Pursuant to 230 ILCS 15/2 et seq., the following system for the licensing of organizations to operate raffles in the county is as follows.
(A) The application must be signed by the president or executive director or head of the entity applying for the same.
(B) The duration of the license shall be limited to one year or less, depending on the type of raffle and frequency.
(C) The aggregate retail value of all prizes or merchandise awarded by a license in a single raffle shall not exceed $100,000.
(D) The maximum price which may be charged for each raffle chance issued or sold shall not exceed $100.
(E) The maximum number of days during which chances may be issued or sold is 364 days.
(F) The fee for each license is $10.
(G) 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 act.
(H) Upon written application received by the County Clerk, the Chairpersonof the County Board shall, within 30 days of receipt of said application, either grant or deny said license.
(I) This chapter only applies to areas outside of the corporate limits of any city, town or village located in the county, unless said city, town or village, pursuant to a written agreement, jointly accepts this chapter or the system for the of licensing of organizations to operate raffles within these corporate boundaries.
(J) Authorized organizations conducting an authorized bingo may also conduct a raffle when the winner is limited to a person playing bingo and said raffle may be limited to bingo players only.
(K) 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 five years immediately before making application for a license and which have had during that entire five-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.
(L) (1) No person, firm or corporation shall conduct raffles or chances without having first obtained a license therefor pursuant to this chapter.
(2) The license and application for license must specify the area or areas within the county 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 of that organization.
(Res. passed 7-11-1995)