5:8-27 Investigation of applicant, license issued, fees, limitations on amount of prizes.

4. The governing body of the municipality shall make an investigation of the qualifications of each applicant and the merits of each application, with due expedition after the filing of the application, and if it shall determine that the applicant is duly qualified to be licensed under this act to hold, operate and conduct games of chance under the provisions of this act and the rules and regulations governing the holding, operation and conduct thereof in the municipality; that the member or members of the applicant designated in the application to hold, operate or conduct the games of chance which the license is applied for are bona fide active members of the applicant and are persons of good moral character and have never been convicted of crime; that such games of chance are to be held, operated and conducted in accordance with the provisions of this act and in accordance with the rules and regulations governing the holding, operation and conduct thereof and that the proceeds thereof are to be disposed of as provided by this act, and if the governing body is satisfied that no commission, salary, compensation, reward or recompense whatever will be paid or given to any person holding, operating or conducting or assisting in the holding, operation or conduct of any such game of chance except as in this act otherwise provided; and that no prize will be offered and given in excess of the sum or value of $1,000, or an amount established by regulation of the control commission not earlier than one year after the effective date of P.L.2005, c.140, in any single game of chance, and that the aggregate of all prizes offered and given in all such games of chance, held, operated and conducted on a single occasion, under said license shall not exceed the sum or value of $3,000, or an amount established by regulation of the control commission not earlier than one year after the effective date of P.L.2005, c.140, it shall issue a license to the applicant for the holding, operation and conduct of the specific kind of games of chance applied for, accordingly, upon payment of a license fee or fees prescribed by regulation promulgated by the control commission for each occasion upon which any game or games are to be conducted under such license.

The $1,000 limitation on single game prizes and the $3,000 aggregate prize limitation established in this section shall not apply to games in which the prize is determined based upon a percentage of the gross receipts from the sale of cards to participate in the game. The control commission shall, by regulation, prescribe the method of play and set the minimum and maximum percentage to be awarded in any such game.

No license for the holding, operation and conduct of any game or games of chance shall be issued under this act which shall be effective for a period of more than one year.

L.1954,c.6,s.4; amended 1955, c.160, s.3; 1969, c.206; 1994, c.63, s.4; 2005, c.140, s.2.