SB 242 – VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES
02/19/14 0504s
02/19/14 0588s
2014 SESSION
08/10
SENATE BILL 242
AN ACT relative to coverall bingo games.
This bill defines and allows coverall bingo games.
This bill is a request of the racing and charitable gaming commission.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
02/19/14 0504s
02/19/14 0588s
14-2662
08/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fourteen
AN ACT relative to coverall bingo games.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Paragraph; Definition; Bonus. Amend RSA 287-E:1 by inserting after paragraph III the following new paragraph:
III-a. “Bonus” means a monetary prize provided by the charitable organization that is awarded in addition to prizes derived from moneys paid by players.
2 New Paragraph; Definition; Carry-Over Coverall. Amend RSA 287-E:1 by inserting after paragraph IV the following new paragraph:
IV-a. “Carry-over coverall” means a bingo game in which a prize is awarded to the player who achieves coverall within 50 or fewer balls. If no player achieves coverall, the prize accumulates and is rolled over to successive game dates.
3 New Paragraph; Definition; Coverall. Amend RSA 287-E:1 by inserting after paragraph VI the following new paragraph:
VI-a. “Coverall” means a bingo game with 75 consecutively numbered balls drawn randomly in which a prize is awarded to the first player who covers all 24 numbers on a card.
4 New Paragraph; Definition; Progressive. Amend RSA 287-E:1 by inserting after paragraph VIII the following new paragraph:
IX. “Progressive” means a variation to any bingo game wherein a player receives a prize for achieving coverall in 50 or fewer balls drawn and if no player achieves coverall within 50 or fewer balls drawn, the number of balls drawn shall be increased one ball per game date, until it reaches the maximum of 60 balls, where it shall remain until the prize is awarded.
5 Written Agreements. Amend RSA 287-E:7, II to read as follows:
(a) No compensation shall be paid to bona fide members of a charitable organization or others, except as provided in subparagraph (b), who operate or assist in the operation of a bingo game. Compensation shall include, but is not necessarily limited to, money or any other thing of value. Bona fide members of a charitable organization who operate or assist in the operation of bingo games may be reimbursed for their out-of-pocket expenses in an amount not to exceed $25 per game date, provided that such expenses are itemized and submitted in writing to the charitable organization.
(b) No compensation shall be paid to any person or entity for consulting, managing, assisting in the operation of the bingo games or the sale of lucky 7 tickets, record keeping, filing forms with the racing and charitable gaming commission, advertising, free offer of coffee and donuts to customers, or security protection for the charitable organization itself not including security for the hall or parking area, unless agreed to in advance in writing by the charitable organization and submitted to the commission. Participation in and charges for such activities shall be solely at the discretion of the charitable organization. Failure to participate in any of these activities shall not constitute grounds for expulsion from any hall where bingo games are held or lucky 7 tickets are sold.
6 Bingo Operation on Saturdays. Amend RSA 287-E:7, IV to read as follows:
IV. No bingo games shall be conducted prior to 11:00 a.m. on a Saturday or a weekday, prior to noon on a Sunday, or after 11:00 p.m. on any day.
7 Bingo; Maximum Payout. Amend RSA 287-E:7, XIII(d) to read as follows:
(d) The total amount awarded in the game shall not exceed 86 percent of the total amount collected from the participants in the game.
8 Bingo; Counting of Money. Amend RSA 287-E:7, XIII(b) to read as follows:
(b)(1) All money collected from the participants in such game or games shall be collected[,] and counted, [and displayed in full view of the participants] and shall be kept separately from all other moneys collected by the charitable organization during the bingo games conducted on the premises, and shall comply with the accounting provisions under RSA 287-E:9.
(2) If the commission determines that a charitable organization is not complying with subparagraph (1), the commission may order the charitable organization to exclude winner take all games from its game packages, until the charitable organization institutes written procedures, acceptable to the commission, regarding the accounting of winner take all games.
9 New Subparagraphs; Bingo Game Packages. Amend RSA 287-E:7, XIII by inserting after subparagraph (e) the following new subparagraphs:
(f) Winner take all games may be played as progressive games.
(g) Winner take all games may offer a predetermined bonus not to exceed $3,000.
10 Progressive Coverall Games. RSA 287-E:7, XV is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
XV. A progressive coverall game or a shared carry-over coverall game::
(a) May be played once during any given game date;
(b) Shall be played on the second or last coverall;
(c) Shall not have a total of prize and bonus combined exceeding $3,000; and
(d) May offer a predetermined consolation prize to the game winner who first achieves coverall.
11 Bingo; Conduct of Coverall Games. RSA 287-E:7, XVI is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
XVI. A carry-over coverall game:
(a) May be played once during any given game date.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, may allow prize money to accumulate until there is a winner.
(c) Shall award a predetermined consolation prize to the game winner who first achieves coverall, the consolation prize is paid from the accumulated carry-over.
(d) Shall award a prize which shall be taxed under RSA 287-E:8.
12 New Paragraph; Penalty. Amend RSA 287-E:29 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:
III. Any person who purposely, knowingly, or recklessly deprives a charitable organization of any of its moneys collected from bingo or lucky 7 or any person who purposely, knowingly, or recklessly deprives players of any prizes collected from bingo or lucky 7, shall be guilty of a class A felony.
13 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.