Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Government Accountability & Oversight Committee

HB 1295

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Grants sole authority to the legislature to approve the expansion or enhancement in the scope or manner of regulated gaming activities.

Grants sole authority to the legislature to approve any increase in the extent of wager, money, or other thing of value which may be wagered or contributed by a player in regulated gaming activities.

Reduces the statutory powers and authority of the Gambling Commission through the deletion of statutory provisions granting it plenary power to: (1) regulate the type, scope, and manner of gambling activities; and (2) regulate the extent of wager, money, or other thing of value which may be wagered or contributed or won by a player involved in regulated activities.

Background:

The Washington State Gambling Commission (Commission) is responsible for licensing and regulating all authorized social gambling activities in the state, except for horse racing and the state lottery. The Commission investigates and controls unauthorized and illegal gambling activities. It also co-regulates tribal gaming activities pursuant to compacts between the tribes and the state.

The powers and authority of the Commission include:

generally regulating the type, scope, and manner of gambling activities;
regulating the extent of wager, money, or other thing of value which may be wagered or contributed or won by a player involved in regulated activities;

the establishment of licensing fees;
prescribing the manner and method of payment of taxes, payments, and fees paid to or collected by the commission; and
requiring criminal background checks on specified persons involved in gambling related businesses.

The Commission has authority to issue licenses to the following, but the period of these licenses cannot exceed one year:

to bona fide charitable or nonprofit organizations to conduct bingo games, raffles, amusement games, and social card games, and to utilize punchboards and pull-tabs;
to persons, associations, or organizations operating businesses primarily engaged in the selling of items of food or drink for consumption on the premises to utilize punchboards and pull-tabs and to conduct social card games as a commercial stimulant;
to persons, associations, or organizations to conduct or operate amusement games; and
to persons, associations, or organizations to engage in the selling, distributing, supplying, or the manufacturing of devices for use.

Summary of Bill:

The statutory powers and authority of the Commission are reduced through the deletion of statutory provisions granting it plenary power to:

regulate of the type, scope, and manner of gambling activities; and
regulate the extent of wager, money, or other thing of value which may be wagered or contributed or won by a player involved in regulated activities.

Grants sole authority to the legislature to approve the expansion or enhancement in the scope or manner of regulated gaming activities.

Grants sole authority to the legislature to authorize any increase in the extent of wager, money, or other thing of value which may be wagered or contributed by a player in regulated gaming activities.

The act contains an "emergency clause".