A lottery is any scheme for the disposal or distribution of property by chance among persons who have paid, or promised, or agreed to pay any valuable consideration for the chance of obtaining such property, or a portion of it, or for any share of or interest in such property, upon any agreement, understanding or expectation that it is to be distributed or disposed of by a lot or chance, whether called a lottery, a raffle, or a gift enterprise, or by whatever name the same may be known. Valuable consideration shall be construed to mean money or goods of actual pecuniary value. Provided, it shall not be a violation of the lottery or gambling laws of this state for (1) a bona fide resident merchant or merchants of a city or town, acting in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce or Commercial Club of this state thereof, to issue free of charge numbered tickets on sales of his merchandise, the corresponding stub of one or more of which tickets to be drawn or chosen by lot by a representative or representatives of said Chamber of Commerce or of said Commercial Club in the manner set forth on said tickets, the numbered stub or stubs so drawn to entitle the holder of the corresponding numbered issued ticket to a valuable prize donated by said merchant; (2) a bona fide community chest welfare fund on a military post or reservation to issue numbered tickets in conjunction with voluntary contributions to said fund, the corresponding stub or stubs of one or more of said tickets to be drawn by lot under the supervision of a military commander, the stub or stubs so drawn entitling the ticket holder to a prize of some value. Provided however, that no person shall sell tickets or receive contributions to said fund off the military reservation.

R.L. 1910, § 2470; Laws 1929, SB 89, c. 19, p. 16, § 1, approved April 6, 1929; Amended by Laws 1957, HB 549, c. 41a, p. 163, § 1, approved March 20, 1957.