S-4404

WHEREAS, Legalized forms of gambling in Washington state have proliferated over the last ten years; and

WHEREAS, Neighboring states and Canadian provinces have also recently expanded legalized forms of gambling and are expected to continue to do so in the coming years; and

WHEREAS, The various segments of the gambling industry in this state, including lottery, horse racing, tribal casino gaming, bingo, raffles, casino nights, commercial card rooms, punchboards, and pull-tabs have reportedly begun to experience market challenges; and

WHEREAS, As a result of these challenges, there are frequent pressures to make changes in the nature and scope of gambling activities currently authorized in this state; and

WHEREAS, It is unclear what forces may be contributing to the challenges faced by the various segments of the gambling industry and most important, what, if anything, the state can do to address such challenges; and

WHEREAS, The executive branch and the legislative branch need to have a full understanding of what is occurring in the gambling industry in order to make appropriate public policy decisions regarding gambling in this state; and

WHEREAS, The state's public policy on gambling, in many respects, has not been clearly defined;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the State of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, That a gambling policy task force be established to examine:

(1) The current nature and scope of legalized gambling in the state and how these forms of gambling have developed and changed over time;

(2) The current tax structure of gambling activities in this state;

(3) The nature of compulsive or problem gambling and current efforts to address this social problem in this state;

(4) The current nature and scope of legalized gambling in neighboring states and Canadian provinces and the potential competitive impact such gambling has or will have on this state's gambling market;

(5) Current trends emerging across the United States and Canada in each segment of the gambling market and the potential impact of such trends on this state's gambling market;

(6) Recent state or federal court decisions and the potential impact these cases have on the future of gambling policy in this state; and

(7) The establishment of potential state-wide policies on gambling; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force consist of eleven voting members, including: The governor or the governor's designee; three members from the majority caucus and two members from the minority caucus of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate; at least one member from each caucus shall be a member of the Senate committee on labor and commerce; and three members from the majority caucus and two members from the minority caucus of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; at least one member from each caucus shall be a member of the House of Representatives committee on commerce and labor. In addition, the task force shall consist of the following nonvoting members: One representative each from the Washington state gambling commission, the Washington state horse racing commission, and the Washington state lottery commission; one representative of a recognized tribe in the state that operates legalized class III gaming in an urban area; one representative of a recognized tribe in the state that operates legalized class III gaming in a rural area; one representative of the commercial gaming industry; one representative of the charitable gaming industry; one representative of a horse racing association licensed by the state horse racing commission; and three members of the public. The nonvoting members shall be appointed by the governor, based on recommendations made by the Senate and the House of Representatives. The task force shall choose its chair and vice-chair from among its voting membership; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force is authorized to expend up to forty-nine thousand dollars to pay a consultant to gather the appropriate data needed to obtain a clear understanding of the gambling market in this state. The task force is also authorized to consult with individuals from the public and private sector who have expertise in the gambling industry in order to gain a clear understanding of gambling in this state; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force shall use legislative staff and facilities. All expenses of the task force, including travel, and the cost of a consultant shall be paid jointly by the Senate and the House of Representatives; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force report its findings and recommendations to the legislature by January 1, 1999; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force expires January 1, 1999.