PRINTER'S NO. 2310
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1725
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY CONKLIN, DeLUCA, FARRY, GOODMAN, IRVIN, McNEILL,
READSHAW AND SCHWEYER, AUGUST 18, 2017
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAMING OVERSIGHT, AUGUST 18, 2017
AN ACT
Amending the act of December 19, 1988 (P.L.1262, No.156),
entitled "An act providing for the licensing of eligible
organizations to conduct games of chance, for the licensing
of persons to distribute games of chance, for the
registration of manufacturers of games of chance, and for
suspensions and revocations of licenses and permits;
requiring records; providing for local referendum by
electorate; and prescribing penalties," in preliminary
provisions, further providing for definitions; and, in games
of chance, further providing for prize limits and for special
permits.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The definition of "games of chance" in section
103 of the act of December 19, 1988 (P.L.1262, No.156), known as
the Local Option Small Games of Chance Act, is amended and the
section is amended by adding a definition to read:
Section 103. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
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" Card game contest. " A card game that is conducted with
multiple rounds of play of a specified number of hands for each
round and completed within a period not to exceed 24 hours, in
which:
(1) A player's bet must stay within the minimum and
maximum bet allowed at the table.
(2) A player is eliminated from the card game if:
(i) the player loses all of the player's chips;
(ii) the player does not have enough chips to meet
the required minimum bet; or
(iii) the player has the fewest chips after a
certain number of hands are played.
(3) The winner of the card game is:
(i) the last player at the table; or
(ii) the player with the most chips after a certain
specified number of rounds are played.
* * *
"Games of chance." Punchboards, daily drawings, weekly
drawings, 50/50 drawings, raffles, tavern games, pools, race
night games and pull-tabs, as defined in this act, provided that
no such game shall be played by or with the assistance of any
mechanical or electrical devices or media other than a
dispensing machine or passive selection device and further
provided that the particular chance taken by any person in any
such game shall not be made contingent upon any other occurrence
or the winning of any other contest, but shall be determined
solely at the discretion of the purchaser. This definition
includes card game contests. This definition shall not be
construed to authorize any other form of gambling currently
prohibited under any provision of 18 Pa.C.S. (relating to crimes
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and offenses) or authorized under 4 Pa.C.S. (relating to
amusements). Nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize
games commonly known as "slot machines" or "video poker" or
other games regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
* * *
Section 2. Section 302 of the act is amended by adding a
subsection to read:
Section 302. Prize limits.
* * *
(j) Card game contest limits.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of this act to the contrary, the maximum cash value
that may be awarded for a single card game in a card game
contest shall be $500.
Section 3. Section 308 of the act is amended to read:
Section 308. Special permits.
(a) Issuance and fee.--
(1) The licensing authority shall issue a special permit
for each raffle in which the licensed eligible organization
proposes to award individual prizes in excess of $3,000.
(2) The licensing authority shall issue a special permit
for each card game contest that the licensee proposes to
conduct.
(3) The licensing authority may establish and collect a
fee not to exceed $25 for the issuance of special permits
under this section.
(b) Permit application.--
(1) Each [special permit] application submitted for a
special permit under subsection (a)(1) shall specify the
location where the actual drawing will be held, the number of
chances to be sold, the price per chance and the prize to be
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awarded.
(2) Each application submitted for a special permit
under subsection (a)(2) shall specify the location where the
card game contest will be conducted, the number of
individuals to be admitted for the card game contest and all
of the house rules to be used.
Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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