Senate Bill sb0500

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 500

    By Senator Saunders





    37-478-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to bingo; providing a short

  3         title; amending s. 849.0931, F.S.; defining the

  4         terms "deal," "flare," and "instant bingo";

  5         providing rules for operating instant bingo

  6         games; providing requirements for the

  7         manufacture and sale of instant bingo tickets;

  8         requiring that the manufacturer or distributor

  9         of instant bingo tickets maintain certain

10         records; requiring that the Department of the

11         Lottery select a specified number of qualified

12         instant bingo ticket manufacturers that are

13         authorized to sell instant bingo tickets within

14         the state; providing penalties; reenacting ss.

15         718.114 and 723.079(8), F.S., relating to

16         condominiums and homeowners' associations, to

17         incorporate the amendment to s. 849.0931, F.S.,

18         in references thereto; providing an effective

19         date.

20  

21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

22  

23         Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "Evelyn

24  Wiesman-Price Act."

25         Section 2.  Section 849.0931, Florida Statutes, is

26  amended to read:

27         849.0931  Bingo authorized; conditions for conduct;

28  permitted uses of proceeds; limitations.--

29         (1)  As used in this section:

30         (a)  "Bingo game" means and refers to the activity,

31  commonly known as "bingo," in which participants pay a sum of

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 1  money for the use of one or more bingo cards. When the game

 2  commences, numbers are drawn by chance, one by one, and

 3  announced. The players cover or mark those numbers on the

 4  bingo cards that which they have purchased until a player

 5  receives a given order of numbers in sequence which have that

 6  has been preannounced for that particular game. This player

 7  calls out "bingo" and is declared the winner of a

 8  predetermined prize.  More than one game may be played upon a

 9  bingo card, and numbers called for one game may be used for a

10  succeeding game or games.

11         (b)  "Bingo card" means and refers to the flat piece of

12  paper or thin pasteboard employed by players engaged in the

13  game of bingo.  The bingo card shall have not fewer than 24

14  playing numbers printed on it.  These playing numbers shall

15  range from 1 through 75, inclusive.  More than one set of

16  bingo numbers may be printed on any single piece of paper.

17         (c)  "Charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organization"

18  means an organization that which has qualified for exemption

19  from federal income tax as an exempt organization under the

20  provisions of s. 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954

21  or s. 528 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

22  that which is engaged in charitable, civic, community,

23  benevolent, religious, or scholastic works or other similar

24  activities; and that which has been in existence and active

25  for a period of 3 years or more.

26         (d)  "Deal" means a separate set or package of not more

27  than 4,000 instant bingo tickets in which the predetermined

28  minimum prize payout is at least 65 percent of the total

29  receipts from the sale of the entire deal.

30  

31  

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 1         (e)  "Flare" means the board or placard that

 2  accompanies each deal of instant bingo tickets and that has

 3  printed on or affixed to it the following information:

 4         1.  The game name;

 5         2.  The manufacturer's name or distinctive logo;

 6         3.  The form number;

 7         4.  The ticket count;

 8         5.  The prize structure, including the number of

 9  symbols or number combinations for winning instant bingo

10  tickets by denomination, with the respective winning symbols

11  or number combinations;

12         6.  The cost per play; and

13         7.  The serial number of the game.

14         (f) "Instant bingo" means a form of bingo that is

15  played using tickets by which a player wins a prize by opening

16  and removing a cover from the ticket to reveal a set of

17  numbers, letters, objects, or patterns, some of which have

18  been predesignated in advance as prize winners.

19         (g)(d)  "Objects" means a set of 75 balls or other

20  precision shapes that are imprinted with letters and numbers

21  in such a way that numbers 1 through 15 are marked with the

22  letter "B," numbers 16 through 30 are marked with the letter

23  "I," numbers 31 through 45 are marked with the letter "N,"

24  numbers 46 through 60 are marked with the letter "G," and

25  numbers 61 through 75 are marked with the letter "O."

26         (h)(e)  "Rack" means the container in which the objects

27  are placed after being drawn and announced.

28         (i)(f)  "Receptacle" means the container from which the

29  objects are drawn or ejected.

30         (j)(g)  "Session" means a designated set of games

31  played in a day or part of a day.

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 1         (2)(a)  None of the provisions of This chapter does not

 2  shall be construed to prohibit or prevent charitable,

 3  nonprofit, or veterans' organizations engaged in charitable,

 4  civic, community, benevolent, religious, or scholastic works

 5  or other similar endeavors, which organizations have been in

 6  existence and active for a period of 3 years or more, from

 7  conducting bingo games or instant bingo if, provided the

 8  entire proceeds derived from the conduct of such games, less

 9  actual business expenses for articles designed for and

10  essential to the operation, conduct, and playing of bingo or

11  instant bingo, are donated by such organizations to the

12  endeavors mentioned above. In no case may The net proceeds

13  from the conduct of such games may not be used for any other

14  purpose whatsoever. The proceeds derived from the conduct of

15  bingo games or instant bingo are shall not the result of be

16  considered solicitation of public donations.

17         (b)  A It is the express intent of the Legislature that

18  no charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organization may not

19  serve as a sponsor of a bingo game or instant bingo conducted

20  by another, but such organization may only be directly

21  involved in the conduct of such a game only as provided in

22  this section act.

23         (3)  If an organization is not engaged in efforts of

24  the type set out in subsection (2) above, its right to conduct

25  bingo games or instant bingo under this section hereunder is

26  conditioned upon the return of all the proceeds from such

27  games to the players in the form of prizes.  If at the

28  conclusion of play on any day during which a bingo game or

29  instant bingo is allowed to be played under this section there

30  remain proceeds that which have not been paid out as prizes,

31  the organization conducting the game shall at the next

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 1  scheduled day of play conduct bingo games or instant bingo

 2  without any charge to the players and shall continue to do so

 3  until the proceeds carried over from the previous days played

 4  have been exhausted. This subsection does not extend provision

 5  in no way extends the limitation on the number of prize or

 6  jackpot games allowed in one day as provided for in subsection

 7  (5).

 8         (4)  The right of a condominium association, a

 9  cooperative association, a homeowners' association as defined

10  in s. 720.301, a mobile home owners' association, a group of

11  residents of a mobile home park as defined in chapter 723, or

12  a group of residents of a mobile home park or recreational

13  vehicle park as defined in chapter 513 to conduct bingo or

14  instant bingo is conditioned upon the return of the net

15  proceeds from such games to players in the form of prizes

16  after having deducted the actual business expenses for such

17  games for articles designed for and essential to the

18  operation, conduct, and playing of bingo or instant bingo. Any

19  net proceeds remaining after paying prizes may be donated by

20  the association to a charitable, nonprofit, or veterans'

21  organization that which is exempt from federal income tax

22  under the provisions of s. 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code

23  to be used in such recipient organization's charitable, civic,

24  community, benevolent, religious, or scholastic works or

25  similar activities or, in the alternative, such remaining

26  proceeds shall be used as specified in subsection (3).

27         (5)  Except for instant bingo prizes, which are limited

28  to those displayed on the ticket or on the game flare, a No

29  jackpot may not shall exceed the value of $250 in actual money

30  or its equivalent, and there may not shall be no more than

31  three jackpots in any one session of bingo.

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 1         (6)  Except for instant bingo, which is not limited by

 2  this subsection, the number of days per week during which

 3  organizations authorized under this section hereunder may

 4  conduct bingo may not exceed two.

 5         (7)  Except for instant bingo prizes, which are limited

 6  to those displayed on the ticket or on the game flare, there

 7  may not shall be no more than three jackpots on any one day of

 8  play. All other game prizes may shall not exceed $50.

 9         (8)  Each person involved in the conduct of any bingo

10  game or instant bingo must be a resident of the community

11  where the organization is located and a bona fide member of

12  the organization sponsoring such game and may not be

13  compensated in any way for operation of such bingo game. When

14  bingo games or instant bingo is are conducted by a charitable,

15  nonprofit, or veterans' organization, the organization

16  conducting the bingo games must shall be required to designate

17  up to three members of that organization to be in charge of

18  the games, one of whom must shall be present during the entire

19  session at which the bingo games are conducted. The

20  organization conducting the bingo games is responsible for

21  posting a notice, which notice must state states the name of

22  the organization and the designated member or members, in a

23  conspicuous place on the premises at which the session is held

24  or instant bingo is played. In no event may A caller in a

25  bingo game may not be a participant in that bingo game.

26         (9)  Every charitable, nonprofit, or veterans'

27  organization involved in the conduct of a bingo game or

28  instant bingo must be located in the county, or within a

29  15-mile radius of, where the bingo game or instant bingo is

30  located.

31  

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 1         (10)(a)  No one under 18 years of age shall be allowed

 2  to play any bingo game or instant bingo or be involved in the

 3  conduct of a bingo game or instant bingo in any way.

 4         (b)  Any organization conducting bingo or instant bingo

 5  that is open to the public may refuse entry to any person who

 6  is objectionable or undesirable to the sponsoring

 7  organization, but such refusal of entry may shall not be on

 8  the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national

 9  origin, marital status, or physical handicap.

10         (11)  Bingo games or instant bingo may be held only on

11  the following premises:

12         (a)  Property owned by the charitable, nonprofit, or

13  veterans' organization.

14         (b)  Property owned by the charitable, nonprofit, or

15  veterans' organization that will benefit by the proceeds.

16         (c)  Property leased for a period of not less than 1

17  year by a charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organization if,

18  providing the lease or rental agreement does not provide for

19  the payment of a percentage of the proceeds generated at such

20  premises to the lessor or any other party and if providing the

21  rental rate for such premises does not exceed the rental rates

22  charged for similar premises in the same locale.

23         (d)  Property owned by a municipality or a county when

24  the governing authority has, by appropriate ordinance or

25  resolution, specifically authorized the use of such property

26  for the conduct of such games.

27         (e)  With respect to bingo games conducted by a

28  condominium association, a cooperative association, a

29  homeowners' association as defined in s. 720.301, a mobile

30  home owners' association, a group of residents of a mobile

31  home park as defined in chapter 723, or a group of residents

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 1  of a mobile home park or recreational vehicle park as defined

 2  in chapter 513, property owned by the association, property

 3  owned by the residents of the mobile home park or recreational

 4  vehicle park, or property that which is a common area located

 5  within the condominium, mobile home park, or recreational

 6  vehicle park.

 7         (12)  Each bingo game shall be conducted in accordance

 8  with the following rules:

 9         (a)  The objects, whether drawn or ejected, shall be

10  essentially equal as to size, shape, weight, and balance and

11  as to all other characteristics that may control their

12  selection from the receptacle. The caller shall cancel any

13  game if, during the course of a game, the mechanism used in

14  the drawing or ejection of objects becomes jammed in such a

15  manner as to interfere with the accurate determination of the

16  next number to be announced or if the caller determines that

17  more than one object is labeled with the same number or that

18  there is a number to be drawn without a corresponding object.

19  Any player in a game canceled pursuant to this paragraph shall

20  be permitted to play the next game free of charge.

21         (b)  Prior to commencement of any bingo session, the

22  member in charge shall cause a verification to be made of all

23  objects to be placed in the receptacle and shall inspect the

24  objects in the presence of a disinterested person to ensure

25  that all objects are present and that there are no

26  duplications or omissions of numbers on the objects. Any

27  player is shall be entitled to call for a verification of

28  numbers before, during, and after a session.

29         (c)  The card or sheet on which the game is played

30  shall be part of a deck, group, or series, no two of which may

31  be alike in any given game.

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 1         (d)  All numbers shall be visibly displayed after being

 2  drawn and before being placed in the rack.

 3         (e)  A bona fide bingo shall consist of a predesignated

 4  arrangement of numbers on a card or sheet which that

 5  correspond with the numbers on the objects drawn from the

 6  receptacle and announced. Errors in numbers announced or

 7  misplaced in the rack may not be recognized as a bingo.

 8         (f)  When a caller has started to vocally announce a

 9  number, the caller shall complete the call. If any player has

10  obtained a bingo on a previous number, such player shall will

11  share the prize with the player who gained bingo on the last

12  number called.

13         (g)  Numbers on the winning cards or sheets shall be

14  announced and verified in the presence of another player. Any

15  player is shall be entitled at the time the winner is

16  determined to call for a verification of numbers drawn. The

17  verification shall be in the presence of the member designated

18  to be in charge of the occasion or, if such person is also the

19  caller, in the presence of an officer of the licensee.

20         (h)  Upon determining a winner, the caller shall ask,

21  "Are there any other winners?" If no one replies, the caller

22  shall declare the game closed.  No other player is entitled to

23  share the prize unless she or he has declared a bingo prior to

24  this announcement.

25         (i)  Seats may not be held or reserved by an

26  organization or person involved in the conduct of any bingo

27  game for players not present, and nor may any cards may not be

28  set aside, held, or reserved from one session to another for

29  any player.

30         (13)(a)  Instant bingo tickets must be sold at the

31  price printed on the ticket or on the game flare by the

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 1  manufacturer, which may not exceed $1. Discounts may not be

 2  given for purchases of multiple tickets, and tickets may not

 3  be given away free of charge.

 4         (b)  Each deal of instant bingo tickets must be

 5  accompanied by a flare and the flare must be posted before the

 6  sale of any tickets in that deal.

 7         (c)  Each instant bingo ticket in a deal must bear the

 8  same serial number and there may not be more than one serial

 9  number in each deal. Serial numbers printed on a deal of

10  instant bingo tickets may not be repeated by the manufacturer

11  on the same form for 3 years.

12         (d)  The serial number for each deal must be clearly

13  and legibly placed on the outside of each deal's package, box,

14  or other container.

15         (e)  Instant bingo tickets that are manufactured, sold,

16  or distributed in this state must comply with the applicable

17  standards for pull-tabs of the North American Gaming

18  Regulators Association, as amended.

19         (f)  Except as provided under paragraph (e), an instant

20  bingo ticket that is manufactured, sold, or distributed in

21  this state must:

22         1.  Be manufactured so that it is not possible to

23  identify whether it is a winning or losing instant bingo

24  ticket until it has been opened by the player as intended.

25         2.  Be manufactured using at least two-ply paper stock

26  construction so that the instant bingo ticket is opaque.

27         3.  Have the form number, the deal's serial number, and

28  the name or logo of the manufacturer conspicuously printed on

29  the face or cover of the instant bingo ticket.

30         4.  Have a form of winner protection allowing the

31  organization to verify, after the instant bingo ticket has

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 1  been played, that the winning instant bingo ticket presented

 2  for payment is an authentic winning instant bingo ticket for

 3  the deal in play. The manufacturer must provide a written

 4  description of the winner protection with each deal of instant

 5  bingo tickets.

 6         (g)  Each manufacturer and distributor that sells or

 7  distributes instant bingo tickets in this state to charitable,

 8  nonprofit, or veterans' organizations must prepare an invoice

 9  that contains the following information:

10         1.  The date of sale.

11         2.  The form number and serial number of each deal

12  sold.

13         3.  The number of instant bingo tickets in each deal

14  sold.

15         4.  The name of the distributor or organization to

16  which each deal is sold.

17         5.  The price of each deal sold.

18  

19  All information contained on an invoice must be maintained by

20  the distributor or manufacturer for 3 years.

21         (h)  The invoice, or a true and accurate copy thereof,

22  must be on the premises where any deal of instant bingo

23  tickets is stored or in play.

24         (i)  The Department of the Lottery shall keep a list of

25  at least five qualified instant bingo ticket manufacturers

26  that are authorized to sell instant bingo tickets within this

27  state. The Department of the Lottery shall process all

28  applications and place the qualified instant bingo ticket

29  manufacturers on a list pursuant to s. 120.60. A distributor

30  or a charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organization may not

31  purchase, distribute, or sell instant bingo tickets that are

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 1  manufactured by a manufacturer that is not on the list of

 2  qualified instant bingo ticket manufacturers issued by the

 3  Department of the Lottery.

 4         (14)(13)  Any organization or other person who

 5  willfully and knowingly violates any provision of this section

 6  commits is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree,

 7  punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. For a

 8  second or subsequent offense, the organization or other person

 9  commits is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable

10  as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

11         Section 3.  For the purpose of incorporating the

12  amendments made by this act to section 849.0931, Florida

13  Statutes, in a reference thereto, section 718.114, Florida

14  Statutes, is reenacted to read:

15         718.114  Association powers.--An association has the

16  power to enter into agreements, to acquire leaseholds,

17  memberships, and other possessory or use interests in lands or

18  facilities such as country clubs, golf courses, marinas, and

19  other recreational facilities. It has this power whether or

20  not the lands or facilities are contiguous to the lands of the

21  condominium, if they are intended to provide enjoyment,

22  recreation, or other use or benefit to the unit owners. All of

23  these leaseholds, memberships, and other possessory or use

24  interests existing or created at the time of recording the

25  declaration must be stated and fully described in the

26  declaration. Subsequent to the recording of the declaration,

27  the association may not acquire or enter into agreements

28  acquiring these leaseholds, memberships, or other possessory

29  or use interests except as authorized by the declaration.  The

30  declaration may provide that the rental, membership fees,

31  operations, replacements, and other expenses are common

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 1  expenses and may impose covenants and restrictions concerning

 2  their use and may contain other provisions not inconsistent

 3  with this chapter.  A condominium association may conduct

 4  bingo games as provided in s. 849.0931.

 5         Section 4.  For the purpose of incorporating the

 6  amendments made by this act to section 849.0931, Florida

 7  Statutes, in a reference thereto, subsection (8) of section

 8  723.079, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read:

 9         723.079  Powers and duties of homeowners'

10  association.--

11         (8)  Any mobile home owners' association or group of

12  residents of a mobile home park as defined in this chapter may

13  conduct bingo games as provided in s. 849.0931.

14         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

15  

16            *****************************************

17                          SENATE SUMMARY

18    Creates the "Evelyn Wiesman-Price Act." Defines the terms
      "deal," "flare," and "instant bingo." Provides rules for
19    instant bingo games. Provides requirements for the
      manufacture and sale of instant bingo tickets. Requires
20    that the Department of the Lottery select five qualified
      instant bingo ticket manufacturers that are authorized to
21    sell instant bingo tickets within the state. Provides
      penalties.
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