No bazaar or raffle may be promoted, operated or conducted in any municipality after the adoption of the provisions of sections 7-170 to 7-186, inclusive, unless it is sponsored and conducted exclusively by (1) an officially recognized organization or association of veterans of any war in which the United States has been engaged, (2) a church or religious organization, (3) a civic, service or social club, (4) a fraternal or fraternal benefit society, (5) an educational or charitable organization, (6) an officially recognized volunteer fire company, (7) a political party or town committee thereof, or (8) a municipality acting through a committee designated to conduct a celebration of the municipality’s founding on its hundredth anniversary or any multiple thereof. Any such sponsoring organization, except a committee designated pursuant to subdivision (8) of this section, shall have been organized in good faith and actively functioning as a nonprofit organization within the municipality that is to issue the permit for a period of not less than six months prior to its application for a permit under the provisions of said sections. The promotion and operation of a bazaar or raffle shall be confined solely to the qualified members of the sponsoring organization, provided a committee designated pursuant to subdivision (8) of this section may promote or operate through its members and any officially appointed volunteers. No such member or officially appointed volunteer in the case of a raffle held pursuant to subdivision (8) of this section may receive remuneration in any form for time or effort devoted to the promotion or operation of the bazaar or raffle. No person under the age of eighteen years may promote, conduct, operate or work at a bazaar or raffle and no person under the age of sixteen years may sell or promote the sale of any raffle tickets, nor shall any sponsoring organization permit any person under the age of eighteen to so promote, conduct or operate any bazaar or raffle or any person under the age of sixteen to sell or promote the sale of such tickets. Any sponsoring organization having received a permit from any municipality may (A) sell or promote the sale of such raffle tickets in that municipality and in any other town, city or borough which has adopted the provisions of sections 7-170 to 7-186, inclusive, or (B) mail such raffle tickets to any resident of that municipality or of any other town, city or borough which has adopted the provisions of sections 7-170 to 7-186, inclusive, provided any such mailed raffle ticket is printed with the words “no purchase necessary to enter the raffle”. Any such sponsoring organization may promote its raffle by offering coupons to any person who purchases a raffle ticket. Such sponsoring organization may accept a credit card, debit card, check or cash as payment for a raffle ticket. Any such sponsoring organization, except a committee designated pursuant to subdivision (8) of this section, may sell or promote the sale of such raffle tickets on such sponsoring organization’s Internet web site. In no event shall any sponsoring organization conduct or operate an online raffle. All funds derived from any bazaar or raffle shall be used exclusively for the purpose stated in the application of the sponsoring organization as provided in section 7-173.

(1955, S. 293d; 1957, P.A. 284; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 9, 251; P.A. 81-73; P.A. 86-419, S. 3, 25; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-17, S. 2, 59; P.A. 95-59, S. 2, 3; P.A. 03-60, S. 1; P.A. 05-37, S. 1; P.A. 11-34, S. 2; P.A. 17-161, S. 1.)

History: 1972 acts changed age of majority to 18 and allowed political party or town committee to conduct bazaars and raffles; P.A. 81-73 replaced the requirement that a sponsoring organization function within the state for a period of at least three years with a requirement that it function within the municipality that is to issue the permit for at least three years; P.A. 86-419 decreased the period of time a sponsoring organization shall be actively functioning as a nonprofit organization from three years to one year; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-17 added Subdiv. (8) to authorize a municipal founding celebration committee to sponsor and conduct a bazaar or raffle, exempted such committee from requirement that sponsoring organization be nonprofit, permitted such committee to promote or operate bazaars or raffles through its members and officially appointed volunteers and prohibited officially appointed volunteers from receiving remuneration for time devoted to operation of bazaars or raffles; P.A. 95-59 changed the length of time a sponsoring organization must be nonprofit within the municipality issuing the permit from one year to six months, effective May 31, 1995; P.A. 03-60 authorized organizations to accept a credit card, debit card, check or cash as payment for a raffle ticket and made a technical change; P.A. 05-37 amended Subdiv. (3) to allow a social club to conduct bazaars and raffles, effective May 17, 2005; P.A. 11-34 allowed raffle tickets to be mailed to residents of a municipality and coupons to be offered to a person who purchases a raffle ticket; P.A. 17-161 added provisions re selling or promoting raffle tickets on sponsoring organization’s Internet web site and prohibition against online raffle, and made a technical change.