PROPOSED RULES
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 05-17-205.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: WAC 230-40-120 Limits on wagers in card games.
Hearing Location(s): DoubleTree Guest Suites, 16500 Southcenter Parkway, Seattle, WA 98188, (509) [(360)] 248-8220, on January 13, 2006, at 9:30 a.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: January 13, 2006.
Submit Written Comments to: Susan Arland, Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 42400, Olympia, WA 98504, e-mail Susana@wsgc.wa.gov, fax (360) 486-3625, by January 2, 2006.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Shirley Corbett by January 2, 2006, TTY (360) 486-3637 or (360) 486-3447.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: Currently, there is a $25 wagering limit on poker games. Poker wagering limits were increased from $10 to $25 on May 15, 2000, and licensees have not asked for an increase since that time.
The Recreational Gaming Association is now asking to raise the wager limit for all poker games at house-banked card rooms to $100. This rule change would not allow nonhouse-banked card rooms to raise their poker wagering limit.
The rule change would lead to much higher stakes in poker games.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 9.46.070.
Statute Being Implemented: Not applicable.
Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.
Name of Proponent: Washington State Gambling Commission, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Susan Arland, Rules Coordinator, Lacey, (360) 486-3466; Implementation: Rick Day, Director, Lacey, (360) 486-3446; and Enforcement: Neal Nunamaker, Deputy Director, Lacey, (360) 486-3452.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. A small business economic impact statement has not been prepared pursuant to RCW 19.85.025, and/or the proposed rule does not impose more than minor, if any, costs to businesses and no disproportionate impact to small businesses has been identified.
A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. The Washington State Gambling Commission is not an agency that is statutorily required to prepare a cost-benefit analysis under RCW 34.05.328.
October 12, 2005
Susan Arland
Rules Coordinator
OTS-8328.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Order 437, filed 9/16/04,
effective 10/17/04)
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, except that licensees authorized to conduct house-banked card games shall not exceed one hundred 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 for each 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. 04-19-068 (Order 437), § 230-40-120, filed 9/16/04, effective 10/17/04; 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.]