Table Game Cards—Receipt, Storage, Inspections, and Removal from Use

PURPOSE: This rule establishes procedures for the handling of table game cards within the gaming operation. (1) When decks of table game cards are received for use in the facility from a licensed supplier, the boxes shall be promptly inspected and the decks shall be stored in a primary or secondary storage area by at least (2) employees, one (1) of whom shall be from the table games department and the other from the security department. The primary card storage area shall be located in a secure place, the location and physical characteristics of which shall be approved by the commission. Secondary storage areas, if needed, shall be used for the storage of surplus cards. Cards maintained in secondary storage areas shall be transferred to the primary card storage area before being distributed to the pits or tables. All secondary storage areas shall be located in secure areas, the location and physical characteristics of which shall be approved by the commission. (2) All primary and secondary storage areas shall have two (2) separate locks. The security department shall be the authorized user of one (1) key and the pit manager, poker room manager, or supervisor thereof in the organizational hierarchy shall be the authorized user of the other key. (3) Immediately prior to the commencement of each gaming day and at other times as may be necessary, the pit manager, poker room manager, or supervisor thereof, in the presence of a security officer, shall remove the appropriate number of decks of table games cards from the primary card storage area for that gaming day. (4) Once removed from the primary card storage area, the pit manager, poker room manager, or supervisor thereof, in the presence of a security officer, shall take the decks to the pit(s) and distribute the decks to the floor supervisor(s) for distribution to the dealer at each table. (5) The pit manager, poker room manager, or supervisor thereof, shall place extra decks into a single locked compartment of a pit stand located within the pit(s). The floor supervisor or above shall have access to the extra decks of cards to be used for that gaming day. (6) Cards will not be moved outside of the enclosed or encircled area without a security escort and notification to surveillance except when being collected by security. (7) Prior to being placed into play, all decks shall be inspected by the dealer, and the entire inspection observed by a floor supervisor or above. Card inspection at the gaming table shall require each deck to either be sorted into sequence and into suit or processed through an automated shuffler or similar device capable of reading the card faces to ensure that all cards are in the deck. For decks that may be used more than once, the inspection shall also require the dealer to check the back of each card to ensure that it is not flawed, scratched, or marked in any way. Card inspection for games may be conducted at an alternate table in the same pit or at an alternate table in a closed pit. In these instances, the floor supervisor or above shall notify surveillance and surveillance shall record on the surveillance shift log both the table number where the card inspection is conducted and the table number at which the cards are to be placed into play. (A) If, after checking the cards, the dealer finds that a card is unsuitable for use, a floor supervisor or above shall bring a replacement card from the replacement deck or replace the entire deck. (B) The unsuitable card(s) shall be placed in a transparent sealed envelope or container, identified by the table number, date, and time removed from the table and shall be signed by the dealer and floor supervisor assigned to that table. The floor supervisor or above shall maintain the envelope or container in a secure place within the pit until collected by a security officer. (8) When cards are placed in play, the Class B licensee shall record on each deck/multi-deck box the table number, the date, and the time the cards were placed on the table for use. (9) All envelopes and containers used to hold or transport cards collected by security shall be transparent. (A) The envelopes or containers and the method used to seal them shall be designed or constructed so that any tampering shall be evident. (B) The envelopes or containers and seals shall be approved by the commission. (10) Any cards which have been opened and placed on a gaming table shall be changed at least once every twenty-four (24) hours. In addition— (A) Cards opened for use on games in which dealing procedures require the cards to be dealt only once (e.g., baccarat) shall be changed upon the completion of each shoe; and (B) Cards opened for use on any table game in which the cards are handled by the players shall be changed at least every six (6) hours. (11) Card(s) damaged during the course of play shall be replaced by the dealer who shall request a floor supervisor or above to bring a replacement card(s) or deck/multi-deck from the pit stand. (A) The damaged card(s) shall be placed in a sealed envelope, identified by table number, date, and time removed from the table and shall be signed by the dealer and the floor supervisor or above who brought the replacement card to the table. (B) The floor supervisor or above shall maintain the envelope or container in a secure place within the pit until collected by a security officer. (12) At the end of the gaming day or, in the alternative, at least once each gaming day at the same time each day, as designated by the licensee and approved by the commission, and at other times as may be necessary, the floor supervisor or above shall collect all used cards. (A) These cards shall be counted down manually by the dealer or by an automated shuffler and placed in the original deck/multi-deck boxes. The time the decks were removed from the table and an indication as to whether or not the cards were handheld shall be recorded on the deck/multi-deck boxes. The GAMING COMMISSION boxes shall be placed in a sealed envelope or container. For games in which dealing procedures require cards to be dealt only once, the sealed envelopes or containers shall be easily distinguishable from those used for all other table games. The bags will be conspicuously labeled as containing single-use cards. (B) A label shall be attached to each envelope or container which identifies the table number, date, and time and shall be signed by the dealer and floor supervisor assigned to the table. (C) The floor supervisor or above shall maintain the envelopes or containers in a secure place within the pit until collected by a security officer. (13) The licensee shall remove any cards from use any time there is indication of tampering, flaws, scratches, marks, or other defects that might affect the integrity or fairness of the game, or at the request of the commission. (14) At the end of each gaming day or, in the alternative, at least once each gaming day, as designated by the licensee in the internal controls and approved by the commission, and at other times as may be necessary, a table game supervisor or above shall collect all extra decks of cards. All extra decks with broken seals shall be placed in a sealed envelope or container, with a label attached to each envelope or container which identifies the date and time and is signed by the floor supervisor and the pit manager or above. (15) At the end of the gaming day or, in the alternative, at least once each gaming day at the same time each day, as designated by the licensee in the internal controls and approved by the commission, and at other times as may be necessary, a security officer shall collect all decks in the pit(s), including sealed decks, sealed envelopes or containers with damaged cards, decks used during the gaming day, and decks with broken seals. The collection shall be recorded on the Card and Dice Collection Log. All sealed decks shall be returned directly to the primary storage area. The security officer shall return the envelopes or containers and the log to the card inspection room. (16) When the envelopes or containers of used cards and reserve cards with broken seals are returned to the security department, they shall be inspected within forty-eight (48) hours by a member of the security department who has been trained in proper card inspection procedures. The cards will be inspected for tampering, marks, alterations, missing or additional cards, or anything that might indicate unfair play. (A) With the exception of cards which are changed upon the completion of each shoe and dealt only once, all cards used in table games in which the cards are handled by the player shall be inspected. Cards that are changed upon completion of each shoe and are dealt only once shall be recorded separately on the Card Inspection Log and are not required to be inspected. (B) In other table games, if less than three hundred (300) decks are used in the gaming day, at least ten percent (10%) of those decks will be selected at random to be inspected. If three hundred (300) or more decks are used that gaming day, at least five percent (5%) of those decks but no fewer than thirty (30) decks will be selected at random to be inspected. (C) The licensee shall also inspect— 1. Any cards which the commission requests the licensee to remove for the purpose of inspection; and 2. Any cards the licensee removed for indication of tampering. (D) The procedures for inspecting all decks required to be inspected under this subsection shall, at a minimum, include: 1. The sorting of cards sequentially by suit or using an automated deck checking device to establish all cards are present; 2. The inspection of the backs of the cards with an ultraviolet light; and 3. The inspection of the sides of the cards for crimps, bends, cuts, and shaving. (E) The individuals performing said inspection shall complete the Card Inspection Log which shall detail the procedures performed and list the tables from which the cards were removed and the results of the inspection. The individual shall sign the form upon completion of the inspection procedures. (F) Evidence of tampering, marks, alterations, missing, or additional cards, or anything that might indicate unfair play discovered at this time, or at any other time, shall be reported to the commission by the completion and delivery of a Card Discrepancy Report. All Card/Dice Discrepancy Reports generated for the cards for each gaming day shall be delivered prior to or immediately following the inspection process for that gaming day. 1. The report shall accompany the card(s) when delivered to the commission. 2. Security shall maintain the second part of the discrepancy report. (17) The Class B licensee shall— (A) Maintain a card inventory ledger for each primary and secondary storage location, which shall document the following: 1. Balance of decks on hand; 2. Decks removed from storage; 3. Decks returned to storage or received from the manufacturer; 4. Date of the transaction; and 5. Signatures of the security officer and the pit manager or poker room manager conducting the transaction; (B) Verify on a daily basis the number of decks stored, distributed, destroyed or cancelled, and returned to the storage area; and (C) Perform an independent inventory of the cards at least once each calendar quarter. 1. This inventory shall be performed by an employee from the compliance or accounting department and shall be verified to the balance of decks on hand as recorded on the inventory ledger. 2. The employee conducting this inventory shall make an entry and sign the Cards/Dice Inventory Ledger in a manner that clearly distinguishes this count as the independent inventory. 3. Any discrepancies shall immediately be reported to the commission agent on duty. (18) Where cards in an envelope or container are inspected and found to be without any indication of tampering marks, alterations, missing, or additional cards, or anything that might indicate unfair play, those cards shall be destroyed or cancelled. Once released by the commission, the cards submitted as evidence shall be destroyed or cancelled. Cards shall be destroyed or cancelled prior to removal from inventory. The destruction/cancellation shall be recorded on the Card and Dice Cancellation/Destruction Log. (A) Destruction shall occur by shredding or other method approved by the commission. (B) Cancellation shall occur by drilling a circular hole of at least one-fourth of one inch (1/4") in diameter through the center of each card in the deck, or by removing at least onefourth of an inch (1/4") from at least one (1) corner of each card, or other method approved by the commission. (C) The destruction and cancellation of cards shall take place in a secure place, the location and physical characteristics of which shall be approved by the commission, and shall be performed by a member of the security department specifically trained in proper procedures. (19) The Class B licensee shall not allow players to handle cards except as permitted by the Class B licensee’s internal control system Rules of the Game. AUTHORITY: sections 313.004 and 313.830, RSMo 2016, and section 313.805, RSMo Supp. 2021.* Original rule filed Dec. 17, 1996, effective Aug. 30, 1997. Amended: Filed Feb. 28, 2007, effective Oct. 30, 2007. Amended: Filed Aug. 30, 2012, effective March 30, 2013. Amended: Filed July 31, 2014, effective Feb. 28, 2015. Amended: Filed Oct. 27, 2016, effective June 30, 2017. Amended: Filed April 26, 2018, effective Dec. 30, 2018. Amended: Filed Jan. 20, 2022, effective Sept. 30, 2022. *Original authority: 313.004, RSMo 1993, amended 1994, 2014; 313.805, RSMo 1991, amended 1992, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2008, 2010, 2021; and 313.830, RSMo 1991, amended 1992, 1993, 2000, 2010, 2014.