SB 541 Maryland Senate · 2025 Regular Session

State Lottery - Instant Ticket Lottery Machines - Veterans' and Fraternal Organizations

SB 541 allows veterans' organizations and eligible fraternal organizations (like nonprofit groups with 300+ members) to operate up to five instant lottery machines at their main meeting location in most Maryland counties, with restrictions in nine specific counties. It changes revenue distribution: veterans' groups keep 50% of sales after costs, while fraternal groups send all proceeds to the state for allocation. The bill removes the prior requirement that veterans' groups must purchase or lease machines. This directly affects how these organizations raise funds through lottery machines statewide.

Issues: ✓ Veterans

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 24, 2025 Last action Apr 5, 2025

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What changed between versions

First - State Lottery - Instant Ticket Lottery Machines - Veterans' and Fraternal Organizations → Third - State Lottery - Instant Ticket Lottery Machines - Veterans' and Fraternal Organizations · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to expand the list of sponsors and update the legislative history to reflect its adoption. The substantive policy changes focus on adjusting how proceeds from instant ticket lottery machines are distributed between veterans' and fraternal organizations, modifying the number of machines allowed for each type, and clarifying compensation structures for retailers.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding machine limits and funding distribution was modified, while the definitions of eligible organizations remained unchanged.

TECHNICAL

Added additional sponsors (Ellis, M. Jackson, Lewis Young, and Salling) to the bill's authorship list and included committee report and Senate action dates.

FISCAL

Changed the distribution of net proceeds: veterans' organizations now retain 50% of net proceeds instead of receiving 50% via a separate payment, while fraternal organizations' proceeds are now distributed through a different mechanism.

REQUIREMENT

Reduced the maximum number of instant ticket lottery machines allowed for fraternal organizations from five to three, while veterans' organizations can still operate up to five machines.

Added a new requirement that veterans' or fraternal organizations operating as retailers must be compensated based on a percentage of proceeds.

Reorganized the structure of subsection (d) to clearly separate machine limits for veterans' organizations versus fraternal organizations.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 19, 2025

How they voted

43–0

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 46

Mar 19, 2025

D Democratic33

30 Yea 3

90% Yea

R Republican13

13 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 5, 2025

Committee

Referred Rules and Executive Nominations

lower

Apr 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Apr 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Apr 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Budget and Taxation

upper

Mar 19, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (43-0-3)

senate

Jan 24, 2025

Committee

First Reading Budget and Taxation

upper

6 primary · 0 co-sponsors