A fundraiser for a couple of local nonprofits shouldn’t draw the interest of the state gaming authorities, right?

Well, don’t bet on it.

The L/A Rotary Club and Classy Lady were forced to cancel “Casino Royale,” their joint fundraiser planned for Friday night, when a Maine State Police inspector discovered the groups didn’t have licenses for games of chance.

“We were shocked when we got the call from the gaming commission,” said Jen Hogan, president of Classy Lady, the women’s apparel store that offers clothing and coaching for women re-entering the workforce. She also sits on the board of the Rotary Club.

Organizers of Casino Royale had hired a local company, Vegas Nights, to run the fundraiser for them and said they were told the event would be covered by Vegas Nights’ license. The same company ran the groups’ two previous gaming fundraisers.

But that’s illegal, said Sgt. William Gomane, supervisor of special investigations for Maine State Police.

“If they didn’t get (their own) license, they would be committing a crime,” he said of the nonprofits. The groups were notified Monday. Another call was made to Vegas Nights, warning the business to stop promoting its services, said Gomane. The state does not grant gaming licenses to private companies, with the exception of Bangor’s racino.

Dave Toussaint of Vegas Nights said the business was a sideline he began two years ago to help local charities raise money. He said he asked the state at the time if he needed any permits to rent gaming equipment and was told he did not.

After speaking with a state investigator this week, Toussaint decided to close Vegas Nights and is selling his inventory.

“He warned me if I did the show, I could get arrested,” he said.

The cancellation left Casino Royale organizers scrambling. Between 60 and 70 tickets at $30 a piece had been sold, and there were sponsors and donors of silent auction items and door prizes who had to be notified.

Hogan said all ticket money and sponsorships would be refunded, and auction items returned. She said she hoped another fundraiser would be scheduled in the next few months.

“These have always been a lot of fun for us, so I hope we can find something comparable,” she said.

The last casino night raised $4,000, which was split between the Rotary Club and Classy Lady. The Rotary Club uses the money to partially fund its six $1,000 scholarships; Classy Lady uses it to fund its mentoring program.

Gomane said church groups, social organizations and booster clubs hold their own gaming licenses for similar fundraisers. It costs $7.50 to apply for a license. Applications are checked to confirm the groups are legitimate charities and that they have the resources to staff the fundraisers themselves. If approved, the charity then pays $15 per game of chance for the license.

Gomane said state police saw an ad for Casino Royale in a newspaper and checked to see whether licenses had been issued. When they saw none were, they took action.

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