The bill amends sections of the General Laws in Chapter 11-19, "Gambling and Lotteries," to introduce provisions that permit social gaming in private residences and certain public venues. Specifically, it defines "social gaming" as games where gambling is incidental to a genuine social relationship among participants, and where no one other than the players receives anything of value. The bill stipulates that hosts of such games in private residences cannot charge entry fees or profit from the event, although they may participate as players. Additionally, it allows private businesses and clubs to host social gaming and "office pools" based on social or sporting events, provided they do not profit from these activities.

The bill also includes new sections that outline the conditions under which social gaming and office pools can be conducted, including requirements for participant eligibility and the distribution of winnings. Nonprofit organizations are granted the ability to petition the state police to run charitable pools, with specific limitations on the percentage of proceeds that can be withheld for charitable purposes. The language of the bill replaces certain existing prohibitions on gambling with these new allowances, thereby modernizing the legal framework surrounding social gaming while maintaining penalties for illegal gambling activities. The act will take effect upon passage.