PERMANENT RULES
Date of Adoption: October 13, 2000.
Purpose: For the past twenty-five years, "surprise" merchandise prizes have been allowed for punch board/pull-tab games by policy. However, there are no rules in place regarding these games. A "surprise" merchandise prize is a merchandise prize that is wrapped up in some way so the customer cannot see the prize being offered, making it a surprise. These surprise merchandise games have been popular and fun for customers. The games have run smoothly over the years with few, if any, regulatory complaints or concerns. This amendment will clarify what procedures must be followed when offering this type of prize.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 230-30-070.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 9.46.070.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 00-18-090 on September 5, 2000, with a publication of September 20, 2000.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0. Effective Date of Rule: January 1, 2001.
October 16, 2000
Susan Arland
Rules Coordinator
OTS-4247.2
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Order 359, filed 7/15/98, effective
1/1/99)
WAC 230-30-070
Control of prizes -- Restrictions -- Bonus
prizes -- Displaying -- Procedures for awarding.
Punch board and pull-tab prizes shall be closely controlled to ensure players are not defrauded.
(1) All prizes from the operation of punch boards and pull-tabs shall be awarded in cash or in merchandise.
No licensee shall offer to pay cash in lieu of merchandise prizes which may be won.
(2) Additional chances on a punch board or pull-tab game may not be awarded as a prize. Provided, That prizes may involve the opportunity to advance and win a larger prize on the same punch board or pull-tab game as set forth in subsection (4) of this section.
(3) A bonus prize is a prize offered in a bonus pull-tab game, defined in WAC 230-30-040(1). A step-up prize is a prize offered on a punch board. The awarding of these prizes involves an immediate, additional opportunity to advance to a section of the game to determine the prize.
(4) On games where players advance, the bonus or step-up prizes may not be less than the highest prize available, which might otherwise have been won by the punch or pull-tab for which the opportunity was awarded. Each punch board or pull-tab game offering bonus or step-up prizes must clearly indicate on its flare the terms and conditions under which the bonus or step-up prize may be won, including the amount of the bonus or step-up prize.
(5) The licensee shall display prizes so that a customer can easily determine which prizes are available from any particular punch board or pull-tab series or device operated or located upon the premises. In addition, the following requirements apply.
(a) Merchandise prizes shall be displayed as follows:
(i) In the immediate vicinity of the punch board or pull-tab series and in plain view: Provided, That games that offer merchandise prizes that are "surprises" may be wrapped in some way so players are unable to identify what the prize is until opened;
(ii) If size or space constraints do not allow the prize to be displayed as provided in (a)(i) of this subsection, the merchandise prize may be displayed elsewhere on the premises provided that a specific reference to that actual prize is noted on the flare; or
(iii) If the merchandise prize cannot be displayed on the premises, an accurate description and/or photograph of the prize must be displayed in plain view on or immediately adjacent to the flare.
(b) Cash prizes shall be clearly represented on the prize flare;
(c) Combination cash and merchandise prizes must meet the requirements of both (a) and (b) of this subsection;
(6) The following procedures apply to the removal of prizes from the game flare and the presentation of prizes to winning players:
(a) Upon determination of a winner of a merchandise prize, the licensee shall immediately remove that prize from the flare and present the prize to the winner upon demand;
(b) Upon determination of a winner of any cash prize over twenty dollars, or of any merchandise prize with a retail value over twenty dollars, the licensee shall permanently and conspicuously delete all references to that prize from any flare, punch board, or pull-tab dispensing device upon which such reference may appear, and from any other list, sign, or notice which may be posted, in such a manner that all future customers will know the prize is no longer available. On step-up punch boards and bonus pull-tab games, once all opportunities in a section of the flare have been won, all references to prizes no longer available to be won must be deleted on the flare. Operators may correct an inadvertently deleted prize by noting on the flare that such prize is still available. Such reference shall be permanently and conspicuously deleted when the prize is actually awarded. Failure to permanently and conspicuously delete a prize from the flare may result in the director initiating actions to revoke a license for violation of RCW 9.46.190 (defrauding a participant). The prize shall be paid or delivered to the winner only after all reference to such prize has been deleted from the flare.
(7) Payment of prizes. The licensee must pay or award to the customer or player playing the punch board or pull-tab series all such prizes that are required to be, but have not been, deleted from the flare when the punch board or pull-tab series is completely played out.
(8) Record of winners. When any person wins a cash prize of over twenty dollars or wins a merchandise prize with a retail value of more than twenty dollars from the play of any punch board or pull-tab series, the licensee or licensee's representative shall make a record of the win. The record of the win shall be made in the following manner:
(a) The winners shall be required to print their name and date of birth, in ink, upon the side of the winning punch or tab opposite the winning symbol(s);
(b) The licensee or their representative shall then verify the winner's identity and record the date and initial the winning punch or tab; and
(c) If the pull-tab or punch is constructed or printed in such a manner as to preclude recording the information required in (a) and (b) of this subsection in a legible manner, the licensee may record the required information on a sheet of paper not less than three inches by five inches and staple the winning tab or punch thereto.
(9) Defacing winning punches or tabs. The licensee shall, within twenty-four hours after a winning pull-tab or punch worth more than twenty dollars has been presented for payment, mark or perforate the winning symbols in such a manner that the pull-tab or punch cannot be presented again for payment.
(10) Spindle, banded, or "jar" type pull-tabs played in a manner which awards merchandise prizes only. Pull-tab series which award only merchandise prizes valued at no more than twenty dollars, are hereby permitted to employ schemes whereby certain predesignated pull-tabs are free or the player is otherwise reimbursed the actual cost of said pull-tabs. Flares for spindle-type pull-tabs operated in this manner shall designate the total number of pull-tabs in the series and the total number of pull-tabs designated as free or reimbursable. Free or reimbursable pull-tabs in these types of pull-tab series shall not constitute a prize or prizes nor shall moneys collected and later reimbursed constitute revenue for the purposes of determining gross gambling receipts.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070. 98-15-074 (Order 359), § 230-30-070, filed 7/15/98, effective 1/1/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070 (5), (6), (11), (14). 97-14-012, § 230-30-070, filed 6/20/97, effective 7/21/97. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070, 9.46.120, 9.46.0273, 9.46.310 and 34.05.313. 96-24-006 (Order 305), § 230-30-070, filed 11/21/96, effective 1/1/97. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070 (1)-(4), (7), (8), (11), (12), (14), (20) and 9.46.110 (3), (4). 95-23-109 and 95-24-048, § 230-30-070, filed 11/22/95 and 11/30/95, effective 1/1/96. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070. 94-23-094, § 230-30-070, filed 11/17/94, effective 1/1/95. Statutory Authority: Chapter 9.46 RCW. 91-21-053 (Order 228), § 230-30-070, filed 10/15/91, effective 11/15/91. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070. 90-24-005 (Order 218), § 230-30-070, filed 11/26/90, effective 12/27/90. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070 (11) and (14). 90-11-058, § 230-30-070, filed 5/15/90, effective 6/15/90. Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(4), [34.05].230 and 9.46.070 (11) and (14). 90-05-032 (Order 205), § 230-30-070, filed 2/14/90, effective 3/17/90. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070 (11) and (14). 89-17-056 (Order 196), § 230-30-070, filed 8/15/89, effective 9/15/89. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46[.070] (8), (14). 87-17-052 (Order 171), § 230-30-070, filed 8/18/87. Statutory Authority: Chapter 9.46 RCW. 87-03-023 (Order 164), § 230-30-070, filed 1/13/87. Statutory Authority: RCW [9.46.]070 (1), (2) and (11) and [9.46.]110. 85-21-046 (Order 154), § 230-30-070, filed 10/14/85. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070 (8), (11) and (14). 85-03-024 (Order 142), § 230-30-070, filed 1/9/85. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070 (8) and (11). 82-01-065 and 82-03-033 (Order 115 and 116), § 230-30-070, filed 12/18/81 and 1/18/82; 81-21-033 (Order 114), § 230-30-070, filed 10/15/81. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070(10). 79-09-029 (Order 91), § 230-30-070, filed 8/14/79; Order 43, § 230-30-070, filed 11/28/75; Order 29, § 230-30-070, filed 1/23/75; Order 27, § 230-30-070, filed 11/15/74; Order 23, § 230-30-070, filed 9/23/74; Order 14, § 230-30-070, filed 3/27/74; Order 12, § 230-30-070, filed 2/14/74; Order 5, § 230-30-070, filed 12/19/73.]