Senate Bill sb0752

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 752

    By Senator Geller





    31-462-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to cardrooms; amending s.

  3         849.086, F.S.; revising the period during which

  4         a cardroom may operate; clarifying awards that

  5         a cardroom may give to certain winners;

  6         authorizing certain tournaments; requiring the

  7         Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering in the

  8         Department of Business and Professional

  9         Regulation to adopt rules; providing an

10         effective date.

11  

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

13  

14         Section 1.  Subsection (7) of section 849.086, Florida

15  Statutes, is amended to read:

16         849.086  Cardrooms authorized.--

17         (7)  CONDITIONS FOR OPERATING A CARDROOM.--

18         (a)  A cardroom may be operated only at the location

19  specified on the cardroom license issued by the division, and

20  such location may only be the location at which the

21  pari-mutuel permitholder is authorized to conduct pari-mutuel

22  wagering activities pursuant to such permitholder's valid

23  pari-mutuel permit or as otherwise authorized by law.

24         (b)  A cardroom may be operated at the facility only

25  when the facility is authorized to accept wagers on

26  pari-mutuel events during its authorized meet. A cardroom may

27  operate between the hours of 10 a.m. 12 noon and 2 a.m.,

28  Monday through Thursday, and continuously from Friday at 10

29  a.m. until Monday at 2 a.m. 12 midnight on any day a

30  pari-mutuel event is conducted live as a part of its

31  authorized meet. However, a permitholder who holds a valid

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 752
    31-462-07




 1  cardroom license may operate a cardroom between the hours of

 2  12 noon and 12 midnight on any day that live racing of the

 3  same class of permit is occurring within 35 miles of its

 4  facility if no other holder of that same class of permit

 5  within 35 miles is operating a cardroom at such time and if

 6  all holders of the same class of permit within the 35-mile

 7  area have given their permission in writing to the

 8  permitholder to operate the cardroom during the designated

 9  period. Application to operate a cardroom under this paragraph

10  must be made to the division as part of the annual license

11  application.

12         (c)  A cardroom operator must at all times employ and

13  provide a nonplaying dealer for each table on which authorized

14  card games which traditionally utilize a dealer are conducted

15  at the cardroom. Such dealers may not have any participatory

16  interest in any game other than the dealing of cards and may

17  not have an interest in the outcome of the game. The providing

18  of such dealers by a licensee shall not be construed as

19  constituting the conducting of a banking game by the cardroom

20  operator.

21         (d)  A cardroom may award giveaways, jackpots, prizes,

22  or progressives to an individual or group of players who hold

23  certain combinations of cards specified by the cardroom

24  operator.

25         (e)  A cardroom may conduct tournaments in which each

26  player contributes an equal amount to a prize pool for the

27  opportunity to win a portion of the aggregate proceeds. The

28  Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering of the Department of Business

29  and Professional Regulation shall adopt rules regulating

30  cardroom tournaments, including rules establishing

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 752
    31-462-07




 1  maximum-buy-in amounts, number of players, amount of betting

 2  units, and payout scales.

 3         (f)(d)  Each cardroom operator shall conspicuously post

 4  upon the premises of the cardroom a notice which contains a

 5  copy of the cardroom license; a list of authorized games

 6  offered by the cardroom; the wagering limits imposed by the

 7  house, if any; any additional house rules regarding operation

 8  of the cardroom or the playing of any game; and all costs to

 9  players to participate, including any rake by the house. In

10  addition, each cardroom operator shall post at each table a

11  notice of the minimum and maximum bets authorized at such

12  table and the fee for participation in the game conducted.

13         (g)(e)  The cardroom facility shall be subject to

14  inspection by the division or any law enforcement agency

15  during the licensee's regular business hours. The inspection

16  will specifically encompass the permitholder internal control

17  procedures approved by the division.

18         (h)(f)  A cardroom operator may refuse entry to or

19  refuse to allow to play any person who is objectionable,

20  undesirable, or disruptive, but such refusal shall not be on

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

22  origin, marital status, physical handicap, or age, except as

23  provided in this section.

24         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

25  

26            *****************************************

27                          SENATE SUMMARY

28    Revises provisions relating to the operation of
      cardrooms, including provisions regulating hours of
29    operation, awards that may be given to winners of games,
      operation of certain tournaments, and the adoption of
30    rules.

31  

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