State Law Keeps Non-Profits From Selling Raffle Tickets Online In Cashless Society

some nonprofits including the pittsburgh symphony say state law is behind the times when it comes to their fundraising new at six money editor john delano explains it it all comes down to how you donate that money to your favorite charity each year the pittsburgh symphony holds a special raffle with a 5 000 cash prize this is our largest fundraiser it's been around for 50 years but according to the symphony's president an outdated state law prevents non-profits from selling raffle tickets in tod

ay's cashless society that's right no credit cards venmo paypal or other payment apps it's cash or check only and it's the law non-profits like us can only accept cash payments by check and my daughter and my son and no one i know who's under 50 has a checkbook anymore the law is so antiquated when it comes to this and it really needs to be updated many non-profits like volunteer fire companies churches and youth sports teams are affected says allegheny county treasurer john weinstein on an aver

age year john we will issue over a thousand special raffle permits and small games of chance licenses in allegheny county efforts to modernize the way to buy raffle tickets have stalled in harrisburg representative ryan warner has a bill to correct some of the problems there was huge pushback from the casino industry from the department of revenue unlike non-profits online casinos do get to use mobile payment services says warner while the state worries about lost lottery revenue but warner want

s equal treatment saying the pandemic hurt non-profits you could still gamble at a casino online there was nothing preventing any of that but our volunteer fire departments and our nonprofit organizations were absolutely devastated the house and senate have each passed different watered-down versions that expire at the end of the pandemic warner hopes a stronger permanent solution will be added before final passage john delano kdka news