Request for public comment

See proposed rules you can comment on and complete the form to do so.

The Commission is seeking public comment on the following proposed rule changes:

Public petitions received by the agency requesting a rule change in which the Commissioners have initiated rule-making proceedings.

Topic/WAC(s)

Description

Documents

WAC 230 Gambling Equipment

Current WAC rules do not specifically authorize self-dealing poker tables. This rules package would be necessary to authorize such tables.

Current rules require poker games to have a dealer responsible for conducting and supervising game functions, even when equipment is used to assist with tasks such as shuffling.

This rule package addresses new poker table technology that changes how hole cards are delivered. This rules package would not seek to eliminate the dealer as the dealer would still have the responsibility of overseeing the game. Creating new rules specific to equipment assisted card-delivery tables would help create a clearer and more consistent process for reviewing this type of equipment.

WSR 26-08-53

Rule Summary
WAC 230-15-320 Surveillance Room Requirements for House-Banked Card Game Licensees Higher wager limits of $400 have increased the frequency of prize payouts over $3,000.  The increased frequency of prize payouts at the $3,000 level has led to surveillance observers dedicating more of their time capturing the required information in WAC 230-15-320 and less time with other duties, such as overall monitoring and oversight of gambling operations. The increased frequency of prize payouts at the $3,000 level has also required the retaining of more surveillance video footage involving PTZ’s which take up more hard drive space on DVR’s. A rule change on this subject may be necessary to modernize rules for surveillance.

WSR 26-09-101

Rule Summary

Staff-initiated rule changes.

Topic/WAC(s)

Description

Documents
230-15-319 Retaining Video Recordings

The WSGC recently received a petition to amend WAC 230-15-320 to increase the prize threshold from $3,000 to $5,000 for when surveillance rooms are required to use pan-tilt-zoom cameras to verify specific activities at a gambling table. If the prize threshold in WAC 230-15-320 were increased to $5,000 and WAC 230-15-319 was also not increased to $5,000, this could cause confusion for house-banked card rooms and agents as far as what camera views they need to retain for thirty days.  For example, currently, WAC’s 230-15-319 and WAC 230-15-320 have the same triggering prize threshold, $3,000.  So, when a surveillance observer identifies a prize that meets this triggering threshold, they retain for thirty days the PTZ recording required to be captured by WAC 230-15-320 to meet the recording requirement in WAC 230-15-319.  The PTZ recording provides better coverage detail than the fixed camera view. 

If the PTZ recording of jackpot prizes in WAC 230-15-320 were raised to $5,000 and the recording requirement for recordings in WAC 230-15-319 remained at $3,000, there would be some situations where the surveillance observer would only retain for thirty days a table overview shot (fixed camera view) of a jackpot and not the PTZ.  For example, any prize between $3,000 and $4,999.

WSR 26-09-102

Rule Summary

Public Comment Guidelines (260 KB, PDF)

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