| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to cardrooms; amending s. 849.086, F.S.; |
| 3 | defining the term "tournament"; revising the time periods |
| 4 | a cardroom may operate; authorizing a cardroom operator to |
| 5 | give certain awards under certain circumstances; revising |
| 6 | bet limit; authorizing certain games with a buy-in limit |
| 7 | to be conducted without a bet limit; providing |
| 8 | requirements for conducting a tournament; defining the |
| 9 | term "gross receipts" for purposes of tournaments; |
| 10 | providing an appropriation; providing an effective date. |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Section 1. Subsections (7) and (8) of section 849.086, |
| 15 | Florida Statutes, are amended, and paragraph (l) is added to |
| 16 | subsection (2) of that section, to read: |
| 17 | 849.086 Cardrooms authorized.-- |
| 18 | (2) DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section: |
| 19 | (l) "Tournament" means a series of games with more than |
| 20 | one betting round involving one or more tables, where the |
| 21 | winners or others receive a prize or cash award. |
| 22 | (7) CONDITIONS FOR OPERATING A CARDROOM.-- |
| 23 | (a) A cardroom may be operated only at the location |
| 24 | specified on the cardroom license issued by the division, and |
| 25 | such location may only be the location at which the pari-mutuel |
| 26 | permitholder is authorized to conduct pari-mutuel wagering |
| 27 | activities pursuant to such permitholder's valid pari-mutuel |
| 28 | permit or as otherwise authorized by law. |
| 29 | (b) Any horserace, greyhound race, or jai alai |
| 30 | permitholder licensed under this section may operate a cardroom |
| 31 | at the pari-mutuel facility on any day for a cumulative amount |
| 32 | of 12 hours if the permitholder meets the requirements under |
| 33 | paragraph (5)(b). A cardroom may be operated at the facility |
| 34 | only when the facility is authorized to accept wagers on pari- |
| 35 | mutuel events during its authorized meet. A cardroom may operate |
| 36 | between the hours of 12 noon and 12 midnight on any day a pari- |
| 37 | mutuel event is conducted live as a part of its authorized meet. |
| 38 | However, a permitholder who holds a valid cardroom license may |
| 39 | operate a cardroom between the hours of 12 noon and 12 midnight |
| 40 | on any day that live racing of the same class of permit is |
| 41 | occurring within 35 miles of its facility if no other holder of |
| 42 | that same class of permit within 35 miles is operating a |
| 43 | cardroom at such time and if all holders of the same class of |
| 44 | permit within the 35-mile area have given their permission in |
| 45 | writing to the permitholder to operate the cardroom during the |
| 46 | designated period. Application to operate a cardroom under this |
| 47 | paragraph must be made to the division as part of the annual |
| 48 | license application. |
| 49 | (c) A cardroom operator must at all times employ and |
| 50 | provide a nonplaying dealer for each table on which authorized |
| 51 | card games which traditionally utilize a dealer are conducted at |
| 52 | the cardroom. Such dealers may not have any participatory |
| 53 | interest in any game other than the dealing of cards and may not |
| 54 | have an interest in the outcome of the game. The providing of |
| 55 | such dealers by a licensee shall not be construed as |
| 56 | constituting the conducting of a banking game by the cardroom |
| 57 | operator. |
| 58 | (d) A cardroom operator may award giveaways, jackpots, and |
| 59 | prizes to a player or players who hold certain combinations of |
| 60 | cards as specified by the cardroom operator. |
| 61 | (e)(d) Each cardroom operator shall conspicuously post |
| 62 | upon the premises of the cardroom a notice which contains a copy |
| 63 | of the cardroom license; a list of authorized games offered by |
| 64 | the cardroom; the wagering limits imposed by the house, if any; |
| 65 | any additional house rules regarding operation of the cardroom |
| 66 | or the playing of any game; and all costs to players to |
| 67 | participate, including any rake by the house. In addition, each |
| 68 | cardroom operator shall post at each table a notice of the |
| 69 | minimum and maximum bets authorized at such table and the fee |
| 70 | for participation in the game conducted. |
| 71 | (f)(e) The cardroom facility shall be subject to |
| 72 | inspection by the division or any law enforcement agency during |
| 73 | the licensee's regular business hours. The inspection will |
| 74 | specifically encompass the permitholder internal control |
| 75 | procedures approved by the division. |
| 76 | (g)(f) A cardroom operator may refuse entry to or refuse |
| 77 | to allow to play any person who is objectionable, undesirable, |
| 78 | or disruptive, but such refusal shall not be on the basis of |
| 79 | race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital |
| 80 | status, physical handicap, or age, except as provided in this |
| 81 | section. |
| 82 | (8) METHOD OF WAGERS; LIMITATION.-- |
| 83 | (a) No wagering may be conducted using money or other |
| 84 | negotiable currency. Games may only be played utilizing a |
| 85 | wagering system whereby all players' money is first converted by |
| 86 | the house to tokens or chips which shall be used for wagering |
| 87 | only at that specific cardroom. |
| 88 | (b) The cardroom operator may limit the amount wagered in |
| 89 | any game or series of games, but the maximum bet may not exceed |
| 90 | $5 $2 in value. There may not be more than three raises in any |
| 91 | round of betting. The fee charged by the cardroom for |
| 92 | participation in the game shall not be included in the |
| 93 | calculation of the limitation on the bet amount provided in this |
| 94 | paragraph. However, a cardroom operator may conduct games of |
| 95 | Texas Hold'em without a betting limit provided the maximum |
| 96 | required player buy-in does not exceed $100. |
| 97 | (c) A tournament shall consist of a series of games. The |
| 98 | entry fee for a tournament, including any rebuys, may not exceed |
| 99 | the maximum amount that could be wagered by a participant in 10 |
| 100 | like-kind, nontournament games under paragraph (b). Tournaments |
| 101 | must be played only with tournament chips that are provided to |
| 102 | all participants in exchange for an entry fee and any subsequent |
| 103 | rebuys. All players must receive an equal number of tournament |
| 104 | chips for their entry fee. Tournament chips have no cash value |
| 105 | and represent tournament points only. There is no limitation on |
| 106 | the number of tournament chips that may be used for a bet except |
| 107 | as otherwise determined by the cardroom operator. Tournament |
| 108 | chips may never be redeemed for cash or for any other thing of |
| 109 | value. The distribution of prizes and cash awards is determined |
| 110 | by the cardroom operator before entry fees are accepted. |
| 111 | (d) For purposes of tournament play only, the term "gross |
| 112 | receipts" for a tournament means the total amount received by |
| 113 | the cardroom operator for all entry fees, player rebuys, and |
| 114 | fees for participation in the tournament less the total amount |
| 115 | paid to the winners or others as prizes. |
| 116 | Section 2. For fiscal year 2007-2008, four full-time |
| 117 | equivalent positions and 138,949 in associated salary rate are |
| 118 | authorized, and the sums of $230,722 in recurring funds and |
| 119 | $48,411 in nonrecurring funds from the Pari-mutuel Wagering |
| 120 | Trust Fund of the Department of Business and Professional |
| 121 | Regulation are appropriated for the purpose of carrying out |
| 122 | activities related to this act. |
| 123 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |