Senate Bill sb0500c2

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 500

    By the Committees on General Government Appropriations;
    Regulated Industries; and Senator Saunders




    601-2494-07

  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         exempting instant bingo from specified

  6         prohibitions; providing requirements for the

  7         operation of instant bingo games; providing

  8         requirements for the use of proceeds and prize

  9         payout; providing requirements for the

10         manufacture and sale of instant bingo tickets;

11         providing penalties; reenacting ss. 718.114 and

12         723.079(8), F.S., relating to powers and duties

13         of condominium and homeowners' associations, to

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

15         in references thereto; providing an effective

16         date.

17  

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

19  

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

21  Wiesman-Price Act."

22         Section 2.  Section 849.0931, Florida Statutes, is

23  amended to read:

24         849.0931  Bingo authorized; conditions for conduct;

25  permitted uses of proceeds; limitations.--

26         (1)  As used in this section:

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

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

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

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

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

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 1  bingo cards which they have purchased until a player receives

 2  a given order of numbers in sequence that has been

 3  preannounced for that particular game. This player calls out

 4  "bingo" and is declared the winner of a predetermined prize.

 5  More than one game may be played upon a bingo card, and

 6  numbers called for one game may be used for a succeeding game

 7  or games.

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

 9  paper or thin pasteboard employed by players engaged in the

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

11  playing numbers printed on it. These playing numbers shall

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

13  numbers may be printed on any single piece of paper.

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

15  means an organization which has qualified for exemption from

16  federal income tax as an exempt organization under the

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

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

19  which is engaged in charitable, civic, community, benevolent,

20  religious, or scholastic works or other similar activities;

21  and which has been in existence and active for a period of 3

22  years or more.

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

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

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

26  receipts from the sale of the entire deal.

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

28  accompanies each deal of instant bingo tickets and that has

29  printed on or affixed to it the following information:

30         1.  The game name.

31         2.  The manufacturer's name or distinctive logo.

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 1         3.  The form number.

 2         4.  The ticket count.

 3         5.  The prize structure, including the number of

 4  symbols or number combinations for winning instant bingo

 5  tickets by denomination, with their respective winning symbols

 6  or number combinations.

 7         6.  The cost per play.

 8         7.  The game serial number.

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

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

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

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

13  been designated in advance as prize winners.

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

15  precision shapes that are imprinted with letters and numbers

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

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

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

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

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

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

22  are placed after being drawn and announced.

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

24  objects are drawn or ejected.

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

26  played in a day or part of a day.

27         (2)(a)  None of the provisions of this chapter shall be

28  construed to prohibit or prevent charitable, nonprofit, or

29  veterans' organizations engaged in charitable, civic,

30  community, benevolent, religious, or scholastic works or other

31  similar endeavors, which organizations have been in existence

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 1  and active for a period of 3 years or more, from conducting

 2  bingo games or instant bingo, provided the entire proceeds

 3  derived from the conduct of such games, less actual business

 4  expenses for articles designed for and essential to the

 5  operation, conduct, and playing of bingo or instant bingo, are

 6  donated by such organizations to the endeavors mentioned

 7  above. In no case may the net proceeds from the conduct of

 8  such games be used for any other purpose whatsoever. The

 9  proceeds derived from the conduct of bingo games or instant

10  bingo shall not be considered solicitation of public

11  donations.

12         (b)  It is the express intent of the Legislature that

13  no charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organization serve as a

14  sponsor of a bingo game or instant bingo conducted by another,

15  but such organization may only be directly involved in the

16  conduct of such a game as provided in this act.

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

18  the type set out above, its right to conduct bingo games

19  hereunder is conditioned upon the return of all the proceeds

20  from such games to the players in the form of prizes. If at

21  the conclusion of play on any day during which a bingo game is

22  allowed to be played under this section there remain proceeds

23  which have not been paid out as prizes, the organization

24  conducting the game shall at the next scheduled day of play

25  conduct bingo games without any charge to the players and

26  shall continue to do so until the proceeds carried over from

27  the previous days played have been exhausted. This provision

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

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

30  (5).

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 500
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 1         (4)  The right of a condominium association, a

 2  cooperative association, a homeowners' association as defined

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

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

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

 6  vehicle park as defined in chapter 513 to conduct bingo is

 7  conditioned upon the return of the net proceeds from such

 8  games to players in the form of prizes after having deducted

 9  the actual business expenses for such games for articles

10  designed for and essential to the operation, conduct, and

11  playing of bingo. Any net proceeds remaining after paying

12  prizes may be donated by the association to a charitable,

13  nonprofit, or veterans' organization which is exempt from

14  federal income tax under the provisions of s. 501(c) of the

15  Internal Revenue Code to be used in such recipient

16  organization's charitable, civic, community, benevolent,

17  religious, or scholastic works or similar activities or, in

18  the alternative, such remaining proceeds shall be used as

19  specified in subsection (3).

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

21  to the amounts displayed on the ticket or on the game flare, a

22  No jackpot shall not exceed the value of $250 in actual money

23  or its equivalent, and there shall be no more than three

24  jackpots in any one session of bingo.

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

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

27  organizations authorized under this section hereunder may

28  conduct bingo shall may not exceed two.

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

30  to the amounts displayed on the ticket or on the game flare,

31  

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 1  there shall be no more than three jackpots on any one day of

 2  play. All other game prizes shall not exceed $50.

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

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

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

 6  the organization sponsoring such game and may not be

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

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

 9  nonprofit, or veterans' organization, the organization

10  conducting the bingo games must shall be required to designate

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

12  the games, one of whom shall be present during the entire

13  session at which the bingo games are conducted. The

14  organization conducting the bingo games is responsible for

15  posting a notice, which notice states the name of the

16  organization and the designated member or members, in a

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

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

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

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

21  organization involved in the conduct of a bingo game or

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

23  15-mile radius of, where the bingo game or instant bingo is

24  located.

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

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

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

28         (b)  Any organization conducting bingo open to the

29  public may refuse entry to any person who is objectionable or

30  undesirable to the sponsoring organization, but such refusal

31  of entry shall not be on the basis of race, creed, color,

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 1  religion, sex, national origin, marital status, or physical

 2  handicap.

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

 4  the following premises:

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

 6  veterans' organization.

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

 8  veterans' organization that will benefit by the proceeds.

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

10  year by a charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organization,

11  providing the lease or rental agreement does not provide for

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

13  premises to the lessor or any other party and providing the

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

15  charged for similar premises in the same locale.

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

17  the governing authority has, by appropriate ordinance or

18  resolution, specifically authorized the use of such property

19  for the conduct of such games.

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

21  condominium association, a cooperative association, a

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

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

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

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

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

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

28  vehicle park, or property which is a common area located

29  within the condominium, mobile home park, or recreational

30  vehicle park.

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 500
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 1         (12)  Each bingo game shall be conducted in accordance

 2  with the following rules:

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

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

 5  as to all other characteristics that may control their

 6  selection from the receptacle. The caller shall cancel any

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

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

 9  manner as to interfere with the accurate determination of the

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18  objects in the presence of a disinterested person to ensure

19  that all objects are present and that there are no

20  duplications or omissions of numbers on the objects. Any

21  player shall be entitled to call for a verification of numbers

22  before, during, and after a session.

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

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

25  be alike in any given game.

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

27  drawn and before being placed in the rack.

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

29  arrangement of numbers on a card or sheet that correspond with

30  the numbers on the objects drawn from the receptacle and

31  

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 1  announced. Errors in numbers announced or misplaced in the

 2  rack may not be recognized as a bingo.

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

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

 5  obtained a bingo on a previous number, such player will share

 6  the prize with the player who gained bingo on the last number

 7  called.

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

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

10  player shall be entitled at the time the winner is determined

11  to call for a verification of numbers drawn. The verification

12  shall be in the presence of the member designated to be in

13  charge of the occasion or, if such person is also the caller,

14  in the presence of an officer of the licensee.

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

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

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

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

19  this announcement.

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

21  organization or person involved in the conduct of any bingo

22  game for players not present, nor may any cards be set aside,

23  held, or reserved from one session to another for any player.

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

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

26  manufacturer, not to exceed $1. Discounts may not be given for

27  the purchase of multiple tickets, nor may tickets be given

28  away free of charge.

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

30  accompanied by a flare, and the flare must be posted before

31  the sale of any tickets in that deal.

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

 2  same serial number, and there may not be more than one serial

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

 4  instant bingo tickets may not be repeated by the manufacturer

 5  on the same form for a period of 3 years.

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

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

 8  or other container.

 9         (e)  Instant bingo tickets manufactured, sold, or

10  distributed in this state must comply with the applicable

11  standards on pull-tabs of the North American Gaming Regulators

12  Association, as amended.

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

14  bingo ticket manufactured, sold, or distributed in this state

15  must:

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

17  identify whether it is a winning or losing instant bingo

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

19         2.  Be manufactured using at least a two-ply paper

20  stock construction so that the instant bingo ticket is opaque.

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

22  the name or logo of the manufacturer conspicuously printed on

23  the face or cover of the instant bingo ticket.

24         4.  Have a form of winner protection that allows the

25  organization to verify, after the instant bingo ticket has

26  been played, that the winning instant bingo ticket presented

27  for payment is an authentic winning instant bingo ticket for

28  the deal in play. The manufacturer shall provide a written

29  description of the winner protection with each deal of instant

30  bingo tickets.

31  

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 1         (g)  Each manufacturer and distributor that sells or

 2  distributes instant bingo tickets in this state to charitable,

 3  nonprofit, or veterans' organizations shall prepare an invoice

 4  that contains the following information:

 5         1.  Date of sale.

 6         2.  Form number and serial number of each deal sold.

 7         3.  Number of instant bingo tickets in each deal sold.

 8         4.  Name of distributor or organization to whom each

 9  deal is sold.

10         5.  Price of each deal sold.

11  

12  All information contained on an invoice must be maintained by

13  the distributor or manufacturer for 3 years.

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

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

16  tickets is stored or in play.

17         (14)(13)  Any organization or other person who

18  willfully and knowingly violates any provision of this section

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

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

21  second or subsequent offense, the organization or other person

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

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

24         Section 3.  For the purpose of incorporating the

25  amendment made by this act to section 849.0931, Florida

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

27  Statutes, is reenacted to read:

28         718.114  Association powers.--An association has the

29  power to enter into agreements, to acquire leaseholds,

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

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

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 1  other recreational facilities. It has this power whether or

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

 3  condominium, if they are intended to provide enjoyment,

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

 5  these leaseholds, memberships, and other possessory or use

 6  interests existing or created at the time of recording the

 7  declaration must be stated and fully described in the

 8  declaration. Subsequent to the recording of the declaration,

 9  the association may not acquire or enter into agreements

10  acquiring these leaseholds, memberships, or other possessory

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

12  declaration may provide that the rental, membership fees,

13  operations, replacements, and other expenses are common

14  expenses and may impose covenants and restrictions concerning

15  their use and may contain other provisions not inconsistent

16  with this chapter. A condominium association may conduct bingo

17  games as provided in s. 849.0931.

18         Section 4.  For the purpose of incorporating the

19  amendment made by this act to section 849.0931, Florida

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

21  723.079, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read:

22         723.079  Powers and duties of homeowners'

23  association.--

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

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

26  conduct bingo games as provided in s. 849.0931.

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

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 1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 2                            CS/SB 500

 3                                 

 4  Eliminates the requirement for the Department of the Lottery
    to maintain a list of instant bingo ticket manufacturers,
 5  qualified under the standards of the North American Gaming
    Regulators Association, which are authorized to sell instant
 6  bingo tickets in Florida.

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