S-5105.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6430
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 54th Legislature 1996 Regular Session
By Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce & Trade (originally sponsored by Senators Schow and Spanel)
Read first time 02/02/96.
AN ACT Relating to social card games; and amending RCW 9.46.0281.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 9.46.0281 and 1994 c 120 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
"Social card game," as used in this chapter, means a card game, including but not limited to the game commonly known as "Mah-Jongg," which constitutes gambling and contains each of the following characteristics:
(1) There are two or
more participants and each of them are players. ((However, no business with
a public cardroom on its premises may have more than five separate tables at
which card games are played)) The number of card tables shall be set by
the commission but shall not exceed a total of fifteen separate tables per
establishment;
(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, a player's success at winning money or other thing of value by overcoming chance is in the long run largely determined by the skill of the player;
(3) ((No
organization, corporation or person collects or obtains or charges any
percentage of or collects or obtains any portion of the money or thing of value
wagered or won by any of the players: PROVIDED, That this subsection shall not
preclude a player from collecting or obtaining his or her winnings)) A
cardroom may serve as the custodian of a player-supported progressive prize
contest, in any card game authorized by the commission;
(4) No organization or
corporation, or person other than one licensed by the commission to operate
a cardroom collects or obtains any money or thing of value from, or charges
or imposes any fee upon, any person which either enables him or her to play or
results in or from his or her playing ((in excess of three dollars per half
hour of playing time by that person collected in advance: PROVIDED, That a fee
may also be charged for entry into a tournament for prizes, which fee shall not
exceed fifty dollars, including all separate fees which might be paid by a
player for various phases or events of the tournament: PROVIDED FURTHER, That
this subsection shall not apply to the membership fee in any bona fide
charitable or nonprofit organization));
(5) The type of card game is one specifically approved by the commission pursuant to RCW 9.46.070; and
(6) The extent of wagers, money or other thing of value which may be wagered or contributed by any player does not exceed the amount or value specified by the commission pursuant to RCW 9.46.070.
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