Florida Senate - 2023 SB 7044 By the Committee on Regulated Industries 580-03287-23 20237044__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to changes in ownership of or interest 3 in pari-mutuel permits; amending s. 550.054, F.S.; 4 revising entities authorized to hold pari-mutuel 5 wagering permits and associated licenses; amending s. 6 849.086, F.S.; specifying such entities may hold a 7 license for the operation of a cardroom; amending s. 8 550.01215, F.S.; providing applicability; providing an 9 effective date. 10 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 13 Section 1. Subsection (15) of section 550.054, Florida 14 Statutes, is amended to read: 15 550.054 Application for permit to conduct pari-mutuel 16 wagering.— 17 (15)(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a 18 permit for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering and associated 19 cardroom or slot machine licenses may only be held by a 20 permitholder who held an operating license for the conduct of 21 pari-mutuel wagering for fiscal year 2020-2021 or who holds a 22 permit issued pursuant to s. 550.3345 or by a purchaser, 23 transferee, or assignee of a valid permit for the conduct of 24 pari-mutuel wagering if approved by the commission before such 25 purchase, transfer, or assignment and provided that the 26 commission does not approve or issue an additional permit for 27 the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering; 28 (b) All permits issued under this chapter held by 29 permitholders on January 1, 2021, are deemed valid for the sole 30 and exclusive purpose of satisfying all conditions for the valid 31 issuance of the permits, if such permitholder held an operating 32 license for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering for fiscal year 33 2020-2021 or if such permitholder held a permit issued pursuant 34 to s. 550.3345; 35 (c) Additional permits for the conduct of pari-mutuel 36 wagering may not be approved or issued by the commission or 37 former Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering after January 1, 2021; 38 and 39 (d) A permit to conduct pari-mutuel wagering may not be 40 converted to another class of permit. 41 Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (5) of section 42 849.086, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 43 849.086 Cardrooms authorized.— 44 (5) LICENSE REQUIRED; APPLICATION; FEES.—No person may 45 operate a cardroom in this state unless such person holds a 46 valid cardroom license issued pursuant to this section. 47 (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a pari 48 mutuel permitholder, other than a permitholder issued a permit 49 pursuant to s. 550.3345 or a purchaser, transferee, or assignee 50 holding a valid permit for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering 51 approved pursuant to s. 550.054(15)(a), may not be issued a 52 license for the operation of a cardroom if the permitholder did 53 not hold an operating license for the conduct of pari-mutuel 54 wagering for fiscal year 2020-2021. In order for an initial 55 cardroom license to be issued to a thoroughbred permitholder 56 issued a permit pursuant to s. 550.3345, the applicant must have 57 requested, as part of its pari-mutuel annual license 58 application, to conduct at least a full schedule of live racing. 59 In order for a cardroom license to be renewed by a thoroughbred 60 permitholder, the applicant must have requested, as part of its 61 pari-mutuel annual license application, to conduct at least 90 62 percent of the total number of live performances conducted by 63 such permitholder during either the state fiscal year in which 64 its initial cardroom license was issued or the state fiscal year 65 immediately prior thereto if the permitholder ran at least a 66 full schedule of live racing or games in the prior year. 67 Section 3. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section 68 550.01215, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 69 550.01215 License application; periods of operation; 70 license fees; bond.— 71 (1) Each permitholder shall annually, during the period 72 between December 15 and January 4, file in writing with the 73 commission its application for an operating license for a pari 74 mutuel facility for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering during 75 the next state fiscal year, including intertrack and simulcast 76 race wagering. Each application for live performances must 77 specify the number, dates, and starting times of all live 78 performances that the permitholder intends to conduct. It must 79 also specify which performances will be conducted as charity or 80 scholarship performances. 81 (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, other than 82 a permitholder issued a permit pursuant to s. 550.3345, a pari 83 mutuel permitholder may not be issued an operating license for 84 the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering, slot machine gaming, or the 85 operation of a cardroom if the permitholder did not hold an 86 operating license for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering for 87 fiscal year 2020-2021. This paragraph does not apply to a 88 purchaser, transferee, or assignee holding a valid permit for 89 the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering approved pursuant to s. 90 550.054(15)(a). 91 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.