R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-19-13
Nothing in §§ 11-19-1 - 11-19-4 or in §§ 11-19-9 - 11-19-11 shall be deemed to prohibit or make illegal the annual or semiannual distribution by chance, of prizes, souvenirs, or favors by any club, society, lodge, or association at its dance, dinner, entertainment, or outing where the distribution is purely incidental to the dance, dinner, entertainment or outing or when the entire net proceeds of the dance, dinner, entertainment or outing is devoted to charity, if the club, society, lodge or association has first obtained the written permission for the distribution, in towns, from the town sergeant, in cities, from the police commission or police commissioner, if there is such an official, otherwise from the chief of police of the town or city where the dance, dinner, entertainment or outing is held, and that permitting authority is authorized to grant the permit when he or she is satisfied that the distribution comes within this section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-19-13