Bill would allow Saint Mary's County to license charitable gaming devices, sponsor says

Sen. Jack Bailey presented Senate Bill 357, which would add Saint Mary's County to counties that may issue gaming licenses to qualified charitable organizations for gaming devices. Bailey said the measure is modeled on existing local bingo licensing but would not impose a license fee for charitable organizations.

Bailey described a scenario in which Moose Lodges had operated electronic gaming devices for decades and then were inspected by Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency staff, producing uncertainty about whether the devices had been in compliance without county registration. The bill would establish a licensing structure to allow charities to raise funds through permitted gaming devices and reduce enforcement uncertainty.

Bailey said an amendment would narrow the bill’s scope to gaming devices only and would exclude gaming events such as raffles, bazaars and carnivals. He thanked the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency and the Saint Mary’s County attorney’s office for assistance drafting the language and asked the committee for a favorable report. Committee members asked clarifying questions about registration and interaction with recent fraternal-organization legislation; sponsors said county registration authority is central to addressing the enforcement gap.