Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Nonprofits urge panel to allow credit‑card raffle sales; gambling groups warn of slippery slope
Summary
Supporters from charities, schools and statewide nonprofits told the House committee HB 141 would boost fundraising by allowing credit‑card purchases of raffle tickets for nonprofits, colleges and school districts. Opponents including gaming and tavern groups warned opening the credit‑card restriction risks expanded credit gambling.
HELENA — Dozens of charities, school foundations and conservation groups urged the House Business and Labor Committee on Jan. 31 to allow nonprofit organizations, public school districts and colleges to accept credit‑card payments for raffle tickets under House Bill 141.
Rep. Ed Buttrey, sponsor of the bill, said the change is narrow and limited to ‘‘nonprofit, college, university, or school district’’ raffles for charitable purposes. ‘‘If you don’t want to use your credit card, you can use cash or check,’’ Buttrey told the committee, adding that point‑of‑sale systems commonly used by retail outlets cannot always distinguish debit from credit and volunteers and small outlets need a practical solution.
Supporters included Special Olympics Montana, the Rocky…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat