Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3925 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R13010 GCB-F
2	2	By: Kuempel H.B. No. 3925
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the regulation of wagering through telephone, the
8	8	Internet, or other approved electronic means on horse races and
9	9	greyhound races under the pari-mutuel system of wagering; requiring
10	10	a license to operate account wagering; requiring a fee.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 1.03, Texas Racing Act (Article 179e,
13	13	Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Subdivisions
14	14	(82) and (83) to read as follows:
15	15	(82) "Account wagering" means a form of pari-mutuel
16	16	wagering that allows an individual to deposit money in an account
17	17	with an association or an account wagering operator for the
18	18	individual's use in pari-mutuel wagering offered by the association
19	19	on live or simulcast horse races or greyhound races.
20	20	(83) "Account wagering operator" means an entity
21	21	licensed by the commission to provide an account for account
22	22	wagering by persons in this state.
23	23	SECTION 2. Article 7, Texas Racing Act (Article 179e,
24	24	Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Section 7.11
25	25	to read as follows:
26	26	Sec. 7.11. ACCOUNT WAGERING LICENSE. (a) A person may not
27	27	offer account wagering, operate as an account wagering operator, or
28	28	act as an employee of a person offering account wagering or
29	29	operating as an account wagering operator unless the person or
30	30	employee, as applicable, holds a license issued by the commission
31	31	under this section.
32	32	(b) The commission shall adopt rules and procedures for
33	33	applying for or issuing, denying, or revoking a license under this
34	34	section in a manner consistent with other licensing provisions of
35	35	this Act.
36	36	(c) The commission shall establish fees for initial and
37	37	annual renewal licensing of account wagering operators and of
38	38	employees of account wagering operators.
39	39	SECTION 3. Section 11.01, Texas Racing Act (Article 179e,
40	40	Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsection
41	41	(a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
42	42	(a) The commission shall adopt rules to regulate wagering on
43	43	greyhound races and horse races under the system known as
44	44	pari-mutuel wagering. Wagering may be conducted only by an
45	45	association within its enclosure or by an account wagering
46	46	operator. Except as provided by Subsection (c), a [A] person may
47	47	not accept, in person, by telephone, or over the Internet, a wager
48	48	for a horse race or greyhound race conducted inside or outside this
49	49	state from a person in this state unless the wager is authorized
50	50	under this Act.
51	51	(c) An association or an account wagering operator may
52	52	accept account wagering in person or by direct telephone call or
53	53	through other electronic means by the holder of the account. An
54	54	account wagering operator that is not an association shall, if the
55	55	operator or any of the operator's affiliates conducts live racing,
56	56	contract with an association for interstate simulcast wagering. An
57	57	account wagering operator shall contract with an association to
58	58	offer wagering on live races on the account wagering operator's
59	59	system, if authorized by law.
60	60	SECTION 4. Section 11.04, Texas Racing Act (Article 179e,
61	61	Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsection
62	62	(b) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to read as follows:
63	63	(b) The commission may [shall] adopt rules to authorize
64	64	account wagering by [prohibiting] an association or an account
65	65	wagering operator under conditions the commission determines
66	66	appropriate to protect the public health and safety [from accepting
67	67	wagers by telephone]. For purposes of this Act, account wagering by
68	68	a person in this state through an association or an account wagering
69	69	operator is considered wagering by a person in the enclosure of the
70	70	association or of the association that has contracted with the
71	71	account wagering operator.
72	72	(b-1) The commission shall adopt rules setting the amount,
73	73	less refunds, that may be deducted from the gross pari-mutuel
74	74	handle of the association or account wagering operator conducting
75	75	account wagering, provided that amount is not less than six percent
76	76	of the gross pari-mutuel handle.
77	77	(b-2) The amount of all fees paid to the commission from
78	78	account wagering may not exceed one percent of the total gross
79	79	account wagering receipts, as determined by the computational
80	80	equipment approved by the commission for calculating wagering as
81	81	required under Section 11.02, from wagers placed by persons in this
82	82	state with each association or account wagering operator offering
83	83	account wagering.
84	84	SECTION 5. As soon as practicable after the effective date
85	85	of this Act, the Texas Racing Commission shall adopt the rules
86	86	necessary to implement the change in law made by this Act.
87	87	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.