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WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 484
Chapter 484
(Senate Bill 538)
AN ACT concerning
Baltimore City – Raffles – Organizations Affiliated With Professional Baseball
and Football Teams
FOR the purpose of authorizing certain organizations that are affiliated with a professional
National Football League team that plays its home games in Baltimore City to
conduct certain raffles, subject to certain limitations; repealing extending a certain
termination date of certain provisions of law authorizing certain organizations that
are affiliated with a professional Major League Baseball team that plays its home
games in Baltimore City to conduct certain raffles; and generally relating to raffles
in Baltimore City.
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
Article – Criminal Law
Section 13–501, 13–503, and 13–505
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – Criminal Law
Section 13–505.1
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Chapter 372 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025
Section 2
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article – Criminal Law
13–501.
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.
(b) “Commissioner” means the Baltimore City Police Commissioner.
(c) “Designated city agency” means an agency designated by the Baltimore City
government.
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Ch. 484 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
(d) (1) “Electronic device” means a device that is capable of transmitting,
receiving, or recording messages, images, sounds, data, or other information by electronic
means or that, in appearance, purports to be a cell phone, computer, or other such device.
(2) “Electronic device” includes a cell phone or computer.
(3) “Electronic device” does not include a video lottery terminal as defined
under § 9–1A–01 of the State Government Article.
(e) “Gaming event” means a carnival, bazaar, or raffle.
(f) (1) “Geofence” means technology that establishes a virtual geographical
boundary.
(2) “Geofence” includes boundaries that are established or monitored
through the use of:
(i) global positioning technology;
(ii) cell tower connectivity;
(iii) cellular data;
(iv) radio frequency identification;
(v) wireless fidelity technology; or
(vi) any other form of location determination technology.
(g) “Raffle” means one or more drawings from a single series of chances sold.
13–503.
(a) This section does not apply to a raffle authorized under § 13–505.1 of this
subtitle.
(b) Before an organization listed in subsection (c) of this section may operate a
gaming event, the organization shall obtain a permit from the commissioner.
(c) (1) An organization that meets the conditions of paragraph (2) of this
subsection may conduct a gaming event for the benefit of any of the following listed
organizations if the organization is a bona fide:
(i) religious organization;
(ii) fraternal organization;
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WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 484
(iii) civic organization;
(iv) veterans’ hospital;
(v) amateur athletic organization in which all playing members are
under the age of 18 years; or
(vi) charitable organization.
(2) An organization conducting a gaming event shall:
(i) be located in Baltimore City; and
(ii) spend a majority of the organization’s funds in Baltimore City
for:
1. fraternal purposes;
2. civic purposes;
3. purposes related to a veterans’ hospital;
4. purposes related to amateur athletics; or
5. charitable purposes.
(d) (1) Before the commissioner may issue a permit, the commissioner shall
review the character of the organization applying for the permit to ascertain that the
organization meets the requirements of §§ 13–503 through 13–505 of this subtitle.
(2) The commissioner shall make any application for a permit and the
action taken by the commissioner on that application a matter of public record.
(e) (1) The permit shall state that the gaming event shall be managed and
operated personally only by members of the organization obtaining the permit.
(2) The permit is not transferable.
(f) An organization conducting a gaming event in Baltimore City may not allow
an individual or group of individuals to:
(1) benefit financially from the gaming event; or
(2) receive any of the proceeds of the gaming event for personal use or
benefit.
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Ch. 484 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
13–505.
(a) A permit holder may award prizes in merchandise and money in a raffle in
any amount.
(b) Except as provided in § 13–505.1(d)(1)(ii) of this subtitle, a permit holder may
not conduct more than 12 raffles in a calendar year.
13–505.1.
(a) A raffle may be conducted by an organization that:
(1) is located in Baltimore City;
(2) spends a majority of the organization’s funds in Baltimore City for:
(i) fraternal purposes;
(ii) civic purposes;
(iii) purposes related to a veterans’ hospital;
(iv) purposes related to amateur athletics; or
(v) charitable purposes; and
(3) is affiliated with:
(I) a professional Major League Baseball team that plays its home
games in Baltimore City; OR
(II) A PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAM
THAT PLAYS ITS HOME GAMES IN BALTIMORE CITY.
(b) (1) Before conducting a raffle, an organization shall obtain a written permit
from the designated city agency.
(2) Before issuing a permit, the designated city agency shall ascertain the
character of the organization to determine if the permit should be issued.
(c) (1) A permit issued to an organization under this section may not be
transferred.
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WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 484
(2) The permit shall state that the raffle is required to be managed and
operated only by members of the organization obtaining the permit.
(d) (1) (i) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the designated city
agency may issue a single permit to an organization to hold raffles at multiple professional
Major League Baseball OR PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE games
played in Baltimore City.
(ii) There is no limit on the number of raffles that an organization
may conduct in conjunction with professional Major League Baseball OR PROFESSIONAL
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE games played in Baltimore City.
(2) A permit to hold raffles at multiple professional Major League Baseball
OR PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE games played in Baltimore City
expires [at the end of the calendar year in] 1 YEAR AFTER THE DATE ON which the permit
is issued.
(e) An organization conducting a raffle may:
(1) set the price of raffle tickets; and
(2) award prizes in merchandise and money in any amount.
(f) An organization conducting a raffle may not allow an individual or group of
individuals to:
(1) benefit financially from the raffle; or
(2) receive any of the proceeds of the raffle for personal use or benefit.
(g) (1) A raffle ticket sold by an organization in conjunction with a professional
Major League Baseball OR PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE game played
in Baltimore City:
(i) may only be sold using age–verification measures to ensure that
the buyer is at least 18 years old;
(ii) may be sold and received in–person or on an electronic device
only within the geographical boundaries described in paragraph (2) of this subsection; and
(iii) 1. WITH RESPECT TO A RAFFLE CONDUCTED BY AN
ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3)(I) OF THIS SECTION, shall be
sold and received not earlier than 1 hour before the official start of the baseball game and
not later than the seventh inning of that baseball game; OR
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Ch. 484 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
2. WITH RESPECT TO A RAFFLE CONDUCTED BY AN
ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3)(II) OF THIS SECTION, SHALL
BE SOLD AND RECEIVED NOT EARLIER THAN 4.5 HOURS BEFORE THE OFFICIAL
START OF THE FOOTBALL GAME AND NOT LATER THAN THE THIRD QUARTER OF
THAT FOOTBALL GAME.
(2) An organization conducting a raffle under this section:
(i) is not subject to § 12–108 of this article, provided that an
individual may not purchase more than $50 worth of tickets or make more than one credit
transaction each day; and
(ii) shall use a geofence to ensure that raffle tickets sold and received
on an electronic device are sold and received within an area in Baltimore City that is
bounded as follows:
1. WITH RESPECT TO A RAFFLE CONDUCTED BY AN
ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3)(I) OF THIS SECTION DURING
A BASEBALL GAME, from the intersection of West Camden Street and South Howard
Street, south on South Howard Street to West Conway Street, west on West Conway Street
to South Eutaw Street, south on South Eutaw Street to West Lee Street, west on West Lee
Street to Russell Street, north on Russell Street to South Paca Street, northeast on South
Paca Street to West Camden Street, and east on West Camden Street to the intersection of
West Camden Street and South Howard Street; AND
2. WITH RESPECT TO A RAFFLE CONDUCTED BY AN
ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3)(II) OF THIS SECTION
DURING A FOOTBALL GAME, FROM THE INTERSECTION OF WEST CAMDEN STREET
AND SOUTH HOWARD STREET, WEST ON WEST CAMDEN STREET TO WASHINGTON
BOULEVARD, SOUTHWEST ON WASHINGTON BOULEVARD TO WEST BARRE STREET,
SOUTH ON WEST BARRE STREET TO CARROLL STREET, NORTHEAST ON CARROLL
STREET TO SOUTH PACA STREET, SOUTH ON SOUTH PACA STREET TO WEST
OSTEND STREET, INCLUDING THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF 701 WEST OSTEND
STREET, EAST ON THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF 701 WEST OSTEND STREET TO
RIDGELY STREET, NORTH ON RIDGELY STREET TO THE INTERSECTION OF WEST
OSTEND STREET AND RIDGELY STREET, EAST ON WEST OSTEND STREET TO CAL
RIPKEN WAY, NORTH ON CAL RIPKEN WAY TO SOUTH HOWARD STREET, AND
NORTH ON SOUTH HOWARD STREET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH HOWARD
STREET AND WEST CAMDEN STREET.
Chapter 372 of the Acts of 2025
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June
1, 2025. [It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and 1 month 6 YEARS 4 YEARS AND
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WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 484
1 MONTH and, at the end of June 30, 2026 MAY 31, 2031 JUNE 30, 2029, this Act, with
no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no further
force and effect.]
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June
1, 2026. It shall remain effective until the taking effect of the termination provision
specified in Section 2 of Chapter 372 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025. If that
termination provision takes effect, this Act, with no further action required by the General
Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect. This Act may not be
interpreted to have any effect on that termination provision.
Approved by the Governor, May 12, 2026.
–7–Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.