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2010 Illinois Code
CHAPTER 230 GAMING
230 ILCS 15/ Raffles Act.

    (230 ILCS 15/0.01) (from Ch. 85, par. 2300)
    Sec. 0.01. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Raffles Act.
(Source: P.A. 86‑1324.)

    (230 ILCS 15/1) (from Ch. 85, par. 2301)
    Sec. 1. Definitions.) For the purposes of this Act the terms defined in this Section have the meanings given them.
    "Net Proceeds" means the gross receipts from the conduct of raffles, less reasonable sums expended for prizes, local license fees and other reasonable operating expenses incurred as a result of operating a raffle.
    "Raffle" means a form of lottery, as defined in Section 28‑2 (b) of the "Criminal Code of 1961", conducted by an organization licensed under this Act, in which:
    (1) the player pays or agrees to pay something of value for a chance, represented and differentiated by a number or by a combination of numbers or by some other medium, one or more of which chances is to be designated the winning chance;
    (2) the winning chance is to be determined through a drawing or by some other method based on an element of chance by an act or set of acts on the part of persons conducting or connected with the lottery, except that the winning chance shall not be determined by the outcome of a publicly exhibited sporting contest.
(Source: P.A. 81‑1365.)

    (230 ILCS 15/2) (from Ch. 85, par. 2302)
    Sec. 2. Licensing. (a) The governing body of any county or municipality within this State may establish a system for the licensing of organizations to operate raffles. The governing bodies of a county and one or more municipalities may, pursuant to a written contract, jointly establish a system for the licensing of organizations to operate raffles within any area of contiguous territory not contained within the corporate limits of a municipality which is not a party to such contract. The governing bodies of two or more adjacent counties or two or more adjacent municipalities located within a county may, pursuant to a written contract, jointly establish a system for the licensing of organizations to operate raffles within the corporate limits of such counties or municipalities. The licensing authority may establish special categories of licenses and promulgate rules relating to the various categories. The licensing system shall provide for limitations upon (1) the aggregate retail value of all prizes or merchandise awarded by a licensee in a single raffle, (2) the maximum retail value of each prize awarded by a licensee in a single raffle, (3) the maximum price which may be charged for each raffle chance issued or sold and (4) the maximum number of days during which chances may be issued or sold. The licensing system may include a fee for each license in an amount to be determined by the local governing body. Licenses issued pursuant to this Act shall be valid for one raffle or for a specified number of raffles to be conducted during a specified period not to exceed one year and may be suspended or revoked for any violation of this Act. A local governing body shall act on a license application within 30 days from the date of application. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit a county or municipality from adopting rules or ordinances for the operation of raffles that are more restrictive than provided for in this Act. The governing body of a municipality may authorize the sale of raffle chances only within the borders of the municipality. The governing body of the county may authorize the sale of raffle chances only in those areas which are both within the borders of the county and outside the borders of any municipality.
    (b) Licenses shall be issued only to bona fide religious, charitable, labor, business, fraternal, educational or veterans' organizations that operate without profit to their members and which have been in existence continuously for a period of 5 years immediately before making application for a license and which have had during that entire 5 year period a bona fide membership engaged in carrying out their objects, or to a non‑profit fundraising organization that the licensing authority determines is organized for the sole purpose of providing financial assistance to an identified individual or group of individuals suffering extreme financial hardship as the result of an illness, disability, accident or disaster.
    For purposes of this Act, the following definitions apply. Non‑profit: An organization or institution organized and conducted on a not‑for‑profit basis with no personal profit inuring to any one as a result of the operation. Charitable: An organization or institution organized and operated to benefit an indefinite number of the public. The service rendered to those eligible for benefits must also confer some benefit on the public. Educational: An organization or institution organized and operated to provide systematic instruction in useful branches of learning by methods common to schools and institutions of learning which compare favorably in their scope and intensity with the course of study presented in tax‑supported schools. Religious: Any church, congregation, society, or organization founded for the purpose of religious worship. Fraternal: An organization of persons having a common interest, the primary interest of which is to both promote the welfare of its members and to provide assistance to the general public in such a way as to lessen the burdens of government by caring for those that otherwise would be cared for by the government. Veterans: An organization or association comprised of members of which substantially all are individuals who are veterans or spouses, widows, or widowers of veterans, the primary purpose of which is to promote the welfare of its members and to provide assistance to the general public in such a way as to confer a public benefit. Labor: An organization composed of workers organized with the objective of betterment of the conditions of those engaged in such pursuit and the development of a higher degree of efficiency in their respective occupations. Business: A voluntary organization composed of individuals and businesses who have joined together to advance the commercial, financial, industrial and civic interests of a community.
(Source: P.A. 86‑820.)

    (230 ILCS 15/3) (from Ch. 85, par. 2303)
    Sec. 3. License ‑ Application ‑ Issuance ‑ Restrictions ‑ Persons ineligible. Licenses issued by the governing body of any county or municipality are subject to the following restrictions:
    (1) No person, firm or corporation shall conduct raffles or chances without having first obtained a license therefor pursuant to this Act.
    (2) The license and application for license must specify the area or areas within the licensing authority in which raffle chances will be sold or issued, the time period during which raffle chances will be sold or issued, the time of determination of winning chances and the location or locations at which winning chances will be determined.
    (3) The license application must contain a sworn statement attesting to the not‑for‑profit character of the prospective licensee organization, signed by the presiding officer and the secretary of that organization.
    (4) The application for license shall be prepared in accordance with the ordinance of the local governmental unit.
    (5) A license authorizes the licensee to conduct raffles as defined in this Act.
    The following are ineligible for any license under this Act:
    (a) any person who has been convicted of a felony;
    (b) any person who is or has been a professional gambler or gambling promoter;
    (c) any person who is not of good moral character;
    (d) any firm or corporation in which a person defined in (a), (b) or (c) has a proprietary, equitable or credit interest, or in which such a person is active or employed;
    (e) any organization in which a person defined in (a), (b) or (c) is an officer, director, or employee, whether compensated or not;
    (f) any organization in which a person defined in (a), (b) or (c) is to participate in the management or operation of a raffle as defined in this Act.
(Source: P.A. 85‑160.)

    (230 ILCS 15/4) (from Ch. 85, par. 2304)
    Sec. 4. Conduct of raffles.
    (a) The conducting of raffles is subject to the following restrictions:
        (1) The entire net proceeds of any raffle must be
     exclusively devoted to the lawful purposes of the organization permitted to conduct that game.
        (2) No person except a bona fide member of the
     sponsoring organization may participate in the management or operation of the raffle.
        (3) No person may receive any remuneration or profit
     for participating in the management or operation of the raffle.
        (4) A licensee may rent a premises on which to
     determine the winning chance or chances in a raffle only from an organization which is also licensed under this Act.
        (5) Raffle chances may be sold or issued only within
     the area specified on the license and winning chances may be determined only at those locations specified on the license.
        (6) A person under the age of 18 years may
     participate in the conducting of raffles or chances only with the permission of a parent or guardian. A person under the age of 18 years may be within the area where winning chances are being determined only when accompanied by his parent or guardian.
    (b) If a lessor rents premises where a winning chance or chances on a raffle are determined, the lessor shall not be criminally liable if the person who uses the premises for the determining of winning chances does not hold a license issued by the governing body of any county or municipality under the provisions of this Act.
(Source: P.A. 87‑1271.)

    (230 ILCS 15/5) (from Ch. 85, par. 2305)
    Sec. 5. Raffles ‑ manager ‑ bond. All operation of and the conduct of raffles shall be under the supervision of a single raffles manager designated by the organization. The manager shall give a fidelity bond in an amount determined by the licensing authority in favor of the organization conditioned upon his honesty in the performance of his duties. Terms of the bond shall provide that notice shall be given in writing to the licensing authority not less than 30 days prior to its cancellation. The governing body of a local unit of government may waive this bond requirement by including a waiver provision in the license issued to an organization under this Act, provided that a license containing such waiver provision shall be granted only by unanimous vote of the members of the licensed organization.
(Source: P.A. 91‑357, eff. 7‑29‑99.)

    (230 ILCS 15/6) (from Ch. 85, par. 2306)
    Sec. 6. Records.) (a) Each organization licensed to conduct raffles and chances shall keep records of its gross receipts, expenses and net proceeds for each single gathering or occasion at which winning chances are determined. All deductions from gross receipts for each single gathering or occasion shall be documented with receipts or other records indicating the amount, a description of the purchased item or service or other reason for the deduction, and the recipient. The distribution of net proceeds shall be itemized as to payee, purpose, amount and date of payment.
    (b) Gross receipts from the operation of raffles programs shall be segregated from other revenues of the organization, including bingo gross receipts, if bingo games are also conducted by the same nonprofit organization pursuant to license therefor issued by the Department of Revenue of the State of Illinois, and placed in a separate account. Each organization shall have separate records of its raffles. The person who accounts for gross receipts, expenses and net proceeds from the operation of raffles shall not be the same person who accounts for other revenues of the organization.
    (c) Each organization licensed to conduct raffles shall report promptly after the conclusion of each raffle to its membership, and to the licensing local unit of government, its gross receipts, expenses and net proceeds from raffles, and the distribution of net proceeds itemized as required in this Section.
    (d) Records required by this Section shall be preserved for 3 years, and organizations shall make available their records relating to operation of raffles for public inspection at reasonable times and places.
(Source: P.A. 82‑711.)

    (230 ILCS 15/7) (from Ch. 85, par. 2307)
    Sec. 7. Sentence.) Violation of any provision of this Act is a Class C misdemeanor.
(Source: P.A. 81‑1365.)

    (230 ILCS 15/8) (from Ch. 85, par. 2308)
    Sec. 8. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the conducting or operating of any gambling scheme, enterprise, activity or device other than raffles as provided for herein.
(Source: P.A. 81‑1365.)

    (230 ILCS 15/8.1) (from Ch. 85, par. 2308.1)
    Sec. 8.1. (a) Political Committees. For the purposes of this Section the terms defined in this subsection have the meanings given them.
    "Net Proceeds" means the gross receipts from the conduct of raffles, less reasonable sums expended for prizes, license fees and other reasonable operating expenses incurred as a result of operating a raffle.
    "Raffle" means a form of lottery, as defined in Section 28‑2 (b) of the "Criminal Code of 1961", conducted by a political committee licensed under this Section, in which:
        (1) the player pays or agrees to pay something of
     value for a chance, represented and differentiated by a number or by a combination of numbers or by some other medium, one or more of which chances is to be designated the winning chance;
        (2) the winning chance is to be determined through a
     drawing or by some other method based on an element of chance by an act or set of acts on the part of persons conducting or connected with the lottery, except that the winning chance shall not be determined by the outcome of a publicly exhibited sporting contest.
    "Unresolved claim" means a claim for civil penalty under Sections 9‑3, 9‑10, and 9‑23 of The Election Code which has been begun by the State Board of Elections, has been disputed by the political committee under the applicable rules of the State Board of Elections, and has not been finally decided either by the State Board of Elections, or, where application for review has been made to the Courts of Illinois, remains finally undecided by the Courts.
    "Owes" means that a political committee has been finally determined under applicable rules of the State Board of Elections to be liable for a civil penalty under Sections 9‑3, 9‑10, and 9‑23 of The Election Code.
    (b) Licenses issued pursuant to this Section shall be valid for one raffle or for a specified number of raffles to be conducted during a specified period not to exceed one year and may be suspended or revoked for any violation of this Section. The State Board of Elections shall act on a license application within 30 days from the date of application.
    (c) Licenses issued by the State Board of Elections are subject to the following restrictions:
        (1) No political committee shall conduct raffles or
     chances without having first obtained a license therefor pursuant to this Section.
        (2) The application for license shall be prepared in
     accordance with regulations of the State Board of Elections and must specify the area or areas within the State in which raffle chances will be sold or issued, the time period during which raffle chances will be sold or issued, the time of determination of winning chances and the location or locations at which winning chances will be determined.
        (3) A license authorizes the licensee to conduct
     raffles as defined in this Section.
    The following are ineligible for any license under this Section:
            (i) any political committee which has an officer
         who has been convicted of a felony;
            (ii) any political committee which has an officer
         who is or has been a professional gambler or gambling promoter;
            (iii) any political committee which has an
         officer who is not of good moral character;
            (iv) any political committee which has an officer
         who is also an officer of a firm or corporation in which a person defined in (i), (ii) or (iii) has a proprietary, equitable or credit interest, or in which such a person is active or employed;
            (v) any political committee in which a person
         defined in (i), (ii) or (iii) is an officer, director, or employee, whether compensated or not;
            (vi) any political committee in which a person
         defined in (i), (ii) or (iii) is to participate in the management or operation of a raffle as defined in this Section;
            (vii) any committee which, at the time of its
         application for a license to conduct a raffle, owes the State Board of Elections any unpaid civil penalty authorized by Sections 9‑3, 9‑10, and 9‑23 of The Election Code, or is the subject of an unresolved claim for a civil penalty under Sections 9‑3, 9‑10, and 9‑23 of The Election Code;
            (viii) any political committee which, at the time
         of its application to conduct a raffle, has not submitted any report or document required to be filed by Article 9 of The Election Code and such report or document is more than 10 days overdue.
    (d) (1) The conducting of raffles is subject to the
     following restrictions:
            (i) The entire net proceeds of any raffle must be
         exclusively devoted to the lawful purposes of the political committee permitted to conduct that game.
            (ii) No person except a bona fide member of the
         political committee may participate in the management or operation of the raffle.
            (iii) No person may receive any remuneration or
         profit for participating in the management or operation of the raffle.
            (iv) Raffle chances may be sold or issued only
         within the area specified on the license and winning chances may be determined only at those locations specified on the license.
            (v) A person under the age of 18 years may
         participate in the conducting of raffles or chances only with the permission of a parent or guardian. A person under the age of 18 years may be within the area where winning chances are being determined only when accompanied by his parent or guardian.
        (2) If a lessor rents premises where a winning chance
     or chances on a raffle are determined, the lessor shall not be criminally liable if the person who uses the premises for the determining of winning chances does not hold a license issued under the provisions of this Section.
    (e) (1) Each political committee licensed to conduct
     raffles and chances shall keep records of its gross receipts, expenses and net proceeds for each single gathering or occasion at which winning chances are determined. All deductions from gross receipts for each single gathering or occasion shall be documented with receipts or other records indicating the amount, a description of the purchased item or service or other reason for the deduction, and the recipient. The distribution of net proceeds shall be itemized as to payee, purpose, amount and date of payment.
        (2) Each political committee licensed to conduct
     raffles shall report on the next report due to be filed under Article 9 of The Election Code its gross receipts, expenses and net proceeds from raffles, and the distribution of net proceeds itemized as required in this subsection.
    Such reports shall be included in the regular reports required of political committees by Article 9 of The Election Code.
        (3) Records required by this subsection shall be
     preserved for 3 years, and political committees shall make available their records relating to operation of raffles for public inspection at reasonable times and places.
    (f) Violation of any provision of this Section is a Class C misdemeanor.
    (g) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to authorize the conducting or operating of any gambling scheme, enterprise, activity or device other than raffles as provided for herein.
(Source: P.A. 93‑615, eff. 11‑19‑03.)

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