Bill Text: TX HB3925 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the regulation of wagering through telephone, the Internet, or other approved electronic means on horse races and greyhound races under the pari-mutuel system of wagering; requiring a license to operate account wagering; requiring a fee.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-04-03 - Referred to Licensing & Administrative Procedures [HB3925 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB3925-Introduced.html
85R13010 GCB-F | ||
By: Kuempel | H.B. No. 3925 |
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relating to the regulation of wagering through telephone, the | ||
Internet, or other approved electronic means on horse races and | ||
greyhound races under the pari-mutuel system of wagering; requiring | ||
a license to operate account wagering; requiring a fee. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 1.03, Texas Racing Act (Article 179e, | ||
Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Subdivisions | ||
(82) and (83) to read as follows: | ||
(82) "Account wagering" means a form of pari-mutuel | ||
wagering that allows an individual to deposit money in an account | ||
with an association or an account wagering operator for the | ||
individual's use in pari-mutuel wagering offered by the association | ||
on live or simulcast horse races or greyhound races. | ||
(83) "Account wagering operator" means an entity | ||
licensed by the commission to provide an account for account | ||
wagering by persons in this state. | ||
SECTION 2. Article 7, Texas Racing Act (Article 179e, | ||
Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Section 7.11 | ||
to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 7.11. ACCOUNT WAGERING LICENSE. (a) A person may not | ||
offer account wagering, operate as an account wagering operator, or | ||
act as an employee of a person offering account wagering or | ||
operating as an account wagering operator unless the person or | ||
employee, as applicable, holds a license issued by the commission | ||
under this section. | ||
(b) The commission shall adopt rules and procedures for | ||
applying for or issuing, denying, or revoking a license under this | ||
section in a manner consistent with other licensing provisions of | ||
this Act. | ||
(c) The commission shall establish fees for initial and | ||
annual renewal licensing of account wagering operators and of | ||
employees of account wagering operators. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 11.01, Texas Racing Act (Article 179e, | ||
Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsection | ||
(a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: | ||
(a) The commission shall adopt rules to regulate wagering on | ||
greyhound races and horse races under the system known as | ||
pari-mutuel wagering. Wagering may be conducted only by an | ||
association within its enclosure or by an account wagering | ||
operator. Except as provided by Subsection (c), a [ |
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not accept, in person, by telephone, or over the Internet, a wager | ||
for a horse race or greyhound race conducted inside or outside this | ||
state from a person in this state unless the wager is authorized | ||
under this Act. | ||
(c) An association or an account wagering operator may | ||
accept account wagering in person or by direct telephone call or | ||
through other electronic means by the holder of the account. An | ||
account wagering operator that is not an association shall, if the | ||
operator or any of the operator's affiliates conducts live racing, | ||
contract with an association for interstate simulcast wagering. An | ||
account wagering operator shall contract with an association to | ||
offer wagering on live races on the account wagering operator's | ||
system, if authorized by law. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 11.04, Texas Racing Act (Article 179e, | ||
Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsection | ||
(b) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to read as follows: | ||
(b) The commission may [ |
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account wagering by [ |
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wagering operator under conditions the commission determines | ||
appropriate to protect the public health and safety [ |
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a person in this state through an association or an account wagering | ||
operator is considered wagering by a person in the enclosure of the | ||
association or of the association that has contracted with the | ||
account wagering operator. | ||
(b-1) The commission shall adopt rules setting the amount, | ||
less refunds, that may be deducted from the gross pari-mutuel | ||
handle of the association or account wagering operator conducting | ||
account wagering, provided that amount is not less than six percent | ||
of the gross pari-mutuel handle. | ||
(b-2) The amount of all fees paid to the commission from | ||
account wagering may not exceed one percent of the total gross | ||
account wagering receipts, as determined by the computational | ||
equipment approved by the commission for calculating wagering as | ||
required under Section 11.02, from wagers placed by persons in this | ||
state with each association or account wagering operator offering | ||
account wagering. | ||
SECTION 5. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
of this Act, the Texas Racing Commission shall adopt the rules | ||
necessary to implement the change in law made by this Act. | ||
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |