Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a)
Checks made payable to an individual, including Social Security, unemployment
insurance, disability, public assistance and payroll checks, may not be cashed
by a slot machine licensee or entity certified or registered with the Board
that is operating within the licensed facility. Notwithstanding the
prohibition, a slot machine licensee may cash the payroll check of one of its
employees or a check issued to a patron by the slot machine licensee. Personal
checks accepted by a slot machine licensee which enable a patron to take part
in gaming must be:
(1) Drawn on a commercial
bank, savings bank, saving and loan association or credit union and payable on
demand.
(2) Drawn for a specific
amount.
(3) Made payable to the
slot machine licensee or entity certified or registered with the Board that is
operating within the licensed facility.
(4) Currently dated, but not
postdated.
(b) Personal
checks accepted under subsection (a) shall be presented by the patron directly
to a cage cashier who shall:
(1) Endorse the
check "for deposit only" to the bank account designated by the slot machine
licensee.
(2) Initial the
check.
(3) Date and time stamp the
check.
(4) Verify that the
signature of the patron on the personal check and the patron's physical
appearance agree with information recorded in a patron signature file created
and maintained by the slot machine licensee in accordance with subsection (c)
or with the signature and photograph or physical description contained on a
government-issued identification presented by the patron. The slot cashier
shall document how the signature verification was performed in connection with
the acceptance of each personal check.
(5) For personal checks equaling or exceeding
$500, verify the validity of the check directly with the commercial bank,
savings bank, saving and loan association or credit union upon which it is
drawn or obtain an authorization and guarantee of the check from a check
verification and warranty service certified as a gaming service provider by the
Board. The cage cashier shall document how the check verification was performed
in connection with the acceptance of each personal check.
(6) Immediately exchange the personal check
for cash in an amount equal to the amount for which the check is drawn or place
the amount in a customer deposit account under §
465a.23 (relating to customer
deposits) for subsequent use at the licensed facility. A slot machine licensee
may not accept a check or multiple checks which in the aggregate exceed $2,500
per patron per gaming day, except as permitted in §§
609a.15(c) and
609a.16(b)
(relating to redemption of Counter Checks; and substitution and consolidation
of Counter Checks).
(c)
To record a patron's signature in a patron signature file, a cage cashier shall
require the individual for whom the file is to be created to present for
examination the following:
(1) If the
identity of the patron is to be confirmed in accordance with subsection (d)(1),
one form of identification.
(2) If
the identity of the patron is to be confirmed in accordance with subsection
(d)(2), two forms of identification, at least one of which must contain a
photograph or general physical description of the patron.
(d) Before a slot machine licensee may use a
signature recorded in a patron signature file to verify the identity of a
patron or the validity of a signature on a document, the slot machine licensee
shall confirm the identity of the patron by either:
(1) Comparing the signature on the
identification presented by the patron under subsection (c)(1) with the
signature obtained from the patron and verifying the address of the patron's
residence with a credit bureau, commercial bank or, if neither of these sources
has the individual's address on file or will not provide the information, with
an alternative source, which does not include any identification credentials or
other documentation presented by the patron at the cage.
(2) Comparing the signature on each of two
forms of the identification presented by the patron under subsection (c)(2)
with the signature obtained from the patron and comparing the photograph or
general physical description contained on at least one of the forms of
identification with the patron's actual physical appearance.
(e) A patron signature file
established and maintained by a slot machine licensee under subsection (c) must
include, in addition to the patron's signature, the following:
(1) The patron's name.
(2) The address of the patron's
residence.
(3) The types of
identification examined under subsection (d) and an indication whether the
identification contained a photograph or physical description of the
patron.
(4) For the purposes of
this section, a physical description of the patron which includes:
(i) Date of birth.
(ii) Approximate height.
(iii) Approximate weight.
(iv) Hair color.
(v) Eye color.
(5) The date and time that the patron
signature file was established.
(6)
The procedure by which the identity of the patron was confirmed under
subsection (d), including:
(i) The source of
confirmation, date and time if confirmed under subsection (d)(1).
(ii) The date and time of confirmation if
confirmed under subsection (d)(2).
(7) The signature of the cage cashier or cage
supervisor who examined the identification of the patron and established the
patron signature file. The signature will evidence that:
(i) The signature of the patron recorded in
the patron signature file is consistent with the signature on each form of
identification that was examined.
(ii) The physical description recorded in the
patron signature file is consistent with both the actual appearance of the
patron and any photograph or physical description that may be contained on an
identification that was examined.
(f) A slot machine licensee that charges a
fee for cashing checks shall comply with the Check Casher Licensing Act (63 P.
S. §§ 2301-2334).
(g)
Prior to accepting personal checks, each slot machine licensee shall establish
a comprehensive system of internal controls applicable to the acceptance of
personal checks. The internal controls shall be submitted to and approved by
the Board under §
465a.2 (relating to internal
control systems and audit protocols). The internal controls submitted by the
slot machine licensee must address procedures for complying with §
503a.4(a)(4)
(relating to duties of slot machine licensees) and this section including the
dollar limitation per gaming day contained in subsection (b)(6).
(h) An entity certified or registered with
the Board that is cashing checks on behalf of a licensee within a licensed
facility shall comply with the requirements in subsections (a)-(f).
The provisions of this § 465a.20 amended under
4
Pa.C.S. §§
1103,
1202(b)(15) and (30), 1207,
1209(b), 1212, 1317(c), 1317.1(c), 1317.2, 1322, 1326, 13A02(1)-(6), 13A25,
13A26(c), 1509, 1516, 1518(a)(13) and 1602.
This section cited in 58 Pa. Code §
437a.7 (relating to registered,
certified and authorized gaming service provider responsibilities); 58 Pa. Code
§
465a.16 (relating to accounting
controls for the cage); 58 Pa. Code §
465a.22 (relating to cash
equivalents); 58 Pa. Code §
465a.23 (relating to customer
deposits); 58 Pa. Code §
609a.3 (relating to application
and verification procedures for granting credit); 58 Pa. Code §
609a.15 (relating to redemption of
Counter Checks); and 58 Pa. Code §
609a.16 (relating to substitution
and consolidation of Counter
Checks).
