HP0418
LD 535
First Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature
C "B", Filing Number H-402, Sponsored by
LR 658
Item 3
Bill Tracking, Additional Documents Chamber Status

Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the emergency clause and inserting the following:

Sec. 1. 17 MRSA §314-A, sub-§3,  as repealed and replaced by PL 1991, c. 426, §4, is repealed.

Sec. 2. 17 MRSA §314-A, sub-§3-A,  as enacted by PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §5 and affected by Pt. X, §2, is repealed.

Sec. 3. 17 MRSA §314-A, sub-§3-B  is enacted to read:

3-B Thirty events per year.   An organization licensed under this section may operate high-stakes beano games up to 30 times per year for up to 3 consecutive days per gaming event. A high-stakes beano game licensed under this section and canceled for any reason may be rescheduled at any time, as long as 5 days' prior notice of the new date is given to the Chief of the State Police.

Sec. 4. 17 MRSA §314-A, sub-§5, ¶C,  as amended by PL 2009, c. 347, §1, is further amended to read:

C. Conduct a game outside the Indian Territory of the licensed organization or for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians outside of the parcel of land listed in the Aroostook County Registry of Deeds Book 3621 4302, page 239 168.

Sec. 5. 17 MRSA §314-A, sub-§5-A  is enacted to read:

5-A Electronic beano.   A federally recognized Indian tribe in the State as described in Title 30, chapters 601 and 603 eligible to conduct high-stakes beano in accordance with this section may operate electronic beano as prescribed by this subsection. For the purposes of this subsection, electronic beano simulates the play of a regular nonelectronic game of beano described by this chapter and is played on individual electronic beano terminals that are connected to a central computer system that generates beano games in a manner similar to a regular nonelectronic game of beano conducted by a person. A person playing electronic beano plays the game on an individual electronic beano terminal that displays purchased beano cards that are automatically marked by the beano terminal based on a drawing generated by a central computer system connected to the beano terminal. A drawing consists of 75 numbers and letters that correspond to the electronic beano cards. An electronic beano system or device may not show any other form of gaming, including, but not limited to, spinning reels, dice cards, spinning wheels or other symbols that simulate the play of a slot machine or represent commonly offered games of chance offered at a casino. Individual electronic beano terminals may offer beano cards of varying denominations. The following requirements must be met in order to operate electronic beano:
A The manner of play for each card displayed by the individual electronic beano terminal must be clearly displayed prior to the play of the game;
B The individual electronic beano terminal may not sell additional beano cards after the commencement of a round of beano. The individual electronic beano terminal may sell an additional beano card or set of cards once the previous round of beano is exhausted. This paragraph does not apply to the sale of paper or traditional beano cards;
C The central computer system connected to the individual electronic beano terminals must determine the game or games of the beano round after the time period to purchase cards from the individual electronic beano terminal has ended for that round;
D All beano cards of the same denomination played by the individual electronic beano terminals in a round must correspond with the same beano game generated by the central computer system;
E Individual electronic beano terminals may accept cash, tokens, cards or vouchers for the purchase of beano cards but may not dispense cash. A prize awarded in conjunction with electronic beano must be in the form of a voucher that may be redeemed for cash or prizes; and
F Individual electronic beano terminals and the central computer system must be connected to a monitoring system operated by a 3rd-party game testing company that provides a method of secure access via the Internet by the Chief of the State Police for the purposes of conducting audits and monitoring the operation and play of electronic beano. Any software, equipment or training necessary for the Chief of the State Police to utilize the monitoring system must be paid for by the operator of electronic beano.

Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.

PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF

Licensing and Enforcement - Public Safety 0712

Initiative: Provides funding for one Public Safety Inspector II position and related costs to monitor and enforce regulations related to electronic beano.

GENERAL FUND 2011-12 2012-13
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT
1.000 1.000
Personal Services
$64,012 $68,361
All Other
$5,376 $2,876
inline graphic sline.gif inline graphic sline.gif
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $69,388 $71,237

summary

This amendment is the minority report of the committee. It replaces the bill except for the emergency preamble, which the amendment retains. The amendment changes the restriction on the number of days that a federally recognized Indian tribe in the State may conduct high-stakes beano to 90 days, consisting of 30 events of up to 3 days each. The amendment changes the parcel of land on which the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians may operate high-stakes beano. The amendment also provides that those eligible to conduct high-stakes beano may do so by operating electronic beano. Electronic beano is played on individual electronic beano terminals connected to a central computer system that simulates traditional beano but may not show any other form of gaming. Individual electronic beano terminals automatically mark purchased beano cards and may accept cash, cards, tokens, or vouchers but may not dispense cash. A prize awarded for winning electronic beano must be in the form of a voucher that may be redeemed for cash or prizes. The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section.

FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)


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