Operation of Charitable Games Events

Section 435 Section 435.160  Operation of Charitable Games Events a) Only the following games may be conducted at a charitable games event:  roulette, blackjack, poker, pull tabs, craps, bang, beat the dealer, big six, gin rummy, five card stud poker, chuck-a-luck, keno, hold-em poker, and merchandise wheel.  A licensed organization need not conduct every game permitted.  The licensed organization shall promulgate rules, and make printed copies available to participants, for the games conducted at the charitable games event (Section 8(15) of the Act).  However, the games, as played at a charitable games event, must be recognizable from the following general descriptions of these games:  Craps, bang, beat the dealer, and chuck-a-luck are dice games.  "Craps" involves players rolling a pair of dice in an effort to throw certain combinations of numbers paying various odds.  Several rolls may be necessary to determine whether a player has won or lost.  "Bang" is similar to craps but with fewer relevant combinations, and a decision is reached on each roll of the dice.  In "beat the dealer" the player attempts to throw a higher total on two dice than the dealer. "Chuck-a-luck" uses three dice with players wagering on whether particular spots will appear on one or more of the dice.  Roulette, big six, and merchandise wheel are wheel games.  "Roulette" uses a wheel, usually separated into 38 numbered compartments into which a ball drops at random, and wagers are made regarding several variables in the outcome of a spin of the wheel.  "Big six" uses a sectioned wheel on which are pictured various combinations of three dice, and wagers are made on whether particular spots will appear in the combination that is chosen at random by spinning the wheel.  "Merchandise wheels" have numbers, symbols or colors used to designate the winning wager and, where applicable, the type of merchandise to be awarded.  Blackjack, gin rummy, poker, hold-em poker, and five card stud poker are card games and must be played substantially according to the description of such games found in Hoyle's Modern Encyclopedia of Card Games by Walter B. Gibson, published by Doubleday and Company, Inc., April 1974, 1 st Edition, hereby incorporated by reference (no later editions or amendments are included).  However, a house dealer must be provided for all card games played at an event.  These dealers are considered to participate in the management and operation of the games, and must be a bona fide employee, member, or volunteer recruited by the licensed organization.  Keno is a lotto-type game, similar to bingo, in which a player, to win, must select numbers on a card which correspond to numbers drawn at random from a container. A pull tab, or similar type of gambling ticket, is a single-folded or banded ticket, or is a card, the face of which is initially covered or otherwise hidden from view to conceal a number, symbol, or set of symbols, some of which are winners.  Players receive from the licensed organization the prize for a winning ticket, which is stated on the promotional display or "flare". No cards, dice, wheels or other charitable games equipment may be modified or altered so as to give the licensee a greater advantage in winning, other than as provided under the normal rules of play of a particular game (Section 8 of the Act).  Any charitable games equipment so altered or modified shall be confiscated by the Department. No single bet at any game shall exceed $20. (Section 8(4) of the Act) b) Only chips may be used to play any of the games listed in subsection (a).  Cash may never be used to wager on any of the games conducted at any charitable games event. All chips must be permanently monogrammed with the license number or logo of the sponsoring organization or of the supplier (Section 8(5) of the Act).  Sponsoring organizations may, at their discretion, accept checks or credit cards as payment for chips.  However, such checks must be endorsed by the sponsoring organization.  Proceeds from credit cards must be maintained as provided in Section 435.190. 1)         Chips must be sold and redeemed at a single, stationary location on the premises where the charitable games event is conducted.  This area shall be known as the "bank".  (See Section 8(5) of the Act.) The bank must be staffed entirely by members, volunteers or employees of the sponsoring organization, who will be required to account for all transactions.  No "floor sellers" or "runners" are allowed.  For each participant, the sponsoring organization shall keep a complete and accurate record of the name and address of the participant, the cash value of each purchase of chips by the participant, and, if chips are redeemable for cash, the cash value of all chips redeemed by the participant.  After each separate purchase of chips, the sponsoring organization shall issue to the purchaser a separate receipt identified by a unique pre-printed number.  The number of the receipt and the amount of the purchase must be entered on the record maintained for that purchaser. A)        All receipts for the purchase of chips must be pre-printed with consecutive numbers, beginning with the number one.  Any receipts not issued, and any voided receipts, must be retained as part of the sponsoring organization's records.  (Example:  Seller A is selling chips and issuing receipts numbered 1-150.  At the end of the night, seller A has only issued receipts through number 135.  Blank receipts 136-150 must be retained by the sponsoring organization.) B)        The entire amount of any admission fee shall be considered to be a purchase of chips even if no chips are given in return for payment of the fee, and must be entered on the record of each participant.  For this purchase of chips only, the sponsoring organization need not issue a receipt to the purchaser. 2)         If the value of all chips redeemed by a participant for cash exceeds the value of all chips purchased by the participant, the participant must give a signed receipt for the cash won.  The participant's signature on the record kept by the sponsoring organization shall be a sufficient receipt. A participant may cash in his or her chips in exchange for currency not to exceed $500 (Section 8(6) of the Act).  There is no limit on the amount of noncash prizes that may be exchanged for chips. 3)         When a participant exchanges chips for any noncash prize, the participant shall sign for the receipt of the prize.  The receipt shall describe the noncash prize and state the retail value of the prize.  The sponsoring organization shall provide the Department with a listing of all prizes awarded, including the retail value of all prizes awarded (Section 8(6) of the Act). 4)         All receipts required by this subsection (b) shall include the date and the sponsoring organization's name and charitable games license number. c) The sponsoring organization shall designate a person in charge of and primarily responsible for the conduct of the charitable games event, and that person must be present on the premises continuously during the charitable games event (Section 4(1) of the Act).  The person in charge must verify that only eligible persons, whose names appear on the workers list, participate in the management or operation of the event. The person in charge must have been a member of the sponsoring organization for at least one year prior to the charitable games event and shall be familiar with the provisions of the Act and this Part. d)         The sponsoring organization must post its charitable games license in a prominent place at or near the location where chips are sold and redeemed, and in a manner such that the license may be easily seen by participants. e) Charitable games events must be conducted in accordance with local building and fire code requirements (Section 4(11) of the Act). f) The sponsoring organization must allow Department employees to be present on the premises during, and for two hours before and after, the charitable games event to inspect or test equipment, devices and supplies used in the conduct of the event, and to examine the records maintained pursuant to Section 435.190 (Section 4(12) of the Act). g) The entire net proceeds from charitable games must be exclusively devoted to the lawful purposes of the organization permitted to conduct that game (Section 8 of the Act).