| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to cardrooms; amending s. 849.086, F.S.; |
| 3 | revising the period during which a cardroom may operate; |
| 4 | clarifying awards that a cardroom may give to certain |
| 5 | winners; authorizing certain tournaments; requiring the |
| 6 | Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering in the Department of |
| 7 | Business and Professional Regulation to adopt rules; |
| 8 | providing an effective date. |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Section 1. Subsection (7) of section 849.086, Florida |
| 13 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 14 | 849.086 Cardrooms authorized.-- |
| 15 | (7) CONDITIONS FOR OPERATING A CARDROOM.-- |
| 16 | (a) A cardroom may be operated only at the location |
| 17 | specified on the cardroom license issued by the division, and |
| 18 | such location may only be the location at which the pari-mutuel |
| 19 | permitholder is authorized to conduct pari-mutuel wagering |
| 20 | activities pursuant to such permitholder's valid pari-mutuel |
| 21 | permit or as otherwise authorized by law. |
| 22 | (b) A cardroom may be operated at the facility only when |
| 23 | the facility is authorized to accept wagers on pari-mutuel |
| 24 | events during its authorized meet. A cardroom may operate |
| 25 | between the hours of 10 a.m. 12 noon and 2 a.m., Monday through |
| 26 | Thursday, and continuously from Friday at 10 a.m. until Monday |
| 27 | at 2 a.m. 12 midnight on any day a pari-mutuel event is |
| 28 | conducted live as a part of its authorized meet. However, a |
| 29 | permitholder who holds a valid cardroom license may operate a |
| 30 | cardroom between the hours of 12 noon and 12 midnight on any day |
| 31 | that live racing of the same class of permit is occurring within |
| 32 | 35 miles of its facility if no other holder of that same class |
| 33 | of permit within 35 miles is operating a cardroom at such time |
| 34 | and if all holders of the same class of permit within the 35- |
| 35 | mile area have given their permission in writing to the |
| 36 | permitholder to operate the cardroom during the designated |
| 37 | period. Application to operate a cardroom under this paragraph |
| 38 | must be made to the division as part of the annual license |
| 39 | application. |
| 40 | (c) A cardroom operator must at all times employ and |
| 41 | provide a nonplaying dealer for each table on which authorized |
| 42 | card games which traditionally utilize a dealer are conducted at |
| 43 | the cardroom. Such dealers may not have any participatory |
| 44 | interest in any game other than the dealing of cards and may not |
| 45 | have an interest in the outcome of the game. The providing of |
| 46 | such dealers by a licensee shall not be construed as |
| 47 | constituting the conducting of a banking game by the cardroom |
| 48 | operator. |
| 49 | (d) A cardroom may award giveaways, jackpots, prizes, or |
| 50 | progressives to an individual or group of players who hold |
| 51 | certain combinations of cards specified by the cardroom |
| 52 | operator. |
| 53 | (e) A cardroom may conduct tournaments in which each |
| 54 | player contributes an equal amount to a prize pool for the |
| 55 | opportunity to win a portion of the aggregate proceeds. The |
| 56 | Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering of the Department of Business |
| 57 | and Professional Regulation shall adopt rules regulating |
| 58 | cardroom tournaments, including rules establishing maximum-buy- |
| 59 | in amounts, number of players, amount of betting units, and |
| 60 | payout scales. |
| 61 | (f)(d) Each cardroom operator shall conspicuously post |
| 62 | upon the premises of the cardroom a notice which contains a copy |
| 63 | of the cardroom license; a list of authorized games offered by |
| 64 | the cardroom; the wagering limits imposed by the house, if any; |
| 65 | any additional house rules regarding operation of the cardroom |
| 66 | or the playing of any game; and all costs to players to |
| 67 | participate, including any rake by the house. In addition, each |
| 68 | cardroom operator shall post at each table a notice of the |
| 69 | minimum and maximum bets authorized at such table and the fee |
| 70 | for participation in the game conducted. |
| 71 | (g)(e) The cardroom facility shall be subject to |
| 72 | inspection by the division or any law enforcement agency during |
| 73 | the licensee's regular business hours. The inspection will |
| 74 | specifically encompass the permitholder internal control |
| 75 | procedures approved by the division. |
| 76 | (h)(f) A cardroom operator may refuse entry to or refuse |
| 77 | to allow to play any person who is objectionable, undesirable, |
| 78 | or disruptive, but such refusal shall not be on the basis of |
| 79 | race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital |
| 80 | status, physical handicap, or age, except as provided in this |
| 81 | section. |
| 82 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |