2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 7 - Municipalities
Chapter 98 - Municipal Powers
Section 7-169h - Sealed tickets. Definitions. Permits to sell. Fees. Regulations. Suspension or revocation of permit. Cease and desist order. Notice. Hearing. Appeals. Penalty.

(a) For the purposes of this section and section 7-169i:

(1) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Consumer Protection;

(2) “Department” means the Department of Consumer Protection;

(3) “Sealed ticket” means a card with tabs which, when pulled, expose pictures of various objects, symbols or numbers and which entitles the holder of the ticket to receive a prize if the combination of objects, symbols or numbers pictured matches what is determined to be a winning combination;

(4) “Distributor” means a person who is a resident of this state and is registered with the department to provide services related to the sale and distribution of sealed tickets to any organization permitted to sell sealed tickets by the department; and

(5) “Manufacturer” means a person who is registered with the department and who manufactures or assembles sealed tickets from raw materials, supplies or subparts.

(b) No person shall sell, offer for sale or distribute a sealed ticket who has not applied for and received a permit from the department to sell sealed tickets.

(c) No organization permitted to sell sealed tickets in this state shall purchase sealed tickets from anyone other than a distributor.

(d) A distributor shall not purchase sealed tickets for sale or use in this state from any person except a manufacturer. A distributor shall have a physical office in this state and such office shall be subject to inspection by the commissioner or the commissioner’s duly designated agent during normal business hours. No organization or group or any person affiliated with an organization or group permitted to sell sealed tickets under this section shall be permitted to be a distributor.

(e) A manufacturer shall not sell sealed tickets to any person in this state except a distributor.

(f) All sealed tickets purchased by a distributor for sale or use in this state shall be stored or warehoused in this state prior to their sale to any organization permitted to sell sealed tickets.

(g) All sealed tickets sold in this state shall meet the standards on pull-tabs adopted by the North American Gaming Regulators Association.

(h) (1) The department may issue a permit to sell sealed tickets to any organization or group specified in subsection (d) of section 7-169 which holds a bingo permit issued in accordance with the provisions of section 7-169. Such permit shall be renewed annually.

(2) The department may issue a permit to sell sealed tickets to any organization or group specified in subsection (d) of section 7-169 which holds a club permit or nonprofit club permit under the provisions of chapter 545. Such permit shall be renewed annually.

(3) The department may issue a permit to sell sealed tickets to any organization or group specified in section 7-172 which holds a permit to operate a bazaar, issued in accordance with the provisions of sections 7-170 to 7-186, inclusive.

(4) The department may issue a permit to sell sealed tickets to any charitable, civic, educational, fraternal, veterans’ or religious organization, volunteer fire department or grange authorizing such organization to sell sealed tickets in conjunction with any social function or event sponsored or conducted by such organization. Any such organization shall have been organized for not less than two years prior to the date of its application for such permit. Such permit shall be renewed annually.

(i) On and after July 1, 2011, the department may sell any sealed tickets it has in its possession as of said date, provided it does not purchase any new sealed tickets after said date. Permittees shall purchase such sealed tickets from the department at a cost which is equal to ten per cent of their resale value, until the department’s supply of sealed tickets has been fully depleted. After the department’s supply of sealed tickets has been fully depleted, permittees shall purchase such sealed tickets from a distributor at a cost which is equal to ten per cent of their resale value. Each such distributor shall remit thirty per cent of its gross revenue derived from such purchase fees to the State Treasurer on a quarterly basis.

(j) Each applicant for registration as a manufacturer or distributor shall apply to the commissioner on such forms as the commissioner prescribes. A distributor’s application shall be accompanied by an annual fee of two thousand five hundred dollars, payable to the State Treasurer, and a manufacturer’s application shall be accompanied by an annual fee of five thousand dollars, payable to the State Treasurer. Each applicant for an initial manufacturer or distributor registration shall submit to state and national criminal history records checks conducted in accordance with section 29-17a before such registration is issued.

(k) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of section 53-278b and subsection (d) of section 53-278c, sealed tickets may be sold, offered for sale, displayed or open to public view only (1) during the course of a bingo game conducted in accordance with the provisions of section 7-169 and only at the location at which such bingo game is conducted, (2) on the premises of any such organization or group specified in subdivision (2) of subsection (h) of this section, (3) during the conduct of a bazaar under the provisions of sections 7-170 to 7-186, inclusive, or (4) in conjunction with any social function or event sponsored or conducted by any such organization specified in subdivision (4) of subsection (h) of this section. Subject to the provisions of section 7-169i, permittees may utilize a mechanical or electronic ticket dispensing machine approved by the department to sell sealed tickets. Sealed tickets shall not be sold to any person less than eighteen years of age. All proceeds from the sale of tickets shall be used for a charitable purpose, as defined in section 21a-190a.

(l) The fee for a permit to sell sealed tickets (1) issued to an organization authorized to conduct bingo under a “Class A” or “Class C” permit or to an organization specified in subdivision (4) of subsection (h) of this section in conjunction with any social function or event sponsored or conducted by such organization shall be fifty dollars, (2) issued to an organization which holds a club permit or nonprofit club permit under the provisions of chapter 545 shall be seventy-five dollars, and (3) issued to an organization authorized to conduct bingo under a “Class B” permit or an organization which holds a permit to operate a bazaar shall be five dollars per day.

(m) The commissioner, with the advice and consent of the Gaming Policy Board, shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to carry out the purposes of this section including, but not limited to, regulations concerning (1) qualifications of a charitable organization, (2) the price at which the charitable organization shall resell tickets, (3) information required on the ticket, including, but not limited to, the price per ticket, (4) the percentage retained by the organization as profit, which shall be at least ten per cent of the resale value of tickets sold, (5) the percentage of the resale value of tickets to be awarded as prizes, which shall be at least forty-five per cent, (6) apportionment of revenues received by the department from the sale of tickets, and (7) investigations of any charitable organization seeking a permit.

(n) (1) Whenever it appears to the commissioner after an investigation that any person is violating or is about to violate any provision of this section or administrative regulations issued pursuant thereto, the commissioner may in his or her discretion, to protect the public welfare, order that any permit issued pursuant to this section be immediately suspended or revoked and that the person cease and desist from the actions constituting such violation or which would constitute such violation. After such an order is issued, the person named therein may, within fourteen days after receipt of the order, file a written request for a hearing. Such hearing shall be held in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.

(2) Whenever the commissioner finds as the result of an investigation that any person has violated any provision of this section or administrative regulations issued pursuant thereto or made any false statement in any application for a permit or in any report required by the commissioner, the commissioner may send a notice to such person by certified mail, return receipt requested. Any such notice shall include (A) a reference to the section or regulation alleged to have been violated or the application or report in which an alleged false statement was made, (B) a short and plain statement of the matter asserted or charged, (C) the fact that any permit issued pursuant to this section may be suspended or revoked for such violation or false statement and the maximum penalty that may be imposed for such violation or false statement, and (D) the time and place for the hearing. Such hearing shall be fixed for a date not earlier than fourteen days after the notice is mailed.

(3) The commissioner shall hold a hearing upon the charges made unless such person fails to appear at the hearing. Such hearing shall be held in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54. If such person fails to appear at the hearing or if, after the hearing, the commissioner finds that such person committed such a violation or made such a false statement, the commissioner may, in his or her discretion, suspend or revoke such permit and order that a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars be imposed upon such person for such violation or false statement. The commissioner shall send a copy of any order issued pursuant to this subdivision by certified mail, return receipt requested, to any person named in such order. Any person aggrieved by a decision of the commissioner under this subdivision shall have a right of appeal to the Gaming Policy Board for a hearing. Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Gaming Policy Board shall have a right of appeal pursuant to section 4-183.

(4) Whenever the commissioner revokes a permit issued pursuant to this section, he or she shall not issue any permit to such permittee for one year after the date of such revocation.

(P.A. 86-419, S. 7, 25; P.A. 88-363, S. 4, 7; P.A. 89-214, S. 2, 3, 26; P.A. 90-11; P.A. 91-73, S. 1, 4; Jan. 6 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-1, S. 3; P.A. 03-178, S. 2, 3; P.A. 04-256, S. 2; P.A. 07-36, S. 3, 4; P.A. 11-51, S. 212.)

History: P.A. 86-419, S. 7 effective April 1, 1987; P.A. 88-363 amended Subsec. (b) to require renewal of permit annually, Subsec. (c)(2) to delete one-year limitation on issuance of permits to organizations holding a club or nonprofit club permit and provision that such organization not be authorized to conduct bingo, Subsec. (e)(2) to delete one-year limitation, and Subsec. (h)(4) to substitute “ten per cent” for “thirty per cent”; P.A. 89-214 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to permit sealed tickets to contain symbols or numbers, Subsec. (c)(1) and (2) to require that such permit be renewed annually, adding Subdivs. (3) and (4) re issuance of permit to certain organizations who hold permits to operate bazaars or games of chance, added Subsec. (e)(3) and (4), permitting sealed tickets to be sold, offered for sale or displayed during conduct of bazaar or operation of games of chance and allowing permittees to use mechanical or electronic ticket dispensing machines, Subsec. (f) to create three Subdivs., specifying fees for various organizations, deleted Subsec. (g) re authority to revoke permit, relettering remaining Subsec. accordingly and added new Subsec. (h) as follows: Subdiv. (1) authorizing executive director to immediately suspend or revoke any permit and issue cease and desist orders, Subdiv. (2) authorizing executive director to send notice to any person violating any provision of this section and specifying requirements for notice, Subdiv. (3) requiring executive director to hold a hearing upon charges made and authorizing him to order imposition of a civil penalty, and Subdiv. (4) prohibiting executive director from issuing any permit for one year after date of revocation whenever he revokes permit; P.A. 90-11 amended Subsec. (h)(3) to authorize executive director to suspend or revoke permit; P.A. 91-73 made a technical correction in Subsec. (e), substituting reference to Sec. 21a-190a for Sec. 21a-176; Jan. 6 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-1 deleted Subsec. (b)(4) which had authorized the division to issue permits to sell sealed tickets to various organizations or entities holding a permit to operate games of chance issued in accordance with Secs. 7-186a to 7-186p, inclusive, deleted Subsec. (e)(4) which had authorized the sale of sealed tickets during the operation of games of chance under the provisions of Secs. 7-186a to 7-186p, inclusive, deleted a reference to games of chance in Subsec. (f)(3), and made a technical change in Subsec. (g), effective January 7, 2003; P.A. 03-178 added Subsec. (c)(4), authorizing issuance of permits to various organizations allowing sealed tickets to be sold in conjunction with any social function or event sponsored or conducted by such organizations, requiring organizations to be organized for at least two years prior to the date of permit application, and requiring that such permit be renewed annually, amended Subsec. (e) to make a technical change and add Subdiv. (4), permitting sealed tickets to be sold, offered for sale or displayed in conjunction with any social function or event sponsored or conducted by any organization specified in Subsec. (c)(4), and amended Subsec. (f)(1) to impose a $50 fee for a permit to sell sealed tickets issued to an organization authorized to conduct bingo under a “Class C” permit or to an organization specified in Subsec. (c)(4) in conjunction with any social function or event sponsored or conducted by such organization; P.A. 04-256 amended Subsec. (h)(3) to provide a right of appeal to the Gaming Policy Board for any person aggrieved by a decision of the executive director and a right of appeal pursuant to Sec. 4-183 for any person aggrieved by a decision of the Gaming Policy Board, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 07-36 amended Subsec. (a) to make definitions applicable to Sec. 7-169i, and amended Subsec. (e) to make permittees subject to Sec. 7-169i in their use of dispensing machines, effective January 1, 2008; P.A. 11-51 amended Subsec. (a) to replace definitions of “executive director” and “division” with definitions of “commissioner” and “department” and to add definitions of “distributor” and “manufacturer”, changed “division” to “department” and “executive director” to “commissioner” throughout, added new Subsecs. (c) to (g) re purchase of sealed tickets from distributor, purchase and storage of sealed tickets by distributor, sale by manufacturer, purchase by distributor and required standards, redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (h) and amended same to delete “On and after October 1, 1987,” in Subdiv. (1), deleted former Subsec. (d) re cost of purchase of sealed tickets by permittee, added Subsec. (i) re sale of sealed tickets by department on and after July 1, 2011, added Subsec. (j) re application for registration as manufacturer or distributor, redesignated existing Subsecs. (e) to (h) as Subsecs. (k) to (n), amended Subsec. (n)(3) to increase civil penalty from $200 to $500, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2011.