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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to bingo; amending s. 849.0931, F.S.; 2
revising the definition of "bingo card"; defining the 3
term "bingo card minder"; renaming "instant bingo" as 4
"pull tab game"; requiring that bingo card minder 5
software be certified; requiring that such 6
certification be available upon request; providing an 7
effective date. 8
9
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10
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Section 1. Subsection (1 4) of section 849.0931, Florida 12
Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (15), subsections (1) and 13
(2), (5) through (11), and (13) are amended, and a new 14
subsection (14) is added to that section, to read: 15
849.0931 Bingo authorized; conditions for conduct; 16
permitted uses of proceeds; limitations. — 17
(1) As used in this section: 18
(a) "Bingo game" means and refers to the activity, 19
commonly known as "bingo," in which participants pay a sum of 20
money for the use of one or more bingo cards. When the game 21
commences, numbers are drawn by chance, one by one, and 22
announced. The players cover or mark those numbers on the bingo 23
cards which they have purchased until a player receives a given 24
order of numbers in sequence that has been preannounced for that 25
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particular game. This player calls out "bingo" and is declared 26
the winner of a predetermined prize. More than one game may be 27
played upon a bingo card, and numbers called for one game may be 28
used for a succeeding game or games. 29
(a)(b) "Bingo card" means and refers to th e flat piece of 30
paper, or thin pasteboard, or electronic facsimile employed by 31
players engaged in the game of bingo. The bingo card shall have 32
not fewer than 24 playing numbers printed on it. These playing 33
numbers shall range from 1 through 75, inclusive. More than one 34
set of bingo numbers may be printed on any single piece of 35
paper. 36
(b) "Bingo card minder" means a device that keeps track of 37
players' bingo cards and the numbers called during live caller 38
bingo games. 39
(c) "Bingo game" means and refers to the activity, 40
commonly known as "bingo," in which participants pay a sum of 41
money for the use of one or more bingo cards. When the game 42
commences, numbers are drawn by chance, one by one, and 43
announced. The players cover or mark those numbers on the bingo 44
cards which they have purchased until a player receives a given 45
order of numbers in sequence that has been preannounced for that 46
particular game. This player calls out "bingo" and is declared 47
the winner of a predetermined prize. More than one game may be 48
played upon a bingo card, and numbers called for one game may be 49
used for a succeeding game or games. 50
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(d)(c) "Charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organization" 51
means an organization which has qualified for exemption from 52
federal income tax as an exempt or ganization under the 53
provisions of s. 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or 54
s. 528 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; which 55
is engaged in charitable, civic, community, benevolent, 56
religious, or scholastic works or other similar acti vities; and 57
which has been in existence and active for a period of 3 years 58
or more. 59
(e)(d) "Deal" means a separate set or package of not more 60
than 4,000 pull tab game instant bingo tickets in which the 61
predetermined minimum prize payout is at least 65 pe rcent of the 62
total receipts from the sale of the entire deal. 63
(f)(e) "Flare" means the board or placard that accompanies 64
each deal of pull tab game instant bingo tickets and that has 65
printed on or affixed to it the following information: 66
1. The game name. 67
2. The manufacturer's name or distinctive logo. 68
3. The form number. 69
4. The ticket count. 70
5. The prize structure, including the number of symbols or 71
number combinations for winning pull tab game instant bingo 72
tickets by denomination, with their respective winning symbols 73
or number combinations. 74
6. The cost per play. 75
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7. The game serial number. 76
(f) "Instant bingo" means a form of bingo that is played 77
at the same location as bingo, using tickets by which a player 78
wins a prize by opening and removing a cover from the ticket to 79
reveal a set of numbers, letters, objects, or patterns, some of 80
which have been designated in advance as prize winners. 81
(g) "Objects" means a set of 75 balls or other precision 82
shapes that are imprinted with letters and numbers in such a way 83
that numbers 1 through 15 are marked with the letter "B," 84
numbers 16 through 30 are marked with the letter "I," numbers 31 85
through 45 are marked with the letter "N," numbers 46 through 60 86
are marked with the letter "G," and numbers 61 through 75 are 87
marked with the letter "O." 88
(h) "Pull tab game" means a form of bingo that is played 89
at the same location as bingo, using tickets by which a player 90
wins a prize by opening and removing a cover from the ticket to 91
reveal a set of numbers, letters, objects, or patterns, some of 92
which have been designated in advance as prize winners. 93
(i)(h) "Rack" means the container in which the objects are 94
placed after being drawn and announced. 95
(j)(i) "Receptacle" means the container from which the 96
objects are drawn or ejected. 97
(k)(j) "Session" means a designated set of games played in 98
a day or part of a day. 99
(2)(a) None of the provisions of this chapter shall be 100
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construed to prohibit or prevent charitable, nonpro fit, or 101
veterans' organizations engaged in charitable, civic, community, 102
benevolent, religious, or scholastic works or other similar 103
endeavors, which organizations have been in existence and active 104
for a period of 3 years or more, from conducting bingo gam es or 105
pull tab games instant bingo, provided the entire proceeds 106
derived from the conduct of such games, less actual business 107
expenses for articles designed for and essential to the 108
operation, conduct, and playing of bingo or pull tab games 109
instant bingo, are donated by such organizations to the 110
endeavors mentioned above. In no case may the net proceeds from 111
the conduct of such games be used for any other purpose 112
whatsoever. The proceeds derived from the conduct of bingo games 113
or pull tab games instant bingo shall not be considered 114
solicitation of public donations. 115
(b) It is the express intent of the Legislature that no 116
charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organization serve as a 117
sponsor of a bingo game or a pull tab game instant bingo 118
conducted by another, but such organization may only be directly 119
involved in the conduct of such a game as provided in this act. 120
(5) Except for pull tab game instant bingo prizes, which 121
are limited to the amounts displayed on the ticket or on the 122
game flare, a jackpot shall not exceed the value of $500 $250 in 123
actual money or its equivalent, and there shall be no more than 124
three jackpots in any one session of bingo. 125
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(6) Except for pull tab games instant bingo, which are is 126
not limited by this subsection, the number of days per week 127
during which organizations authorized under this section may 128
conduct bingo shall not exceed two. 129
(7) Except for pull tab game instant bingo prizes, which 130
are limited to the amounts displayed on the ticket or on the 131
game flare, there shall be no more than three jackpots on any 132
one day of play. All other game prizes shall not exceed $100 133
$50. 134
(8) Each person involved in the conduct of any bingo game 135
or pull tab game instant bingo must be a resident of the 136
community where the organization is located and a bona fide 137
member of the organization sponsoring such game and may not be 138
compensated in any way for operation of such game. When bingo 139
games or pull tab games are instant bingo is conducted by a 140
charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organization, the 141
organization conducting the games must designate up to three 142
members of that organization to be in charge of the games, one 143
of whom shall be present during the entire session at which the 144
games are conducted. The organization conducting the games is 145
responsible for posting a notice, which notice states the name 146
of the organization and the designated member or members, in a 147
conspicuous place on the premises at which the session is held 148
or pull tab games are instant bingo is played. A caller in a 149
bingo game may not be a participant in that bingo game. 150
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(9) Every charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organization 151
involved in the conduct of a bingo game or pull tab game instant 152
bingo must be located in the cou nty, or within a 15-mile radius 153
of, where the bingo game or pull tab game instant bingo is 154
located. 155
(10)(a) No one under 18 years of age shall be allowed to 156
play any bingo game or pull tab game instant bingo or be 157
involved in the conduct of a bingo game or a pull tab game 158
instant bingo in any way. 159
(b) Any organization conducting bingo open to the public 160
may refuse entry to any person who is objectionable or 161
undesirable to the sponsoring organization, but such refusal of 162
entry shall not be on the basis o f race, creed, color, religion, 163
sex, national origin, marital status, or physical handicap. 164
(11) Bingo games or pull tab games instant bingo may be 165
held only on the following premises: 166
(a) Property owned by the charitable, nonprofit, or 167
veterans' organization. 168
(b) Property owned by the charitable, nonprofit, or 169
veterans' organization that will benefit by the proceeds. 170
(c) Property leased for a period of not less than 1 year 171
by a charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organization, providing 172
the lease or rental agreement does not provide for the payment 173
of a percentage of the proceeds generated at such premises to 174
the lessor or any other party and providing the rental rate for 175
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such premises does not exceed the rental rates charged for 176
similar premises in the same locale. 177
(d) Property owned by a municipality or a county when the 178
governing authority has, by appropriate ordinance or resolution, 179
specifically authorized the use of such property for the conduct 180
of such games. 181
(e) With respect to bingo games conducted by a condominium 182
association, a cooperative association, a homeowners' 183
association as defined in s. 720.301, a mobile home owners' 184
association, a group of residents of a mobile home park as 185
defined in chapter 723, or a group of residents of a mo bile home 186
park or recreational vehicle park as defined in chapter 513, 187
property owned by the association, property owned by the 188
residents of the mobile home park or recreational vehicle park, 189
or property which is a common area located within the 190
condominium, mobile home park, or recreational vehicle park. 191
(13)(a) Pull tab game instant bingo tickets must be sold 192
at the price displayed printed on the ticket or on the game 193
flare by the manufacturer, not to exceed $1. Discounts may not 194
be given for the purcha se of multiple tickets, nor may tickets 195
be given away free of charge. 196
(b) Each deal of pull tab game instant bingo tickets must 197
be accompanied by a flare, and the flare must be available 198
posted before the sale of any tickets in that deal. 199
(c) Each pull tab game instant bingo ticket in a deal must 200
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bear the same serial number, and there may not be more than one 201
serial number in each deal. Serial numbers printed on a deal of 202
pull tab game instant bingo tickets may not be repeated by the 203
manufacturer on the same form for a period of 3 years. 204
(d) The serial number for each paper pull tab game deal 205
must be clearly and legibly placed on the outside of each deal's 206
package, box, or other container. 207
(e) Pull tab game instant bingo tickets manufactured, 208
sold, or distributed in this state must comply with the 209
applicable standards on pull -tabs of the North American Gaming 210
Regulators Association, as amended. 211
(f) Except as provided under paragraph (e), a pull tab 212
game an instant bingo ticket manufactured, sold, or distributed 213
in this state must: 214
1. Be manufactured so that it is not possible to identify 215
whether it is a winning or losing pull tab game instant bingo 216
ticket until it has been opened by the player as intended. 217
2. If it is a paper pull tab game ticket, be manufactured 218
using at least a two -ply paper stock construction so that the 219
pull tab game instant bingo ticket is opaque. 220
3. Have the form number, the deal's serial number, and the 221
name or logo of the manufacturer conspi cuously printed on the 222
face or cover of the pull tab game instant bingo ticket. 223
4. Have a form of winner protection that allows the 224
organization to verify, after the pull tab game instant bingo 225
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ticket has been played, that the winning pull tab game instant 226
bingo ticket presented for payment is an authentic winning pull 227
tab game instant bingo ticket for the deal in play. The 228
manufacturer shall provide a written description of the winner 229
protection with each deal of pull tab game instant bingo 230
tickets. 231
(g) Each manufacturer and distributor that sells or 232
distributes pull tab game instant bingo tickets in this state to 233
charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organizations shall prepare 234
an invoice that contains the following information: 235
1. Date of sale. 236
2. Form number and serial number of each deal sold. 237
3. Number of pull tab game instant bingo tickets in each 238
deal sold. 239
4. Name of distributor or organization to whom each deal 240
is sold. 241
5. Price of each deal sold. 242
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All information contained on an in voice must be maintained by 244
the distributor or manufacturer for 3 years. 245
(h) The invoice, or a true and accurate copy thereof, must 246
be on the premises where any deal of pull tab game instant bingo 247
tickets is stored or in play. 248
(14) If a bingo card mind er is available, the software 249
used by the bingo card minder must be certified to be compliant 250
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with this section by a nationally recognized independent testing 251
laboratory prior to use. The certification must be provided upon 252
request. 253
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 254