(1) “Electronic Bingo Card Monitoring Device” “EBCMD” means an electronic device, approved by the commission, that is used by a bingo player to monitor bingo cards game and electronic pull tabs purchased at the time and place of a licensed organization’s bingo occasion, and which
(A) Provides a means for bingo players to input selected numbers announced by a bingo caller; and
(B) Compares the numbers entered by the player to the numbers contained on cards previously stored in the electronic memory of the device; and
(C) Identifies the winning pattern. EBCMD shall not mean or include any device into which coin, currency, or tokens are inserted to activate play. EBCMDs may be used as a receptacle for credits purchased from a networked P.O.S. station or awarded as prizes. These credits can subsequently be used for the purchase of additional bingo games electronic or tabs.
(D) Optionally, allows a player to purchase and view any of the next available Electronic Pull tabs (“EPT”) from finite decks of EPT stored in a Central File Server (“CFS”), provided the EBCMD is a portable, hand-held device where both the CFS and the EMCMD satisfy the stringent design and test requirements typical for gaming devices reviewed by national testing facilities including the requirements for hardware, software, communications integrity, security, accountability and reliability. The purpose of which is to maintain a reliable audit and accounting mechanism.
(2) “Electronic bingo card” means an electronic representative of a bingo card as and or pull tab as defined in section 313.005(2), RSMo. Electronic bingo cards may be representations of cards contained within traditional paper perms or they can be created from electronic (non-printed) perms.
(3) “EBCMD bingo sheet” means a disposable piece of paper containing one or morebingo cards which is a physical representation of the electronic bingo cards loaded into an EBCMD. All EBCMD bingo sheets printed from the EBCMD site system must be in a form approved by the commission.
(4)(3) “Site system”, means the computer hardware, software, and peripheral equipment, approved by the commission, that is used by a licensed organization at the site of its bingo occasion which provides bingo card monitoring devices to players, and which receipts the sale or rental of such cards and devices and generates reports relative to such sales or rentals.
(5)(4) EBCMDs must be acquired by licensed suppliers from a licensed manufacturer and may only be rented or leased by licensed sup-pliers to licensed bingo operators.
(6)(5) A licensed manufacturer seeking approval of an EBCMD site system software, or other bingo equipment uniquely adapted for use with an EBCMD, will be required to submit, at the manufacturer’s expense, a prototype of the device to a designated independent test laboratory as determined by the commission for approval prior to sale or installation in an approved bingo facility.
(7)(6) No EBCMD shall be able to monitor more than fifty-four (54) bingo cards per game.
(A) An EBCMD shall be downloaded with electronic bingo cards only by an approved bingo worker or authorized representative of the licensed supplier if accompanied by an approved member of the licensed organization. In the event the EBCMD is the type used to monitor disposable paper bingo cards, an approved bingo worker or authorized representative of the licensed supplier accompanied by an approved member of the licensed organization must enter the bingo card face number(s) into the device. The entering of bingo card face number(s) into a device shall be done only on the premises of the licensed organization and during the bingo occasion.
(B) All downloading into the EBCMD, either from electronic bingo cards or disposable paper bingo cards, must be completed prior to the drawing of the first ball for that bingo occasion game. If an EBCMD must be voided and reissued after the start of the game, the EBCMD must be reloaded with the same bingo face numbers or replaced with an EBCMD which was downloaded prior to the drawing of the first ball as described in 11 CSR 45-30.190.
(C) Organizations using EBCMD which require a site system to download electronic bingo cards to EBCMD must ensure that any disposable paper bingo cards used at the bingo occasion are of a different series than the electronic bingo cards, in order to avoid duplication of faces in play.
(D) Organizations using EBCMDs which are used in conjunction with disposable paper bingo cards must ensure that the disposable cards used with the EBCMD are of a unique color, either by screen face or by border, and not sold by the organization for use other than with an EBCMD.
(E) EBCMDs that allow for the tracking of credits can be used by players to purchase cards only if the cards are sold prior to the commencement of the bingo game. The EBCMD must be connected to the site system, and the site system must retain the sales information relating to this transaction including: the identifying number of the EMCMD, the time of the transaction, the identifying numbers of the card(s) sold, and total dollar value of the transaction.
(8)(7) Each EBCMD shall be programmed to automatically erase all electronic bingo cards and/or bingo card face numbers stored in the device a) upon turning off the device after the last bingo game of the occasion has been played, and b) by some secondary timing method.
(9) No EBCMD may be designed to allow bingo players the ability to design their own bingo cards by choosing, rearranging, or placing numbers on a card.
(10)(8) A site system shall not be able to engage in any type of sale, void, or reload transaction unless the EBCMD is connected to and communicating with the site system.
(11)(9) A site system shall not be able to load more than fifty-four (54) electronic bingo cards per bingo game into any one EBCMD. The site system must be interfaced with a printer which produces a continuous hard copy transaction log, including all sale, void and reload transactions and a printout showing the device identification number, and all of the bingo cards and their face numbers loaded into the device. A receipting function for electronic bingo cards must be self-contained within the site system and must record and print out on a copy which is given to the player, the device identification number or ticket number identifying the device games, the date, number of electronic bingo cards purchased or loaded, and the total amount charged for the electronic bingo cards.
(12)(10) A site system shall be able to provide the winning game patterns required for the entire bingo occasion on a hard copy printout. The printout must be available upon demand at the bingo occasion. The game operator shall provide an EBCMD bingo sheet from the site system of all electronic bingo cards sold to each player at the time of purchase.
(13)(11) If the commission detects or discovers or site system that could affect the security or integrity of the bingo game, the commission may direct the supplier or licensed organization to cease providing or using the EBCMD or site system, as applicable. The commission may require the supplier to correct the problem or recall the devices or system immediately upon notification by the com-mission to the supplier.
(A) If a supplier or licensed organization detects or discovers any malfunction or problem with the EBCMD or site system which could affect the security or integrity of the bingo game, EBCMD, or site system, the supplier or licensed organization, as applicable, shall discontinue use of the devices or site system and notify the commission the next working day.
(B) Failure to discontinue use of the EBCMD or site system in such instances will result in disciplinary action by the commission.
(14)(12) The licensed supplier shall serve as the initial contact for the licensed organization with respect to requests for installation, ser-vice, maintenance, or repair of EBCMD and site systems.
(A) A licensed supplier may, with commission approval, authorize or subcontract with a person or company to service, maintain, or repair EBCMD and/or site systems; however, the ultimate liability for such service, maintenance, or repair shall be solely that of the licensed supplier.
(15)(13) The licensed supplier shall invoice the licensed organization and collect any and all payments for the rental or lease of the EBCMD used by the licensed organization, and the sale, rental or lease of the site systems to the licensed organization. The supplier shall also invoice the licensed organization and collect any and all payments for the sale of electronic bingo cards, including the applicable taxes as described in accordance with section 313.055, RSMo.
(16)(14) EBCMDs may be transported by a licensed supplier from one location to another for use by more than one licensed organization provided the supplier notifies the commission of the rotation schedule of the EBCMD. However, each licensed organization utilizing a site system must have its own site system, which cannot be moved from its bingo location or be used by another organization without prior approval from the commission. A licensed organization may obtain computer terminals and/or printers to be used in conjunction with site system software obtained from a licensed supplier, from any source.
(17)(15) The use of a player-owned EBCMD at a bingo occasion is prohibited.
(18)(16) EBCMDs shall be rented or leased to bingo players only by the licensed organization conducting the bingo occasion, and only at the time and place of the bingo occasion. A bingo player using an EBCMD must be physically present on the premises, during the time of the bingo occasion, in order to be eligible to play bingo or win any bingo prize.
(19)(16) Regardless of the number of EBCMDs made available for play, at least one device shall be reserved by the licensed organization as a back-up device, in the event a device in play malfunctions.
(20)(17) EBCMDs shall be made available to players on a first-come, first-serve basis. No EBCMD may be reserved for any player, except that a device may be reserved for any player with a disability that would restrict his or her ability to mark cards and such disability is consistent with definitions set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
(21) No bingo player shall be allowed to utilize more than one EBCMD at any time during a bingo occasion.
(22)(18) A bingo player may, in addition to the maximum fifty-four (54) bingo cards per game which he or she purchases to monitor with an EBCMD, purchase additional disposable paper bingo cards to play.
(23)(19) A licensed organization may, at its discretion, charge a separate fee to players for the use of an EBCMD; however, if an organization charges a separate fee for the use of an EBCMDs
(A) The fee charged must be a flat fee, regardless of the number of bingo cards purchased or any other factor; and
(B) The fee charged must be separately stated.
(24)(20) All bingo cards used in conjunction with EBCMDs must conform to the restrictions in sections 313.005(2) and 313.040(17), RSMo. Organizations utilizing EBCMDs must ensure that all bingo cards including electronic facsimiles used in conjunction with EBCMDs are disposable and are adequately marked to prevent reuse. Bingo cards of a series dedicated to or uniquely compatible with EBCMDs are permitted.
(25)(21) Numbers appearing on a bingo card, identified by an EBCMD to be a winning bingo card, must be verified in the presence of the majority of the players or entry into an electronic card verifier.
(26)(22) Game operators must require that all disposable bingo paper used in conjunction with the game is turned in by each player to the game operator and destroyed, unless instruct-ed otherwise by the commission. Game operators who fail to comply with this requirement are subject to discipline pursuant to section 313.052, RSMo.
(27)(23) The site system must be capable of providing accounting and revenue reports on a daily basis. Additionally, the system must be capable of providing weekly and monthly summaries of the daily reports. These reports must include, at a minimum, the following:
(A) Gross sales of all bingo cards sold and loaded into an EBCMD, gross sales voided and/or canceled and net sales of all bingo cards sold;
(B) Gross number of all bingo cards sold and loaded into an EBCMD, total number of bingo cards voided and/or canceled and net number of bingo cards sold;
(C) Adequate documentation must be maintained to explain any voids or cancellations.
(28)(24) The supplier is responsible for the collection and payment of all the taxes for electronic bingo cards sold and loaded into an EBCMD in accordance with section 313.055, RSMo and any rules and regulations promulgated there under. The tax computation will be based upon the information provided in the daily reports generated by the EBCMD site system. Copies of the reports must be provided with the supplier’s monthly financial report.
(29)(25) The manufacturer, supplier or game operator may be required to maintain and submit additional information at the request of the commission.
AUTHORITY: section 313.065, RSMo Supp. 1999.* Original rule filed Nov. 10, 1998, effective June 30, 1999. Amended: Filed May 6, 1999, effective Dec. 30, 1999. Amended: Filed Oct. 4, 2000, effective June 30, 2001.
*Original authority: 313.065, RSMo 1981, amended 1993, 1995.
Gaming Commision Response
The Commission is unable to comment on these changes until we have had the opportunity to view the electronic pull-tab device.