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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- S 0623 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC001368 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CASINO GAMING |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Senators Ciccone, Burke, Appollonio, Felag, and Thompson |
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| 17 | 17 | | Date Introduced: March 06, 2025 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Referred To: Senate Labor & Gaming |
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| 19 | 19 | | (State Police) |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 1. Section 42-61.3-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-61.3 entitled "Casino 1 |
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| 23 | 23 | | Gaming" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2 |
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| 24 | 24 | | 42-61.3-2. Casino gaming crimes. 3 |
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| 25 | 25 | | (a) Definitions as used in this chapter: 4 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) “Casino gaming” shall have the meaning set forth in § 42-61.2-1. 5 |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) “Cheat” means to alter the element of chance, method of selection, or criteria that 6 |
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| 28 | 28 | | determines: 7 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (i) The result of the game; 8 |
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| 30 | 30 | | (ii) The amount or frequency of payment in a game, including intentionally taking 9 |
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| 31 | 31 | | advantage of a malfunctioning machine; 10 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (iii) The value of a wagering instrument; or 11 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (iv) The value of a wagering credit. 12 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) “Cheating device” means any physical, mechanical, electromechanical, electronic, 13 |
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| 35 | 35 | | photographic, or computerized device used in such a manner as to cheat, deceive, or defraud a 14 |
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| 36 | 36 | | casino game. This includes, but is not limited to: 15 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (i) Plastic, tape, string, or dental floss, or any other item placed inside a coin or bill acceptor 16 |
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| 38 | 38 | | or any other opening in a video lottery terminal in a manner to simulate coin or currency acceptance; 17 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (ii) Forged or stolen keys used to gain access to a casino game to remove its contents; and 18 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (iii) Game cards or dice that have been tampered with, marked, or loaded. 19 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | LC001368 - Page 2 of 7 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (4) “Gaming facility” means any facility authorized to conduct casino gaming as defined 1 |
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| 45 | 45 | | in § 42-61.2-1, including its parking areas and/or adjacent buildings and structures. 2 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (5) “Paraphernalia for the manufacturing of cheating devices” means the equipment, 3 |
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| 47 | 47 | | products, or materials that are intended for use in manufacturing, producing, fabricating, preparing, 4 |
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| 48 | 48 | | testing, analyzing, packaging, storing, or concealing a counterfeit facsimile of the chips, tokens, 5 |
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| 49 | 49 | | debit instruments, or other wagering devices approved by the division of state lottery or lawful coin 6 |
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| 50 | 50 | | or currency of the United States of America. This term includes, but is not limited to: 7 |
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| 51 | 51 | | (i) Lead or lead alloy molds, forms, or similar equipment capable of producing a likeness 8 |
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| 52 | 52 | | of a gaming token or United States coin or currency; 9 |
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| 53 | 53 | | (ii) Melting pots or other receptacles; 10 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (iii) Torches, tongs, trimming tools, or other similar equipment; and 11 |
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| 55 | 55 | | (iv) Equipment that can be used to manufacture facsimiles of debit instruments or wagering 12 |
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| 56 | 56 | | instruments approved by the division of state lottery. 13 |
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| 57 | 57 | | (6) “Table game” shall have the meaning set forth in § 42-61.2-1. 14 |
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| 58 | 58 | | (7) “Wager” means a sum of money or representative of value that is risked on an 15 |
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| 59 | 59 | | occurrence for which the outcome is uncertain. 16 |
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| 60 | 60 | | (8) "iGaming" shall have the meaning set forth in § 42-61.2-1. 17 |
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| 61 | 61 | | (b) Prohibited acts and penalties. It shall be unlawful for any person to: 18 |
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| 62 | 62 | | (1) Use, or attempt to use, a cheating device in a casino game or to have possession of such 19 |
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| 63 | 63 | | a device in a gaming facility. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a 20 |
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| 64 | 64 | | felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one 21 |
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| 65 | 65 | | hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or both; 22 |
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| 66 | 66 | | (2) Use, acquire, or possess paraphernalia with intent to cheat, or attempt to use, acquire, 23 |
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| 67 | 67 | | or possess, paraphernalia with the intent to manufacture cheating devices. Any person convicted of 24 |
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| 68 | 68 | | violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten 25 |
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| 69 | 69 | | (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or both; 26 |
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| 70 | 70 | | (3) Cheat, or attempt to cheat, in order to take or collect money or anything of value, 27 |
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| 71 | 71 | | whether for one’s self or another, in or from a casino game in a gaming facility. Any person 28 |
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| 72 | 72 | | convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not 29 |
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| 73 | 73 | | more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or 30 |
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| 74 | 74 | | both; 31 |
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| 75 | 75 | | (4) Conduct, carry on, operate, deal, or attempt to conduct, carry on, operate, or deal, or 32 |
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| 76 | 76 | | allow to be conducted, carried on, operated, or dealt, any cheating game or device. Any person 33 |
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| 77 | 77 | | convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not 34 |
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| 78 | 78 | | |
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| 79 | 79 | | |
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| 80 | 80 | | LC001368 - Page 3 of 7 |
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| 81 | 81 | | more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or 1 |
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| 82 | 82 | | both; 2 |
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| 83 | 83 | | (5) Manipulate or alter, or attempt to manipulate or alter, with the intent to cheat, any 3 |
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| 84 | 84 | | physical, mechanical, electromechanical, electronic, or computerized component of a casino game, 4 |
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| 85 | 85 | | contrary to the designed and normal operational purpose for the component. Any person convicted 5 |
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| 86 | 86 | | of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 6 |
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| 87 | 87 | | ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or both; 7 |
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| 88 | 88 | | (6) Use, sell, or possess, or attempt to use, sell, or possess, counterfeit: coins, slugs, tokens, 8 |
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| 89 | 89 | | gaming chips, debit instruments, player rewards cards, or any counterfeit wagering instruments 9 |
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| 90 | 90 | | and/or devices resembling tokens, gaming chips, debit or other wagering instruments approved by 10 |
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| 91 | 91 | | the division of state lottery for use in a casino game in a gaming facility. Any person convicted of 11 |
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| 92 | 92 | | violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten 12 |
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| 93 | 93 | | (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or both; 13 |
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| 94 | 94 | | (7)(i) Place, increase, decrease, cancel, or remove a wager or determine the course of play 14 |
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| 95 | 95 | | of a table game, or attempt to place, increase, decrease, cancel, or remove a wager or determine the 15 |
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| 96 | 96 | | course of play of a table game, with knowledge of the outcome of the table game where such 16 |
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| 97 | 97 | | knowledge is not available to all players; or 17 |
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| 98 | 98 | | (ii) Aid, or attempt to aid, anyone in acquiring such knowledge for the purpose of placing, 18 |
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| 99 | 99 | | increasing, decreasing, cancelling, or removing a wager or determining the course of play of the 19 |
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| 100 | 100 | | table game. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable by 20 |
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| 101 | 101 | | imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand 21 |
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| 102 | 102 | | dollars ($100,000), or both; 22 |
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| 103 | 103 | | (8) Claim, collect, or take, or attempt to claim, collect, or take, money or anything of value 23 |
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| 104 | 104 | | in or from a casino game or gaming facility, with intent to defraud or to claim, collect, or take an 24 |
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| 105 | 105 | | amount greater than the amount won. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty 25 |
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| 106 | 106 | | of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than 26 |
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| 107 | 107 | | one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or both; 27 |
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| 108 | 108 | | (9) For any employee of a gaming facility or anyone acting on behalf of or at the direction 28 |
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| 109 | 109 | | of an employee of a gaming facility, to knowingly fail to collect, or attempt to fail to collect, a 29 |
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| 110 | 110 | | losing wager or pay, or attempt to pay, an amount greater on any wager than required under the 30 |
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| 111 | 111 | | rules of a casino game. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony 31 |
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| 112 | 112 | | punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred 32 |
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| 113 | 113 | | thousand dollars ($100,000), or both; 33 |
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| 114 | 114 | | (10) Directly or indirectly offer, or attempt to offer, to conspire with another, or solicit, or 34 |
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| 115 | 115 | | |
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| 116 | 116 | | |
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| 117 | 117 | | LC001368 - Page 4 of 7 |
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| 118 | 118 | | attempt to solicit, from another, anything of value, for the purpose of influencing the outcome of a 1 |
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| 119 | 119 | | casino game. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable 2 |
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| 120 | 120 | | by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand 3 |
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| 121 | 121 | | dollars ($100,000), or both; 4 |
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| 122 | 122 | | (11) Use or possess, or attempt to use or possess, at a gaming facility, without the written 5 |
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| 123 | 123 | | consent of the director of the division of state lottery, any electronic, electrical, or mechanical 6 |
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| 124 | 124 | | device designed, constructed, or programmed to assist the user or another person with the intent to: 7 |
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| 125 | 125 | | (i) Predict the outcome of a casino game; 8 |
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| 126 | 126 | | (ii) Keep track of the cards played; 9 |
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| 127 | 127 | | (iii) Analyze and/or predict the probability of an occurrence relating to the casino game; 10 |
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| 128 | 128 | | and/or 11 |
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| 129 | 129 | | (iv) Analyze and/or predict the strategy for playing or wagering to be used in the casino 12 |
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| 130 | 130 | | game. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable by 13 |
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| 131 | 131 | | imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand 14 |
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| 132 | 132 | | dollars ($100,000), or both; 15 |
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| 133 | 133 | | (12) Skim, or attempt to skim, casino gaming proceeds by excluding anything of value 16 |
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| 134 | 134 | | from the deposit, counting, collection, or computation of: 17 |
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| 135 | 135 | | (i) Gross revenues from gaming operations or activities; 18 |
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| 136 | 136 | | (ii) Net gaming proceeds; and/or 19 |
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| 137 | 137 | | (iii) Amounts due the state pursuant to applicable casino gaming-related laws. Any person 20 |
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| 138 | 138 | | convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not 21 |
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| 139 | 139 | | more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or 22 |
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| 140 | 140 | | both; 23 |
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| 141 | 141 | | (13) Cheat, or attempt to cheat, in the performance of his or her duties as a dealer or other 24 |
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| 142 | 142 | | casino employee by conducting one’s self in a manner that is deceptive to the public or alters the 25 |
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| 143 | 143 | | normal random selection of characteristics or the normal chance or result of the game, including, 26 |
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| 144 | 144 | | but not limited to, using cards, dice, or any cheating device(s) that have been marked, tampered 27 |
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| 145 | 145 | | with, or altered. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable 28 |
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| 146 | 146 | | by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand 29 |
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| 147 | 147 | | dollars ($100,000), or both; 30 |
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| 148 | 148 | | (14) Possess or use, or attempt to use, without proper authorization from the state lottery 31 |
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| 149 | 149 | | division, while in the gaming facility any key or device designed for the purpose of or suitable for 32 |
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| 150 | 150 | | opening or entering any self-redemption unit (kiosk), vault, video lottery terminal, drop box, or any 33 |
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| 151 | 151 | | secured area in the gaming facility that contains casino gaming and/or surveillance equipment, 34 |
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| 152 | 152 | | |
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| 153 | 153 | | |
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| 154 | 154 | | LC001368 - Page 5 of 7 |
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| 155 | 155 | | computers, electrical systems, currency, cards, chips, dice, or any other thing of value. Any person 1 |
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| 156 | 156 | | convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not 2 |
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| 157 | 157 | | more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or 3 |
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| 158 | 158 | | both; 4 |
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| 159 | 159 | | (15) Tamper and/or interfere, or attempt to tamper and/or interfere, with any casino gaming 5 |
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| 160 | 160 | | and/or surveillance equipment, including, but not limited to, related computers and electrical 6 |
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| 161 | 161 | | systems. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable by 7 |
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| 162 | 162 | | imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand 8 |
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| 163 | 163 | | dollars ($100,000), or both; 9 |
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| 164 | 164 | | (16) Access, interfere with, infiltrate, hack into, or infect, or attempt to access, interfere 10 |
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| 165 | 165 | | with, infiltrate, hack into, or infect, any casino gaming-related computer, network, hardware and/or 11 |
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| 166 | 166 | | software or other equipment. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a 12 |
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| 167 | 167 | | felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one 13 |
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| 168 | 168 | | hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or both; 14 |
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| 169 | 169 | | (17) Sell, trade, barter, profit from, or otherwise use to one’s financial advantage, or attempt 15 |
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| 170 | 170 | | to sell, trade, barter, profit from, or otherwise use to one’s financial advantage, any confidential 16 |
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| 171 | 171 | | information related to casino-gaming operations, including, but not limited to, data (whether stored 17 |
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| 172 | 172 | | on a computer’s software, hardware, network, or elsewhere), passwords, codes, surveillance and 18 |
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| 173 | 173 | | security characteristics and/or vulnerabilities, and/or non-public internal controls, policies, and 19 |
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| 174 | 174 | | procedures related thereto. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony 20 |
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| 175 | 175 | | punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred 21 |
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| 176 | 176 | | thousand dollars ($100,000), or both; 22 |
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| 177 | 177 | | (18) Conduct a gaming operation, or attempt to conduct a gaming operation, where 23 |
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| 178 | 178 | | wagering is used or to be used without a license issued by, or authorization from, the division of 24 |
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| 179 | 179 | | state lottery. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable 25 |
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| 180 | 180 | | by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand 26 |
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| 181 | 181 | | dollars ($100,000), or both; 27 |
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| 182 | 182 | | (19) Provide false information and/or testimony to the division of state lottery, department 28 |
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| 183 | 183 | | of business regulation, or their authorized representatives and/or the state police while under oath. 29 |
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| 184 | 184 | | Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable by 30 |
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| 185 | 185 | | imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand 31 |
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| 186 | 186 | | dollars ($100,000), or both; 32 |
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| 187 | 187 | | (20) Play a casino game, other than an iGaming casino game, and/or make a wager, or 33 |
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| 188 | 188 | | attempt to play a casino game, other than an iGaming casino game, and/or make a wager, if under 34 |
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| 189 | 189 | | |
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| 190 | 190 | | |
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| 191 | 191 | | LC001368 - Page 6 of 7 |
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| 192 | 192 | | the age of eighteen (18) years. Any person charged under this section shall be referred to family 1 |
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| 193 | 193 | | court; or 2 |
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| 194 | 194 | | (21) Permit, or attempt to permit, a person to play a casino game, other than an iGaming 3 |
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| 195 | 195 | | casino game, and/or accept, or attempt to accept, a wager from a person, if he or she is under the 4 |
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| 196 | 196 | | age of eighteen (18) years. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a 5 |
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| 197 | 197 | | misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than one year or a fine of not more than 6 |
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| 198 | 198 | | one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.; 7 |
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| 199 | 199 | | (22) Play an iGaming casino game and/or make a wager, or attempt to play an iGaming 8 |
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| 200 | 200 | | casino game and/or make a wager, if under the age of twenty-one (21) years. Any person convicted 9 |
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| 201 | 201 | | of violating this section, if over the age of eighteen (18) and under the age of twenty-one (21), shall 10 |
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| 202 | 202 | | be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than one year or a fine of not 11 |
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| 203 | 203 | | more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both. Any person charged under this section that is 12 |
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| 204 | 204 | | under the age of eighteen (18) shall be referred to family court; or 13 |
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| 205 | 205 | | (23) Permit, or attempt to permit, a person to play an iGaming casino game and/or accept, 14 |
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| 206 | 206 | | or attempt to accept, a wager from a person, if they are under the age of twenty-one (21) years. Any 15 |
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| 207 | 207 | | person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by 16 |
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| 208 | 208 | | imprisonment for not more than one year or a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), 17 |
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| 209 | 209 | | or both. 18 |
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| 210 | 210 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 19 |
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| 212 | 212 | | LC001368 |
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| 214 | 214 | | |
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| 215 | 215 | | |
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| 216 | 216 | | LC001368 - Page 7 of 7 |
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| 217 | 217 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 218 | 218 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 219 | 219 | | OF |
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| 220 | 220 | | A N A C T |
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| 221 | 221 | | RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CASINO GAMING |
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| 222 | 222 | | *** |
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| 223 | 223 | | This act would amend the law relating to casino crimes to be consistent with the advent of 1 |
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| 224 | 224 | | iGaming and the relevant age restrictions to participate in iGaming. 2 |
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| 225 | 225 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 3 |
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| 226 | 226 | | ======== |
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| 227 | 227 | | LC001368 |
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| 229 | 229 | | |
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