, dance, card party, bingo party, bazaar, concert, contest,
exhibition, lecture, barbecue or dinner, to which the public is invited or admitted with or
without charge if the net proceeds of the benefit performance inure to the group,
company, association or body corporate for the promotion of and to be used for one or
more of the objects hereinbefore set forth, and not for the private gain of any member of
the group or organization. At a benefit performance, conducted under the conditions
herein prescribed, it shall be lawful to award prizes in merchandise, conduct games of
skill, to dispose of merchandise and other things of value by auction or voting or by such
mechanical devices as are commonly designated as paddle wheels, wheels of fortune,
bingo, or other similar methods, and with or without an entrance or participation charge
or fee. It shall also be lawful to award cash prizes of not more than $1,000 per prize.
Before operating any such benefit performance, [other than a casino night as defined in
subsection (c) of this section,] the group or organization shall first obtain from the
Department of Environmental Resources for GOVERNING BODY OF Prince George's
County OR ITS DESIGNEE a written permit. The benefit performance may be managed
and operated only by members of such group or organization personally. Except as
OTHERWISE provided in [subsection (c)(3) of] this section, any person, company,
association or corporation operating, or attempting to operate any such benefit
performance in violation of this [subsection] SECTION, shall, upon conviction of such
violation, be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment in jail for a period of
not more than 1 year, or both, in the discretion of the court.

(c) (1) (I) IN THIS SUBSECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE
MEANINGS INDICATED.

(II) 1. "CASINO NIGHT" MEANS A BENEFIT PERFORMANCE AT
WHICH CARD GAMES, WHEELS OF FORTUNE CHANCE, OR ROULETTE ARE PLAYED
AND PRIZES ARE AWARDED MONEY WINNINGS OR TOKENS REDEEMABLE IN MONEY
ARE AWARDED AS PRIZES.

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