Purpose: Clarifies the wagering amount allowed for each betting round. A single wager may be placed for each decision made by the player before additional cards are dealt or revealed. This is consistent with language already in WAC 230-40-010 (1)(c), which explains that each player is responsible for their own decisions on each hand. Decisions include whether to fold, discard, draw additional cards, or raise the wager. Provides regulatory consistency regarding betting round limits between house-banked card rooms and tribal casinos. Tribal casinos already set betting round limits based on separate wagers for separate decisions.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 230-40-120.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 9.46.070.

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 04-15-048 on July 13, 2004, with a published date of August 4, 2004.

     Changes Other than Editing from Proposed to Adopted Version: Housekeeping change in subsection (6) "on" was changed to "for."

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: September 14, 2004.

Susan Arland

Rules Coordinator

OTS-7145.4

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Order 427, filed 2/19/04, effective 7/1/04)

WAC 230-40-120   Limits on wagers in card games.   Social and public card room licensees shall not allow wagering limits set by the commission to be exceeded in any card game. The number and value of wagers in card games are limited as follows:

Nonhouse-banked card games.

     (1) Poker:

     (a) There shall be no more than five betting rounds in any one game;

     (b) The maximum number of wagers in any betting round shall be four, comprised of an initial wager plus three raises; and

     (c) The maximum amount of a single wager shall not exceed twenty-five dollars;

     (2) Games based on achieving a specific number of points - each point shall not exceed five cents in value;

     (3) An ante, except for panguingue (pan), shall not be more than the maximum wager allowed for the first betting round for any game. The ante may, by house rule, be made by one or more players, but the total ante may not exceed the maximum wager allowed for the first betting round. An ante, by house rule, may be used as part of a player's wager;

     (4) Panguingue (pan) - the maximum value of a chip for a payoff shall not exceed ten dollars. An ante will not exceed one chip. Doubling of conditions is prohibited. Players going out may collect not more than two chips from each participating player;

House-banked card games.

     (5) Licensees authorized to conduct house-banked card games shall not allow a single wager to exceed one hundred dollars, except that such licensees may allow a single wager of up to two hundred dollars on a limited number of tables as follows:

     (a) Licensees authorized to operate five tables or fewer may operate one table at the two hundred dollar limit;

     (b) Licensees authorized to operate from six to ten tables may operate two tables at the two hundred dollar limit; and

     (c) Licensees authorized to operate more than ten tables may operate three tables at the two hundred dollar limit;

     (6) A single wager may be made ((on)) for each ((separate element of chance)) decision made by the player before additional cards are dealt or revealed. In addition, for blackjack, an additional wager may be placed for doubling down or splitting pairs; and

     (7) Bonus wagers for house-banked progressive jackpots shall not exceed one dollar. Bonus wagers with a predetermined prize amount based upon a separate element of chance within the same game shall not exceed the authorized maximum table limits as described in subsection (5) of this section.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070. 04-06-005 (Order 427), § 230-40-120, filed 2/19/04, effective 7/1/04; 03-17-044 (Order 422), § 230-40-120, filed 8/15/03, effective 9/15/03; 01-13-091 (Order 403), § 230-40-120, filed 6/19/01, effective 7/20/01; 00-09-052 (Order 383), § 230-40-120, filed 4/14/00, effective 5/15/00; 94-13-098 (Order 252), § 230-40-120, filed 6/15/94, effective 7/16/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(4), [34.05].230 and 9.46.070 (11) and (14). 90-05-032 (Order 205), § 230-40-120, filed 2/14/90, effective 3/17/90. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070 (8), (11) and (14). 89-15-039 (Order 194), § 230-40-120, filed 7/18/89, effective 8/18/89. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.050(3) and 9.46.070 (1), (2) and (11). 86-15-025 (Order 159), § 230-40-120, filed 7/14/86. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070 (1), (2) and (11) and 9.46.110. 85-21-046 (Order 154), § 230-40-120, filed 10/14/85. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.020 (20)(d) and 9.46.070(11). 82-23-050 (Order 125) and 83-01-045 (Order 125A), § 230-40-120, filed 11/15/82 and 12/13/82. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070(11). 82-04-010 (Order 118), § 230-40-120, filed 1/22/82; 81-19-073 (Order 112), § 230-40-120, filed 9/15/81. Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070(10). 80-03-059 (Order 98), § 230-40-120, filed 2/25/80; Order 80, § 230-40-120, filed 12/28/77; Order 51, § 230-40-120, filed 4/30/76; Order 48, § 230-40-120, filed 3/23/76; Order 23, § 230-40-120, filed 9/23/74.]

© Washington State Code Reviser's Office