HB 1377

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to cardrooms; amending s. 849.086, F.S.;
3revising the period during which a cardroom may operate;
4clarifying awards that a cardroom may give to certain
5winners; authorizing certain tournaments; requiring the
6Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering in the Department of
7Business and Professional Regulation to adopt rules;
8providing an effective date.
9
10Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12     Section 1.  Subsection (7) of section 849.086, Florida
13Statutes, is amended to read:
14     849.086  Cardrooms authorized.--
15     (7)  CONDITIONS FOR OPERATING A CARDROOM.--
16     (a)  A cardroom may be operated only at the location
17specified on the cardroom license issued by the division, and
18such location may only be the location at which the pari-mutuel
19permitholder is authorized to conduct pari-mutuel wagering
20activities pursuant to such permitholder's valid pari-mutuel
21permit or as otherwise authorized by law.
22     (b)  A cardroom may be operated at the facility only when
23the facility is authorized to accept wagers on pari-mutuel
24events during its authorized meet. A cardroom may operate
25between the hours of 10 a.m. 12 noon and 2 a.m., Monday through
26Thursday, and continuously from Friday at 10 a.m. until Monday
27at 2 a.m. 12 midnight on any day a pari-mutuel event is
28conducted live as a part of its authorized meet. However, a
29permitholder who holds a valid cardroom license may operate a
30cardroom between the hours of 12 noon and 12 midnight on any day
31that live racing of the same class of permit is occurring within
3235 miles of its facility if no other holder of that same class
33of permit within 35 miles is operating a cardroom at such time
34and if all holders of the same class of permit within the 35-
35mile area have given their permission in writing to the
36permitholder to operate the cardroom during the designated
37period. Application to operate a cardroom under this paragraph
38must be made to the division as part of the annual license
39application.
40     (c)  A cardroom operator must at all times employ and
41provide a nonplaying dealer for each table on which authorized
42card games which traditionally utilize a dealer are conducted at
43the cardroom. Such dealers may not have any participatory
44interest in any game other than the dealing of cards and may not
45have an interest in the outcome of the game. The providing of
46such dealers by a licensee shall not be construed as
47constituting the conducting of a banking game by the cardroom
48operator.
49     (d)  A cardroom may award giveaways, jackpots, prizes, or
50progressives to an individual or group of players who hold
51certain combinations of cards specified by the cardroom
52operator.
53     (e)  A cardroom may conduct tournaments in which each
54player contributes an equal amount to a prize pool for the
55opportunity to win a portion of the aggregate proceeds. The
56Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering of the Department of Business
57and Professional Regulation shall adopt rules regulating
58cardroom tournaments, including rules establishing maximum-buy-
59in amounts, number of players, amount of betting units, and
60payout scales.
61     (f)(d)  Each cardroom operator shall conspicuously post
62upon the premises of the cardroom a notice which contains a copy
63of the cardroom license; a list of authorized games offered by
64the cardroom; the wagering limits imposed by the house, if any;
65any additional house rules regarding operation of the cardroom
66or the playing of any game; and all costs to players to
67participate, including any rake by the house. In addition, each
68cardroom operator shall post at each table a notice of the
69minimum and maximum bets authorized at such table and the fee
70for participation in the game conducted.
71     (g)(e)  The cardroom facility shall be subject to
72inspection by the division or any law enforcement agency during
73the licensee's regular business hours. The inspection will
74specifically encompass the permitholder internal control
75procedures approved by the division.
76     (h)(f)  A cardroom operator may refuse entry to or refuse
77to allow to play any person who is objectionable, undesirable,
78or disruptive, but such refusal shall not be on the basis of
79race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital
80status, physical handicap, or age, except as provided in this
81section.
82     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.