Senate Bill 1898
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1898
By Senator Geller
29-1112A-00
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the operation of cardrooms;
3 amending s. 849.086, F.S.; prescribing
4 licensing requirements when more than one
5 permitholder uses the same facility; providing
6 cardroom license fees; revising standards on
7 when cardrooms may be operated and the amount
8 of bets allowable for each round, hand, or
9 game; authorizing facilities to award prizes;
10 revising the rate of the gross receipts tax on
11 admissions; revising the amount of cardroom
12 receipts that must be used to supplement
13 greyhound and jai alai purses; providing an
14 effective date.
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16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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18 Section 1. Paragraphs (b) and (d) of subsection (5),
19 subsections (7) and (8), and paragraphs (a) and (d) of
20 subsection (13) of section 849.086, Florida Statutes, are
21 amended to read:
22 849.086 Cardrooms authorized.--
23 (5) LICENSE REQUIRED; APPLICATION; FEES.--No person
24 may operate a cardroom in this state unless such person holds
25 a valid cardroom license issued pursuant to this section.
26 (b) After the initial cardroom license is granted, the
27 application for the annual license renewal shall be made in
28 conjunction with the applicant's annual application for its
29 pari-mutuel license. In order for a cardroom license to be
30 renewed the applicant must have requested, as part of its
31 pari-mutuel annual license application, to conduct at least 90
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1898
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1 percent of the total number of live performances conducted by
2 such permitholder during either the state fiscal year in which
3 its initial cardroom license was issued or the state fiscal
4 year immediately prior thereto, or, if more than one
5 permitholder is operating at a facility, each of the
6 permitholders must have applied for a license to conduct a
7 full schedule of live racing.
8 (d) The annual cardroom license fee for each facility
9 shall be $1,000 for the first table and $500 for each
10 additional table to be operated at the cardroom. This license
11 fee shall be deposited by the division with the Treasurer to
12 the credit of the Pari-mutuel Wagering Trust Fund.
13 (7) CONDITIONS FOR OPERATING A CARDROOM.--
14 (a) A cardroom may only be operated at the location
15 specified on the cardroom license issued by the division, and
16 such location may only be the location at which the
17 pari-mutuel permitholder is authorized to conduct pari-mutuel
18 wagering activities pursuant to such permitholder's valid
19 pari-mutuel permit and current license.
20 (b) A cardroom may be operated at the facility only
21 when the facility is authorized to accept wagers on
22 pari-mutuel events during its authorized meet. A cardroom may
23 begin operations within 2 hours prior to the post time of the
24 first pari-mutuel event conducted live at the pari-mutuel
25 facility on which wagers are accepted by the facility and must
26 cease operations by 2 a.m. on the following day within 2 hours
27 after the conclusion of the last pari-mutuel event conducted
28 live at the pari-mutuel facility on which wagers are accepted.
29 (c) A cardroom operator must at all times employ and
30 provide a nonplaying dealer for each table on which authorized
31 card games which traditionally utilize a dealer are conducted
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1898
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1 at the cardroom. Such dealers may not have any participatory
2 interest in any game other than the dealing of cards and may
3 not have an interest in the outcome of the game. The
4 providing of such dealers by a licensee shall not be construed
5 as constituting the conducting of a banking game by the
6 cardroom operator.
7 (d) A facility that operates a cardroom may award
8 giveaways or prizes to players who hold combinations of cards
9 specified by the cardroom operator.
10 (e)(d) Each cardroom operator shall conspicuously post
11 upon the premises of the cardroom a notice which contains a
12 copy of the cardroom license; a list of authorized games
13 offered by the cardroom; the wagering limits imposed by the
14 house, if any; any additional house rules regarding operation
15 of the cardroom or the playing of any game; and all costs to
16 players to participate, including any rake by the house. In
17 addition, each cardroom operator shall post at each table a
18 notice of the minimum and maximum bets authorized at such
19 table and the fee for participation in the game conducted.
20 (f)(e) The cardroom facility shall be subject to
21 inspection by the division or any law enforcement agency
22 during the licensee's regular business hours. The inspection
23 will specifically encompass the permitholder internal control
24 procedures approved by the division.
25 (g)(f) A cardroom operator may refuse entry to or
26 refuse to allow to play any person who is objectionable,
27 undesirable, or disruptive, but such refusal shall not be on
28 the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national
29 origin, marital status, physical handicap, or age, except as
30 provided in this section.
31 (8) METHOD OF WAGERS; LIMITATION.--
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1898
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1 (a) No wagering may be conducted using money or other
2 negotiable currency. Games may only be played utilizing a
3 wagering system whereby all players' money is first converted
4 by the house to tokens or chips which shall be used for
5 wagering only at that specific cardroom.
6 (b) The cardroom operator may limit the amount wagered
7 in any game or series of games, but the maximum bet The
8 winnings of any player in a single round, hand, or game may
9 not exceed $2 $10 in value. There may be no more than three
10 raises in any round of betting. The fee charged by the
11 cardroom for participation in the game shall not be included
12 in the calculation of the limitation on the bet pot size
13 provided in this paragraph.
14 (13) TAXES AND OTHER PAYMENTS.--
15 (a) Each cardroom operator shall pay a tax to the
16 state of 2 10 percent of the cardroom operation's monthly
17 gross receipts.
18 (d) Each greyhound and jai alai permitholder that
19 which operates a cardroom facility shall utilize at least 10 4
20 percent of such permitholder's cardroom monthly gross receipts
21 to supplement greyhound purses or jai alai prize money,
22 respectively, during the permitholder's next ensuing
23 pari-mutuel meet. Each thoroughbred and harness horse racing
24 permitholder that which operates a cardroom facility shall
25 utilize at least 50 percent of such permitholder's cardroom
26 monthly net proceeds as follows: 47 percent to supplement
27 purses and 3 percent to supplement breeders' awards during the
28 permitholder's next ensuing racing meet.
29 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1898
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Authorizes pari-mutuel facilities to operate cardrooms at
any time during which wagers are accepted by those
4 facilities, regardless of whether they are conducting
live pari-mutuel events. Decreases the maximum amount a
5 player may bet in any one round, hand, or game from $10
to $2, with no more than three raises permitted in any
6 round of betting. Authorizes facilities to award prizes
to players. Abolishes the tax on admission to cardrooms.
7 Reduces the gross receipts tax on admissions from 10
percent to 2 percent. Increases, to 10 percent of the
8 monthly gross receipts, the amount of cardroom proceeds
which a permitholder must use to supplement greyhound or
9 jai alai purses. Provides license fees and licensing
requirements when more than one permitholder uses the
10 same facility.
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