WSR 26-15-099 (26-15)

[Filed July 20, 2026, 1:10 p.m.]

Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR [26-09-101].

Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: WAC 230-15-320(4); this proposed rule change increases the prize threshold from $3,000 to $5,000 for when surveillance rooms are required to use pan-tilt-zoom cameras (PTZ) to verify winning hands, amounts of the wager, amounts of the pay out, and players who have won the prize.

Currently, house-banked card rooms are required to have a closed-circuit television system with fixed cameras over each gambling table to view gambling activities and areas including, but not limited to, cards, wagers, and the chip tray. These fixed cameras over each table provide an overview shot of the entire table and are not zoomed in on individual player faces, cards, wagers, and/or payouts. These fixed camera views must be retained for seven days.

Hearing Location(s): On August 28, [2026], at 9:00 a.m., at the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, 1025 Union Avenue S.E., Olympia, WA 98501. The meeting time and location are tentative. Visit our website at www.wsgc.wa.gov approximately seven days prior to the meeting and select "About Us." Then, select "upcoming commission meetings" to confirm the hearing date, location, start time, and agenda items.

Date of Intended Adoption: August 28, 2026.

Submit Written Comments to: Tricia Gullion, 4565 7th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503, email tricia.gullion@wsgc.wa.gov, beginning July 22, 2026, by August 24, 2026.

Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Tricia Gullion, phone 360-486-3440, email askus@wsgc.wa.gov, web www.wsgc.wa.gov, by August 28, 2026.

Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: Increasing the prize threshold from $3,000 to $5,000 will reduce the time for when surveillance rooms are required to use PTZ cameras to verify winning hands, amounts of the wager, amounts of the pay out, and players who have won the prize.

Reasons Supporting Proposal: This rule change will reduce the time surveillance observers dedicate to capturing the information required in WAC 230-15-320 and allow for more time with other duties. The increased frequency of prize payouts at the $3,000 level has also required the retaining of more surveillance video footage involving PTZs, which take up more hard drive space on digital video recorders.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 9.46.070.

Statute Being Implemented: RCW 9.46.070.

Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.

Name of Proponent: Eugene Freer, private.

Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Tricia Gullion, Legislative and Rules Manager, 4565 7th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503, 360-486-3473; Implementation: Jeneva Cotton, Deputy Director, 4565 7th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503, 360-486-3440; and Enforcement: Tina Griffin, Director, 4565 7th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503, 360-486-3440.

A school district fiscal impact statement is not required under RCW 28A.305.135.

A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. This rule is exempt under RCW 34.05.310 (4)(d).

This rule proposal, or portions of the proposal, is exempt from requirements of the Regulatory Fairness Act because the proposal:

Is exempt under RCW 19.85.025(3) as the rules only correct typographical errors, make address or name changes, or clarify language of a rule without changing its effect.

Scope of exemption for rule proposal:

The proposed rule does not impose more-than-minor costs on businesses. Following is a summary of the agency's analysis showing how costs were calculated. [No information supplied by agency.]

Legislative and Rules Manager

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 09-11-093, filed 5/18/09, effective 7/1/09)

WAC 230-15-320Surveillance room requirements for house-banked card game licensees.

House-banked card game licensees must maintain one or more surveillance rooms. They must:

(1) Control access to the surveillance room so that only surveillance department employees use the room. Owners or their approved supervisory or management personnel may also enter the surveillance room to monitor activities. Licensees may allow authorized personnel to escort any other person into the surveillance room for educational, investigative, or maintenance purposes; and

(2) Ensure that surveillance room entrances are not easily observed from the gambling floor; and

(3) Ensure that a surveillance employee is present in the room and monitoring activities using the equipment any time the card room is conducting gambling and during the count process. However, subject to subsection (4) of this section, licensees may operate the surveillance room without staff:

(a) For routine breaks that are less than ((thirty))30 minutes per shift; or

(b) When only nonhouse-banked card games are operated with wager limits of ((forty dollars))$40 or less and such limits are documented in their internal controls.

(4) Ensure that any time a winning wager, a jackpot, or bonus pay out greater than ((three thousand dollars))$5,000 is won, they use pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras to verify:

(a) Winning hands; and

(b) Amounts of the wager; and

(d) Players who won the prize.