Bill Text: TX HB4100 | 2023-2024 | 88th 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.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-20 - Referred to Licensing & Administrative Procedures [HB4100 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB4100-Introduced.html
| 88R13342 PRL-F | ||
| By: Kuempel | H.B. No. 4100 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| 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 2021.003, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
| by amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivisions (1-a) and (1-b) | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (1) "Account wagering" means a form of pari-mutuel | ||
| wagering that allows an individual to deposit money in an account | ||
| with a racetrack association or an account wagering operator for | ||
| the individual's use in pari-mutuel wagering offered by the | ||
| racetrack association on live or simulcast horse races or greyhound | ||
| races. | ||
| (1-a) "Account wagering operator" means an entity | ||
| licensed by the commission to provide an account for account | ||
| wagering by persons in this state. | ||
| (1-b) "Accredited Texas-bred horse" means a | ||
| Texas-bred horse that meets the accreditation requirements of the | ||
| state horse breed registry for that breed of horse. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 2025, Occupations Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 2025.2511 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 2025.2511. 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 chapter. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 2027.001(b), Occupations Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (b) Rules adopted under this subtitle must include rules to: | ||
| (1) regulate wagering by a person licensed under this | ||
| subtitle; | ||
| (2) prohibit wagering by a commission employee; | ||
| (3) authorize account wagering by [ |
||
| racetrack association or an account wagering operator under | ||
| conditions the commission determines appropriate to protect the | ||
| public health and safety [ |
||
| (4) prohibit a racetrack association from accepting a | ||
| wager made on credit. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 2027.002, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
| by amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (b-1) | ||
| and (c-1) to read as follows: | ||
| (a) Wagering may be conducted only by: | ||
| (1) a racetrack association within the racetrack | ||
| association's enclosure; or | ||
| (2) an account wagering operator. | ||
| (b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), a [ |
||
| not accept, in person, by telephone, or over the Internet, a wager | ||
| for a horse or greyhound race conducted inside or outside this state | ||
| from a person in this state unless the wager is authorized under | ||
| this subtitle. | ||
| (b-1) A racetrack association or an account wagering | ||
| operator may accept account wagering in person or by direct | ||
| telephone call or through other electronic means by the account | ||
| holder. An account wagering operator that is not a racetrack | ||
| association and that conducts, or any of the operator's affiliates | ||
| conducts, live racing shall contract with a racetrack association | ||
| for interstate simulcast wagering. An account wagering operator | ||
| may contract with a racetrack association to offer wagering on live | ||
| races on the account wagering operator's system only as authorized | ||
| under this subtitle. | ||
| (c-1) For purposes of this subtitle, account wagering by a | ||
| person in this state through a racetrack association or an account | ||
| wagering operator is considered wagering by a person in the | ||
| enclosure of the racetrack association or of the racetrack | ||
| association that has contracted with the account wagering operator. | ||
| SECTION 5. Chapter 2028, Occupations Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subchapter B-1 to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER B-1. GENERAL DEDUCTIONS FROM ACCOUNT WAGERING | ||
| Sec. 2028.071. DEDUCTIONS FROM ACCOUNT WAGERING. (a) The | ||
| commission shall adopt rules setting the amount, less refunds, that | ||
| may be deducted from the gross pari-mutuel handle of the racetrack | ||
| association or account wagering operator conducting account | ||
| wagering, provided that amount is not less than six percent of the | ||
| handle. | ||
| (b) 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 2027.003, from wagers placed by persons in | ||
| this state with each racetrack association or account wagering | ||
| operator offering account wagering. | ||
| SECTION 6. 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 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
