5:8-51 Eligible organizations.

2. a. It shall be lawful for the governing body of any municipality, at any time after this act shall become operative within such municipality and except when prohibited by this act, to license bona fide organizations or associations of veterans of any war in which the United States has been engaged, churches or religious congregations and religious organizations, charitable, educational and fraternal organizations, civic and service clubs, senior citizen associations and clubs, officially recognized volunteer fire companies, and officially recognized volunteer first aid or rescue squads, to hold and operate the specific kind of game or games of chance commonly known as a raffle or raffles played by drawing for prizes or the allotment of prizes by chance, by the selling of shares or tickets or rights to participate in such game or games and by conducting the game or games accordingly, when the entire net proceeds of such games of chance are to be devoted to educational, charitable, patriotic, religious or public-spirited uses, and in the case of organizations or associations of veterans, and senior citizen associations and clubs to the support of these organizations, and for any such organization or association, church, congregation, society, club, company or squad, when so licensed or without any license when and as hereinafter prescribed, to hold, operate and conduct such game of chance pursuant to this act and such license, in such municipality and to sell shares or tickets or rights to participate in such game or games of chance therein and in any other municipality which shall have adopted this act and under such conditions and regulations for the supervision and conduct thereof as shall be prescribed by rules and regulations duly adopted from time to time by the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission, hereinafter designated as the control commission, not inconsistent with the provisions of this act, but only when the entire net proceeds thereof are devoted to the uses aforesaid and for any person or persons to participate in and play such games of chance conducted under any such license.

b. The control commission may adopt regulations authorizing licensees to hold events known as:

"armchair races" at which wagers are placed on the outcome of previously-filmed horse races and wagerers do not know the results in advance, when the prize awarded consists of merchandise or raffle tickets only, and not cash; and

"casino nights" at which players use chips or script purchased from the licensee to wager in games of chance known as blackjack, under/over, beat-the-dealer, chuck-a-luck, craps, roulette, bingo or similar games approved by the commission, when the chips or script are redeemable for merchandise or raffle tickets only, and not for cash.

The regulations shall establish the frequency with which these events may be held, the rules of the games, the specific type and value of prizes which may be offered, the qualifications of the individuals conducting the games and other requirements which the commission may deem pertinent.

c. No license shall be required for the holding, operating or conducting of a raffle for a door prize of merchandise of the total retail value of $200.00 or less, or a higher amount as established by regulation of the control commission, for which no extra charge is made at an assemblage, if the proceeds of such assemblage are devoted to the uses described in this section.

L.1954, c.5, s.2; amended 1955, c.161, s.1; 1985, c.299, s.1; 1999, c.17, s.2; 2013, c.85, s.2; 2015, c.80, s.1.