Applicant Suitability and Business Relationships

Applicant Suitability and Business Relationships. (a) The Commission may deny an application or revoke, suspend, restrict, or limit a license when it finds that the applicant or a business relationship between an applicant and another person or business entity is unsuitable or endangers the health, safety, or welfare of the citizens of this state. In determining the suitability of an applicant, the Commission may consider the following: 1. General character including honesty and integrity; 2. Financial security and stability, competency, and business experience in the capacity of the relationship; 3. Record of violations, if any, which may affect the legal and proper operation of charitable gaming including a violation affecting another licensee or applicant and any violation of the laws of this state, other states, and countries without limitations as to the nature of the violations; 4. Refusal to provide records, information, equipment, or access to premises to any member of the Commission or any peace officers when such access is reasonably necessary to ensure or protect public health, safety or welfare; and 5. Association or relationship to a licensed manufacturer, distributor, operator, charitable organization or commercial lessor. (b) The Commission may not issue a license to a charitable organization that has an individual associated with either the charitable organization itself or the licensed bingo location that cannot be found suitable because: 1. The person has been convicted of a felony or presently has a felony charge pending in any state or country; 2. The person has been convicted of a gambling-related offense in any state or federal court; 3. The person has been convicted of any misdemeanor theft offense or related offense, convicted of issuing worthless checks, convicted of illegal possession of stolen goods, or convicted of false swearing or who presently has any such charge pending; 4. The person is or has been a professional gambler; 5. The charitable organization’s board membership is essentially the same as another charitable organization; or 6. The firm, organization or corporation in which any person as described in sections 1 through 4 above is an officer or director, whether compensated or not, or in which such person has a direct or indirect financial interest. 7. Any person who has a current state or federal tax lien. (c) After a charitable organization is licensed and all individuals associated with either the charitable organization itself or the licensed bingo location have been found suitable by the Commission, such suitability requirements must be maintained through the licensing period and non-compliance with same may subject the charitable organization to suspension and/or revocation of its license.