Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 52, December 28, 2024
(a) An interactive gaming certificate or
interactive gaming operator applicant shall submit a compulsive and problem
gambling plan for review at the time of submission of the application that
conforms with §
501a.2 (relating to compulsive and
problem gambling plan).
(b) In
addition to the requirements in §
501a.2, an interactive gaming
certificate holder's or interactive gaming operator applicant's compulsive and
problem gambling plan must include all of the following:
(1) The goals of the plan.
(2) The identification of the individual who
will be responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the
plan.
(3) Policies and procedures
including all of the following:
(i) The
commitment of the interactive gaming certificate holder or interactive gaming
operator to train appropriate employees.
(ii) The duties and responsibilities of the
employees designated to implement or participate in the plan, including the
dedicated employee who is responsible for ensuring the operation and integrity
of interactive gaming and reviewing all reports of suspicious
behavior.
(iii) The responsibility
of registered players with respect to responsible gambling.
(iv) Procedures to identify registered
players and employees with suspected or known compulsive and problem gambling
behavior.
(v) Procedures for
prominently posting the message "IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS A GAMBLING
PROBLEM, HELP IS AVAILABLE, CALL 1-800-GAMBLER," or comparable language
approved by the Board, on all interactive gaming sites and displaying the
message to a person visiting or logging onto and logging off the interactive
gaming certificate holder or interactive gaming operator's interactive gaming
skin or interactive gaming web site.
(vi) Procedures on displaying the date and
time of the registered player's previous log on each time that registered
player logs on to his interactive gaming account.
(vii) Procedures for preventing an underage
person or a person on the interactive gaming self-exclusion list from being
mailed any advertisement, promotion or other target mailing, including those
sent electronically, no later than 5 business days after receiving notice from
the Board that the person has been placed on the interactive gaming
self-exclusion list.
(viii) A
policy and procedures for the display of the time in the time zone where the
registered player is physically located and the time elapsed while in the
current registered player session and the cause of a pop-up notification, at
least every hour, to be prominently displayed on the interactive gaming device
advising the registered player of the amount of time elapsed and the money
wagered since his log on.
(ix)
Procedures for offering registered players the option to select a pop-up
notification in 15-minute and 30-minute increments advising the registered
player of the amount of money wagered since his log on.
(x) Procedures for reviewing, updating and
posting information on the interactive gaming certificate holder or interactive
gaming operator's web site regarding gambling addiction treatment services,
gamblers anonymous programs, compulsive gambling organizations and
informational documents on all of the following:
(A) Rules of responsible gambling.
(B) Myths about gambling.
(C) Risks associated with gambling.
(D) Signs and symptoms of gambling
disorders.
(E) Randomness of
play.
(xi) Procedures for
posting links to all of the following organizations' web sites on the
interactive gaming certificate holder/operator licensee's web site:
(A) The Council on Compulsive Gambling of
Pennsylvania.
(B) The National
Council on Problem Gambling.
(C)
The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs' (or successor agency) gambling
addiction participating provider list.
(D) Gamblers Anonymous of PA.
(E) Gam-Anon of PA.
(F) The Board's Office of Compulsive and
Problem Gambling.
(G) A
Pennsylvania or United States suicide prevention organization's webpage and
telephone number.
(xii)
Procedures for responding to registered player requests for information
regarding gambling addiction treatment services, gamblers anonymous programs,
compulsive gambling organizations, and other informational documents.
(A) The interactive gaming certificate holder
or interactive gaming operator shall provide examples of the materials to be
used as part of its plan, including the problem gambling helpline number and
message, informational documents and other posted material, including all of
the following:
(I) Rules of responsible
gambling.
(II) Myths about
gambling.
(III) Risks associated
with gambling.
(IV) Signs and
symptoms of gambling disorders.
(V)
Randomness of play.
(VI)
Self-exclusion brochure.
(4) Policies and procedures on the governing
of self-imposed limits and suspension.
(5) An employee training program as required
under this chapter, including training materials to be utilized and a plan for
annual reinforcement training.
(6)
A certification process established by the interactive gaming certificate
holder or interactive gaming operator to verify that each employee has
completed the training required by the plan.
(7) An estimation of the cost of development,
implementation and administration of the plan.
(8) Procedures to prevent underage gambling
as required under §
513a.3(b)
(relating to responsibilities of licensees, permittees, registrants and
certification holders).
(9)
Procedures to prevent excluded persons from gambling.
(10) Procedures to prevent self-excluded and
temporarily suspended persons from gambling.
(11) Procedures to monitor all interactive
gaming sites for suspicious activity including those who are:
(i) Engaging in or attempting to engage in,
or who are reasonably suspected of, cheating, theft, embezzlement, collusion,
money laundering or any other illegal activities.
(ii) Required to be excluded under Board
regulations.
(iii) Prohibited by
the interactive gaming certificate holder or interactive operator licensee from
interactive gaming.
(12)
Procedures on the reporting of those who may have or have a known gambling
disorder.
(13) Details of outreach
programs which the interactive gaming certificate holder or interactive gaming
operator intends to offer to employees and individuals who are not employees of
the interactive gaming certificate holder or interactive gaming
operator.
(14) The plan for posting
the statement "If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is
available. Call 1-800-GAMBLER" on the interactive gaming certificate holder's
or interactive gaming operator's webpage and each skin.
(c) The compulsive and problem gambling plan
of an applicant for an interactive gaming certificate or interactive gaming
license that has been approved to receive an interactive gaming certificate or
interactive gaming license shall be approved by the Director of the Office of
Compulsive and Problem Gaming (OCPG). An applicant for an interactive gaming
certificate or interactive gaming license who has been approved to receive an
interactive gaming certificate or interactive gaming license will be notified
in writing of any deficiencies in the plan and may submit revisions to the plan
to the Director of the OCPG. An interactive gaming certificate holder or
interactive gaming operator may not commence operations until the Director of
the OCPG approves the plan.
(d)
Compliance with the plan approved under this chapter will be a condition of
interactive gaming certificate or interactive gaming license renewal.
(e) An interactive gaming certificate holder
or interactive gaming operator shall submit any other policies and procedures
intended to be used beyond what is required under subsection (d) to prevent and
raise awareness of gambling disorders.
(f) An interactive gaming certificate holder
or interactive gaming operator shall submit amendments to the compulsive and
problem gambling plan to the Director of the OCPG for review and approval at
least 30 days prior to the intended implementation date of the amendments. The
interactive gaming certificate holder or interactive gaming operator may
implement the amendments on the 30th calendar day following the filing the
amendments unless the interactive gaming certificate holder or interactive
gaming operator receives a notice under subsection (h) objecting to the
amendments.
(g) If during the
30-day review period the Director of the OCPG determines that the amendments
may not promote the prevention of compulsive and problem gambling or assist in
the proper administration of responsible gaming programs, the Director of the
OCPG may, by written notice to the interactive gaming certificate holder or
interactive gaming operator, object to the amendments. The objection will:
(1) Specify the nature of the objection and,
when possible, an acceptable alternative.
(2) Direct that the amendments not be
implemented until approved by the Director of the OCPG.
(h) When amendments have been objected to
under subsection (g), the interactive gaming certificate holder or interactive
gaming operator may submit revised amendments for review in accordance with
subsections (f) and (g).
