Bill Text: FL S0840 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Bingo
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2021-04-30 - Died in Regulated Industries [S0840 Detail]
Download: Florida-2021-S0840-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2021 SB 840
By Senator Gruters
23-00511-21 2021840__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to bingo; amending s. 849.0931, F.S.;
3 revising the definition of the terms “deal,” “flare,”
4 and “instant bingo”; increasing the cap on instant
5 bingo ticket prices; providing requirements for
6 electronic instant bingo tickets and devices that
7 display electronic instant bingo tickets; prohibiting
8 persons from engaging in the manufacture or
9 distribution of instant bingo tickets under certain
10 circumstances; conforming provisions to changes made
11 by the act; providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Paragraphs (d), (e), and (f) of subsection (1)
16 and subsection (13) of section 849.0931, Florida Statutes, are
17 amended to read:
18 849.0931 Bingo authorized; conditions for conduct;
19 permitted uses of proceeds; limitations.—
20 (1) As used in this section:
21 (d) “Deal” means a separate set or package of not more than
22 25,000 4,000 instant bingo tickets in which the predetermined
23 minimum prize payout is at least 65 percent of the total
24 receipts from the sale of the entire deal.
25 (e) “Flare” means the board, or placard, or digital display
26 that accompanies each deal of instant bingo tickets and that
27 displays has printed on or affixed to it the following
28 information:
29 1. The game name.
30 2. The manufacturer’s name or distinctive logo.
31 3. The form number.
32 4. The ticket count.
33 5. The prize structure, including the number of symbols or
34 number combinations for winning instant bingo tickets by
35 denomination, with their respective winning symbols or number
36 combinations.
37 6. The cost per play.
38 7. The game serial number.
39 (f) “Instant bingo” means a form of bingo that is played at
40 the same location as bingo, using electronic or paper tickets by
41 which a player wins a prize by opening and removing a cover from
42 the ticket to reveal a set of numbers, letters, objects, or
43 patterns, some of which have been designated in advance as prize
44 winners.
45 (13)(a) Instant bingo tickets must be sold at the price
46 displayed printed on the ticket or on the game flare by the
47 manufacturer, not to exceed $5 $1. Discounts may not be given
48 for the purchase of multiple tickets, nor may tickets be given
49 away free of charge.
50 (b) Each deal of instant bingo tickets must be accompanied
51 by a flare, and the flare must be made available to the player
52 posted before the sale of any tickets in that deal.
53 (c) Each instant bingo ticket in a deal must bear the same
54 serial number, and there may not be more than one serial number
55 in each deal. Serial numbers displayed printed on a deal of
56 instant bingo tickets may not be repeated by the manufacturer on
57 the same form for a period of 3 years.
58 (d) For paper instant bingo tickets, the serial number for
59 each deal must be clearly and legibly placed on the outside of
60 each deal’s package, box, or other container.
61 (e) Paper instant bingo tickets manufactured, sold, or
62 distributed in this state must comply with the applicable
63 standards on pull-tabs of the North American Gaming Regulators
64 Association, as amended.
65 (f) Except as provided under paragraph (e), a paper an
66 instant bingo ticket manufactured, sold, or distributed in this
67 state must:
68 1. Be manufactured so that it is not possible to identify
69 whether it is a winning or losing instant bingo ticket until it
70 has been opened by the player as intended.
71 2. Be manufactured using at least a two-ply paper stock
72 construction so that the instant bingo ticket is opaque.
73 3. Have the form number, the deal’s serial number, and the
74 name or logo of the manufacturer conspicuously printed on the
75 face or cover of the instant bingo ticket.
76 4. Have a form of winner protection that allows the
77 organization to verify, after the instant bingo ticket has been
78 played, that the winning instant bingo ticket presented for
79 payment is an authentic winning instant bingo ticket for the
80 deal in play. The manufacturer shall provide a written
81 description of the winner protection with each deal of instant
82 bingo tickets.
83 (g) Each manufacturer and distributor that sells or
84 distributes paper instant bingo tickets in this state to
85 charitable, nonprofit, or veterans’ organizations shall prepare
86 an invoice that contains the following information:
87 1. Date of sale.
88 2. Form number and serial number of each deal sold.
89 3. Number of instant bingo tickets in each deal sold.
90 4. Name of distributor or organization to whom each deal is
91 sold.
92 5. Price of each deal sold.
93
94 All information contained on an invoice must be maintained by
95 the distributor or manufacturer for 3 years.
96 (h) The invoice, or a true and accurate copy thereof, must
97 be on the premises where any deal of instant bingo tickets is
98 stored or in play.
99 (i) Electronic instant bingo tickets must be nontransparent
100 until the electronic ticket is opened by the player in
101 electronic form and may be sold or distributed only by
102 charitable, nonprofit, or veterans’ organizations. Electronic
103 instant bingo tickets may be sold only after the software for
104 such tickets has been independently analyzed and certified to be
105 compliant with this section by a nationally recognized
106 independent gaming laboratory.
107 (j) Devices that display electronic instant bingo tickets
108 must be affixed to a set location on property authorized to hold
109 bingo games or instant bingo games under subsection (11).
110 (k) A person may not engage in the manufacture or
111 distribution of instant bingo tickets if the person:
112 1. Has violated, or failed or refused to comply with, this
113 section, chapter 24, chapter 550, or chapter 551 or has
114 knowingly allowed, caused, aided, abetted, or conspired with
115 another person to cause that person to violate this section,
116 chapter 24, chapter 550, or chapter 551.
117 2. Has engaged in any act or practice to defraud or cheat a
118 person, including using a device or scheme to defraud or cheat a
119 person.
120 3. Has previously conducted illegal gambling or gaming
121 activity in any jurisdiction.
122 4. Has demonstrated willful disregard for complying with
123 ordinances, statutes, rules, or court orders in any
124 jurisdiction, whether at the local, state, or federal level.
125 5. Poses a threat to the effective regulation of bingo or
126 creates or increases the likelihood of unfair or illegal
127 practices, methods, or activities in the conduct of bingo
128 activities, as demonstrated by:
129 a. Prior activities;
130 b. A criminal record;
131 c. Reputation;
132 d. Habits; or
133 e. Associations.
134 6. Has knowingly provided goods or services to a person who
135 illegally conducts gaming activities.
136 (l) A person may not engage in the manufacture or
137 distribution of instant bingo software provided in whole or in
138 part by any person prohibited from engaging in the manufacture
139 or distribution of instant bingo software under this section.
140 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.
