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Section 849.09, Florida Statutes, makes it unlawful for any person in this state
to promote or conduct a lottery for money or anything of value. Section
849.0935(2), Florida Statutes, however, states:
Section 849.0935, Florida Statutes, thus constitutes a limited exception from the
general prohibition against gambling in this state by authorizing some, but not
all, 501(c) organizations to conduct drawings by chance subject to the conditions
and limitations prescribed therein.[2] A chamber of commerce qualified under 26
U.S.C. 501(c)(6), however, is not among those organizations listed in section
849.0935, Florida Statutes, as authorized to conduct drawings by chance.[3]
Sincerely,
Charlie Crist
Attorney General
CC/tjw
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[2] See 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3), (4), (7), (8), (10) and (19), which respectively
provide:
"(3) Corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and
operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public
safety, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international
amateur sports competition (but only if no part of its activities involve the
provision of athletic facilities or equipment), or for the prevention of cruelty
to children or animals, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit
of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of
which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation
(except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate
in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any
political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public
office.
(4) Civic leagues or organizations not organized for profit but operated
exclusively for the promotion of social welfare, or local associations of
employees, the membership of which is limited to the employees of a designated
person or persons in a particular municipality, and the net earnings of which are
devoted exclusively to charitable, educational, or recreational purposes [provided
no part of the net earnings of such entity inures to the benefit of any private
shareholder or individual].
* * *
(7) Clubs organized for pleasure, recreation, and other nonprofitable purposes,
substantially all of the activities of which are for such purposes and no part of
the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder.
(8) Fraternal beneficiary societies, orders, or associations . . . operating under
the lodge system or for the exclusive benefit of the members of a fraternity
itself operating under the lodge system, and . . . providing for the payment of
life, sick, accident, or other benefits to the members of such society, order, or
association or their dependents.
* * *
* * *
(19) A post or organization of past or present members of the Armed Forces of the
United States, or an auxiliary unit or society of, or a trust or foundation for,
any such post or organization--
(A) organized in the United States or any of its possessions,
(B) at least 75 percent of the members of which are past or present members of the
Armed Forces of the United States and substantially all of the other members of
which are individuals who are cadets or are spouses, widows, widowers, ancestors,
or lineal descendants of past or present members of the Armed Forces of the United
States or of cadets, and
(C) no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private
shareholder or individual."
[4] See, e.g., Alsop v. Pierce, 19 So. 2d 799, 805 (Fla. 1944); Thayer v. State,
335 So. 2d 815, 817 (Fla. 1976).