Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024
4.220 Operation of a mobile gaming system.
1. Definitions. As used in this section:
(a) "Director" means the Director of the
Arkansas Racing Commission or the Commission's designee.
(b) "Communications technology" means the
methods used and the components employed to facilitate the transmission of
information including, but not limited to, transmission and reception systems
based on wire, cable, radio, microwave, light, optics, cellular data, or
computer data networks and the Internet. "Equipment associated with mobile
gaming" means associated equipment, which will be approved as associated
equipment.
(c) "Licensed gaming
establishment" means the establishment of a licensee, which includes all land,
together with all buildings and improvements located thereon.
(d) "Licensee" means a person or entity
licensed to conduct Casino gaming operations, who at all times exposes to the
public for play, 100 or more slot machines and at least one table game, within
its licensed gaming establishment. The term does not include a person or entity
licensed as a holder of a security or other ownership interest in the licensee,
or as an officer, director or key employee of the licensee, or due to any other
relationship or involvement with the licensee or gaming operation.
(e) "Mobile communications device" means a
device which displays information relating to the game to a participant in the
game as part of a system.
(f)
"Mobile gaming system" or "system" means a system that allows for the conduct
of sports wagering through mobile communications devices operated by the use of
communications technology that allows a patron to bet or wager, and
corresponding information related to the display of the game, gaming outcomes
or other similar information.
(g)
"Operator of a mobile gaming system" or "operator" means a person or entity,
who, under any agreement whereby consideration is paid or payable for the right
to place a mobile gaming system, engages in the business of placing and
operating a mobile gaming system and who is authorized to share in the revenue
from the mobile gaming system without having been individually licensed to
conduct gaming at the establishment.
(h) All mobile gaming systems must be
approved by the Commission.
2. Mobile gaming systems may be exposed for
play as follows:
(a) A system may only be
exposed for play to the public by an operator licensed by the Commission
approved by the Commission.
(b) A
licensee or an operator may submit a request to the Commission for approval to
expose a system for play at a licensed gaming establishment.
(1) Such a request must specify at a minimum:
(A) How the operator intends to:
(i) Adequately monitor play of the system
and
(ii) Reasonably assure only
players of lawful age will operate the mobile communications devices;
and
(B) Such additional
information as the Commission may require.
(2) A licensee or an operator aggrieved by a
decision of the Commission may request a hearing before the Commission and may
appeal any decision by the Commission under the Arkansas Administrative
Procedures Act.
3. In addition to any other requirements set
forth in these Rules, the operator and licensee where a system is operated
shall comply with the following requirements:
(a) Only a system that has been approved by
the Commission may be exposed for play within a licensed gaming
establishment.
(b) The licensee
shall be responsible for all payouts from each system operated within its
licensed gaming establishment.
(c)
Systems that expose games with fixed payoff schedules that exceed $250,000 or
in the case of systems that expose games with progressive payoff schedules that
are expected to exceed $250,000, are limited to Casino gaming
operations.
(d) At the request of
the Commission, an operator shall deposit with the Commission and thereafter
maintain a revolving fund in an amount of $20,000 unless a lower amount is
approved by the Commission, which shall be used to ensure compliance of the
system with applicable laws and regulations. Upon surrendering its operator's
license, the Commission may refund the balance remaining in the revolving
fund.
(e) All revenue received from
the system, regardless of whether any portion of the revenue is shared with the
operator, must be attributed to the licensee of the licensed gaming
establishment and counted as part of the gross revenue of the licensee. The
operator, if receiving a share of the revenue from a system, is liable to the
licensee for the operator's proportionate share of the license fees paid by the
licensee.
(t) Each separate mobile
communications device is subject to the same fees and taxes made applicable to
all other Casino gaming receipts.
(g) Operators shall retain and provide
Commission agents, upon request, all records pertaining to their mobile gaming
systems including, without limitation, all revenue and cash records, end-of-day
reports, computer room visitors logs, details of any patron disputes, device or
game performance reports, weekly reports, and any other financial or
non-financial records or reports required to be provided by the
Commission.
4. Failure to
comply with any of the requirements set forth in subsection 3 shall be an
unsuitable method of operation.
5.
Except for subsections 3(±) and 3(g), the Commission may, for good cause shown,
waive any of the requirements set forth in this Rule.
6. Operators shall maintain the records
required by this section for at least five years after the records are made
unless the Commission approves otherwise in writing.
7. Before a wager may be made on a system, a
wagering account must be established in accordance with these Rules.
4.225
Wagering
accounts.
1. Definitions. As used in
this section:
(a) "Director" means the
Director of the Arkansas Racing Commission or the Commission's
designee.
(b) "Licensee" means any
person to whom a valid Casino license has been issued.
(c) "Secure personal identification" means a
method of uniquely identifying a patron through which the licensee may verify
access to, or use of, a wagering account.
(d) "Wagering account" means an electronic
ledger operated and maintained by a licensee for a patron in connection with
the patron's use and play of any or all authorized games and gaming devices,
including, but not limited to, race books, and sports pools, wherein
information relative to such use and play is recorded on behalf of the patron
including, but not limited to, the following types of transactions:
(1) Deposits;
(2) Withdrawals;
(3) Debits;
(4) Credits;
(5) Service or other transaction-related
charges authorized by the patron; and
(6) Adjustments to the wagering
account.
2.
Except as otherwise specified in these Rules, as applicable, a licensee shall
comply with the provisions of this section for the creation and use of wagering
accounts for all forms of wagermg.
3. Scope of use of wagering accounts.
(a) Subject to paragraph (b) of this
subsection, a licensee may establish and allow the use of wagering accounts for
patrons' sports wagering activity with any licensed gaming establishment of the
licensee.
(b) Before a licensee
allows its wagering accounts to be used by patrons in connection with placing
any wagers on sports events, the licensee must:
(1) Submit to the Commission a written
proposal for implementation of such wagering accounts that addresses the
following:
(I) The proper reporting of
revenue;
(II) How minimum bankroll
requirements will be satisfied;
(III) How the reserve requirements of this
section will be satisfied;
(IV)
Compliance with the Commission's minimum internal control procedures adopted
pursuant to these Rules; and
(V)
Any additional items or information as the Commission may reqmre.
(2) Obtain the written
administrative approval from the Commission subject to such conditions or
limitations that the Commission may impose.
4. Operation and maintenance of wagering
accounts by third-parties.
(a) A licensee may
use a licensed cash access and wagering instrument service provider or a
licensed manufacturer to operate and maintain wagering accounts on behalf of
the licensee provided such wagering accounts are used only for purposes of
accepting wagers under these Rules from patrons physically present within the
State of Arkansas when initiating the wager.
(b) A licensed cash access and wagering
instrument service provider or a licensed manufacturer that acts on behalf of a
licensee to operate and maintain wagering accounts shall be subject to the
provisions of this section applicable to such services to the same extent as
the licensee.
(c) A licensee
continues to have an obligation to ensure, and remains responsible for
compliance with, this Rule, the Amendment and all other Rules of the Commission
regardless of its use of a licensed cash access and wagering instrument service
provider or a licensed manufacturer to operate and maintain wagering accounts
on its behalf.
(d) A licensed cash
access and wagering instrument service provider or a licensed manufacturer
acting on behalf of a licensee, and with the consent of the licensee and the
patron, may use a patron's personal identification information to administer
all other wagering accounts created for that patron on behalf of additional
licensees.
5. A licensee
may create a wagering account for a patron only after it has registered the
patron, either remotely or in person, as follows:
(a) Obtained, recorded, and verified:
(1) The identity of the patron;
(2) The patron's date of birth;
(3) The patron's physical address;
and
(4) The patron's social
security number, ITIN or equivalent means of identification acceptable to the
Commission.
(b) Have the
patron affirm:
(1) That the information
provided by the patron to the licensee to open the wagering account is
accurate;
(2) That the patron has
reviewed and acknowledged the rules and procedures established by the licensee
for use of the wagering account;
(3) That the patron has been informed of and
acknowledged that they are prohibited from allowing any other person not
assigned to the wagering account access to or use of their wagering account;
and
(4) That the patron consents to
the monitoring and recording by the licensee and the Commission of the use of
the wagering account.
(c)
Determined that the patron is not on the list of excluded
persons.
6. Once a
wagering account is created, a secure personal identification for the patron
authorized to use the wagering account shall be implemented by the licensee
that is reasonably designed to prevent the unauthorized access to, or use of,
the wagering account by any person other than the patron for whom the wagering
account is established.
7. A
licensee shall not allow a wagering account to be created anonymously or in a
fictitious name. Patrons may, while using or playing a game or gaming device,
represent themselves using a name other than their actual name or may remain
anonymous.
8. Funds may be
deposited by a patron into the patron's wagering account as follows:
(a) Cash deposits made directly with the
licensee;
(b) Personal checks,
cashier's checks, wire transfer and money order deposits made directly or
mailed to the licensee;
(c)
Transfers from a patron's safekeeping or front money accounts otherwise held by
the licensee;
(d) Debits from the
patron's debit instrument, prepaid access instrument, or credit card;
(e) Transfers from another account verified
to be controlled by the patron through the automated clearing house or another
mechanism designed to facilitate electronic commerce transactions;
(f) Funds derived from the extension of
credit to the patron by the licensee; or
(g) Any other means approved by the
Commission.
9. Funds may
be withdrawn by a patron from their wagering account as follows:
(a) Issuance of cash directly to the patron
by the licensee;
(b) Issuance of a
personal check, cashier's check, money order, or wire transfer by the licensee
made payable to the patron and issued directly or mailed to the
patron;
(c) Transfers to the
patron's safekeeping or front money accounts held by the licensee;
(d) Credits to the patron's debit instrument,
prepaid access instrument, or credit card;
(e) Transfers to another account verified to
be controlled by the patron through the automated clearing house or another
mechanism designed to facilitate electronic commerce transactions;
(f) As repayment of outstanding credit owed
by the patron to the licensee; or
(g) Any other means approved by the
Commission.
10. Credits
to a wagering account may be made by the following means:
(a) Deposits;
(b) Amounts won by the patron;
(c) Transfers from a game or gaming
device;
(d) Promotional credits, or
bonus credits provided by the licensee and subject to the terms of use
established by the licensee and as long as such credits are clearly identified
as such;
(e) Adjustments made by
the licensee following the resolution of a dispute; or
(f) Any other means approved by the
Commission.
11. Debits to
a wagering account may be made by the following means:
(a) Withdrawals;
(b) Amounts wagered by the patron;
(c) Transfers to a game or gaming
device;
(d) Adjustments made by the
licensee following the resolution of a dispute;
(e) Service or other transaction-related
charges authorized by the patron; or
(f) Any other means approved by the
Commission.
12. Unless
there is a pending unresolved player dispute or investigation, a licensee shall
comply with a request for a withdrawal of funds by a patron from the patron's
wagering account in accordance with the terms of the wagering account agreement
between the licensee and its patron.
13. A licensee shall not allow a patron to
electronically transfer funds from their wagering account to any other patron's
wagering account.
14. A licensee
shall not allow a wagering account to be overdrawn unless caused by payment
processing issues outside the control of the licensee.
15. A licensee shall suspend a wagering
account if the wagering account has not been used to make any wagers for a
consecutive 16-month period. The licensee may re-activate a suspended wagering
account only after re-verifying the information required by this Rule and upon
the patron presenting a current government issued picture identification
credential.
16. A licensee shall
record and maintain, for a period of at least 5 years after creation, the
following in relation to a wagering account:
(a) All information used by the licensee to
register a patron and create the wagering account pursuant to this
Rule;
(b) The method used to verify
the information provided by a patron to establish the wagering account,
including a description of the identification credential provided by a patron
to confirm their identity and its date of expiration;
(c) The date and time the wagering account is
opened and terminated;
(d) The date
and time the wagering account is accessed by any person, including the patron
or the licensee;
(e) All deposits,
withdrawals, credits and debits; and
(f) The patron's account number.
17. Responsible Gambling.
(a) Licensees shall ensure that its patrons
have the ability to select responsible gambling options associated with their
wagering account that include deposit limits establishing the amount of total
deposits a patron can make to their wagering account within a specified period
of time.
(b) Licensees shall
conspicuously display and make available to patrons, upon access to their
wagering account, the following responsible gambling message:
[Licensee's name] encourages you to gamble responsibly. If you
or someone you know has a gambling problem, assistance is available by calling
or texting 1-800-522 -47 00, chatting online via
http://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/chat/
or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling Services website at
http://www.ncpgambling.
The Licensee may modify the foregoing message by inserting any
other problem gambling hot line number and/or website approved for such purpose
by the Commission.
If either the helpline number or website address changes, the
Commission may administratively approve the use of an alternative helpline
number or website address.
18. Each licensee that offers wagering
accounts shall adopt, conspicuously display, make available, and adhere to
written, comprehensive rules governing wagering account transactions. Such
rules must include, at a minimum, the following:
(a) That the licensee's house rules apply to
wagering accounts, as applicable.
(b) That the licensee shall provide each
patron, upon reasonable request and consistent with its internal control
policies, with a statement of account showing each wagering account deposit,
withdrawal, credit, and debit made during the time period reported by the
account statement. The patron may dispute any transaction in accordance with
these Rules.
(c) That for all
wagers, the licensee is required to make a voice, print, electronic or other
approved record of the entire transaction and shall not accept any such wager
if the recording system is inoperable. The licensee's record of a patron's
confirmation of all wagers shall be deemed to be the transaction of record.
Such records are made available to the Commission upon request.
(d) That the licensee has the right to;
(1) Refuse to establish a wagering account
for what it deems good and sufficient reason;
(2) Refuse deposits to wagering accounts for
what it deems good and sufficient reason;
(3) Refuse to accept all or part of any wager
for what it deems good and sufficient reason;
(4) Declare that any or all wagers will no
longer be received; and
(5) Unless
there is a pending Commission investigation or patron dispute, suspend or close
any wagering account at any time pursuant to the terms of the agreement between
the licensee and the patron, provided, however, when a wagering account is
closed, the licensee shall immediately return the balance of the wagering
account at the time of said action, subject to compliance with these Rules, the
licensee's house rules, and federal and state laws and regulations, by sending
a check to the patron's address of record or as otherwise provided pursuant to
the terms of the wagering account agreement; and
(e) That the licensee shall keep
confidential, except from the Commission, except from financial institutions
participating in a program established in accordance with Section 314(b) of the
USA Patriot Act, except as required by state or federal law, except from the
licensee's service providers, or except as otherwise authorized by the patron,
the following:
(1) The amount of money
credited to, debited from, or present in any particular patron's wagering
account;
(2) The amount of money
wagered by a particular patron on any game or gaming device;
(3) The account number and secure personal
identification method that identifies the patron;
(4) The identities of particular entries on
which a patron is wagering or has wagered; and
(5) The name, address, and other information
in the possession of the licensee that would identify the patron to anyone
other than the Commission or the licensee.
(f) That the licensee shall disclose its
policy regarding the acceptance of personal checks, cashier's checks, wire
transfers, money orders, debit instruments, credit cards and electronic
transfers of money to the patron.
Prior to adopting or amending such wagering account rules, a
licensee shall submit them to the Commission for approval.
19. Reserve requirements for
licensees.
(a) A licensee shall maintain a
reserve in the form of cash, cash equivalents, an irrevocable letter of credit,
a bond, or a combination thereof for the benefit and protection of patrons'
funds held in wagering accounts. The reserve may be maintained by a licensee's
holding company and may be combined as a single amount for all patrons' funds
held in wagering accounts maintained by the licensee and its affiliate
licensees.
(b) The amount of the
reserve shall be not less than the greater of $25,000 or the sum of all
patrons' funds held in the wagering accounts. Amounts available to patrons for
play that is not redeemable for cash may be excluded from the reserve
requirement. In calculating the sum of all patrons' funds held in wagering
accounts when such wagering accounts are used for multiple types of wagering,
these Rules, as applicable, shall not be construed to require the tallying of
such patrons' funds more than once.
(c) If a reserve is maintained in the form of
cash, cash equivalent, or an irrevocable letter of credit, it must be held or
issued, as applicable, by a federally-insured financial institution. If the
reserve is maintained in the form of a bond, it must be written by a bona fide
insurance carrier. The reserve must be established pursuant to a written
agreement between the licensee and the financial institution or insurance
carrier, but the licensee may engage an intermediary company or agent
acceptable to the Commission to deal with the financial institution or
insurance carrier, in which event the reserve may be established pursuant to
written agreements between the licensee and the intermediary and between the
intermediary and the financial institution or insurance carrier.
(d) The agreements described in paragraph (c)
of this subsection must reasonably protect the reserve against claims of the
licensee's creditors other than the patrons for whose benefit and protection
the reserve is established, and must provide that:
(1) The reserve is established and held in
trust for the benefit and protection of patrons to the extent the licensee
holds money in wagering accounts for such patrons;
(2) The reserve must not be released, in
whole or in part, except to the Commission on the written demand of the
Commission or to the licensee on the written instruction of the Commission. The
reserve must be available within 60 days of the written demand or written
notice. The licensee may receive income accruing on the reserve unless the
Commission instructs otherwise pursuant to paragraph (k) of this
subsection;
(3) The licensee has no
interest in or title to the reserve or income accruing on the reserve except to
the extent expressly allowed in this subsection;
(4) Arkansas law and this subsection govern
the agreements and the licensee's interest in the reserve and income accruing
on the reserve;
(5) The agreements
are not effective until the Commission's approval has been obtained pursuant to
paragraph (e) of this subsection; and
(6) The agreements may be amended only with
the prior, written approval of the Commission.
(e) Each licensee shall submit to the
Commission all information and copies of all documents relating to its proposed
reserve arrangement, including copies of the agreements described in paragraphs
(c) and (d) of this subsection, and must obtain the Commission's approval of
the agreements and of the reserve arrangements generally. The Commission shall
determine whether the agreements and arrangements satisfy the purposes and
requirements of this subsection, may require appropriate changes or withhold
approval if they do not, and shall notify the licensee of the determination.
Amendments to reserve agreements or arrangements must be approved in the same
manner.
(f) A licensee must
calculate its reserve requirements each day. In the event a licensee determines
that its reserve is not sufficient to cover the calculated requirement, the
licensee must, within 24 hours, notify the Commission of this fact in writing
and must also indicate the steps the licensee has taken to remedy the
deficiency.
(g) Each licensee must
engage an independent certified public accountant to examine the pertinent
records relating to the reserve each month and determine the reserve amounts
required by this subsection for each day of the previous month and the reserve
amounts actually maintained by the licensee on the corresponding days. The
licensee shall make available to the accountant whatever records are necessary
to make this determination. The accountant shall report the findings with
respect to each day of the month under review in writing to the Commission and
the licensee no later than the fifteenth day of the next month. The report
shall include the licensee's statement addressing each day of noncompliance and
the corrective measures taken.
(h)
The report described in paragraph (g) of this subsection may be prepared by an
employee of the licensee that is independent of the gaming operations if
written approval has been received from the Commission.
The report must contain the signature of an employee attesting
to the accuracy of the submitted information.
(i) If the Commission is notified pursuant to
paragraph (t) of this subsection, or the report described in paragraph (g) of
this subsection indicates that at any time during the month under review the
amount of the reserve did not meet the requirements of this section, the
Commission may instruct the book to either increase the reserve accordingly or
cease accepting wagers and money for the account of patrons until such time as
the reserve meets the requirements of this subsection and is confirmed to the
Commission's satisfaction. The Commission may demand that this reserve be
increased to correct any deficiency or for good cause to protect
patrons.
(j) If the reserve exceeds
the requirements of this subsection, the Commission shall, upon the licensee's
written request, authorize the release of the excess.
(k) When a licensee ceases operating and its
license lapses, is surrendered, or is revoked, the Commission may demand
payment of the reserve, any income accruing on the reserve after operations
cease, and, if instructions from the Commission that income accruing on the
reserve not be paid to the licensee are in effect when operations cease, any
income accruing since the instructions took effect. The Commission may
interplead the funds in state district court for distribution to the patrons
for whose protection and benefit the reserve was established and to such other
persons as the court determines are entitled thereto, or shall take such other
steps as are necessary to effect the proper distribution of the funds, or may
do both.
(l) As used in this
subsection, "month" means a calendar month unless the Commission requires or
approves a different monthly period to be used for purposes of this subsection,
in which case "month" means the monthly period so required or
approved.
20. Upon
written request and good cause shown, the Commission may waive one or more of
the requirements of this Rule. If a waiver is granted, the Commission may
impose alternative requirements.