85R13010 GCB-F
 
  By: Kuempel H.B. No. 3925
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  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 [A] person may
  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 [shall] adopt rules to authorize
  account wagering by [prohibiting] an association or an account
  wagering operator under conditions the commission determines
  appropriate to protect the public health and safety [from accepting
  wagers by telephone]. For purposes of this Act, account wagering by
  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.