Title 58--RECREATION PENNSYLVANIA GAMING CONTROL BOARD [58 PA. CODE CH. 461b] Technical Standards [38 Pa.B. 354]
[Saturday, January 19, 2008]The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, at its December 18, 2007, public meeting, amended the technical standards concerning gaming vouchers.
The Board's regulations in § 461a.8(b) and (c) (relating to gaming vouchers) provide that design specifications for gaming vouchers and gaming voucher systems must be in compliance with the technical standards under § 461b.3 (relating to gaming vouchers). The existing technical standards require that gaming vouchers must expire within 180 days of the date of issuance.
There has been confusion amongst the slot machine licensees as to what to do with the winnings that these unredeemed vouchers represent after the expiration date of the gaming voucher. It is the position of the State Treasurer that Article XIII.I of The Fiscal Code (code) (72 P. S. § 1301.1--1301.28a) governs the disposition of expired gaming vouchers. The Board concurs with this position. However, the Board also believes that every effort should be made to allow the owner of the voucher to redeem an unredeemed voucher. Accordingly, the Board is amending the existing technical standards relating to gaming vouchers to eliminate the requirement that gaming vouchers expire. The technical standards are also being amended to require that the value of vouchers that have not been redeemed within 5 years be forwarded to the State Treasurer as required by Article XIII.I of the code.
Fiscal Impact
The amendment in this statement of policy provides guidance as to how gaming vouchers that are not redeemed are to be treated by the slot machine licensees. The amendment will have no significant fiscal impact on the slot machine licensees or the Commonwealth because the slot machine licensees already track unredeemed gaming vouchers and with the limited number of slot machine licensees, the State Treasurer's existing staff will be able to process the required reports.
Contact Person
The contact persons for questions about this statement of policy are Kevin Hayes, Director of Gaming Operations, (717) 214-9529 and Richard Sandusky, Director of Regulatory Review, (717) 214-8111.
Effective Date
This statement of policy will take effect December 18, 2007.
MARY DIGIACOMO COLLINS,
ChairpersonFiscal Note: 125-77. No fiscal impact; (8) recommends adoption.
(Editor's Note: Title 58 of the Pa. Code is amended by amending a statement of policy in § 461b.3 to read as set forth in Annex A, with ellipses referring to the existing text of the regulation.)
Annex A TITLE 58. RECREATION PART VII. GAMING CONTROL BOARD Subpart E. SLOT MACHINES AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT CHAPTER 461b. TECHNICAL STANDARDS--STATEMENT OF POLICY § 461b.3. Gaming vouchers.
(a) A gaming voucher may not expire. The value of gaming vouchers that have not been redeemed within 5 years of the date of issuance and a report containing the information required under subsection (b)(1)--(4) shall be forwarded to the State Treasurer as required under Article XIII.I of The Fiscal Code (72 P. S. §§ 1301.1--1301.28a) regarding the disposition of abandoned and unclaimed property.
* * * * * (d) Any system of internal controls over the issuance and redemption of gaming vouchers must provide for the following:
* * * * * (3) Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the slot machine licensee shall maintain an unredeemed gaming voucher record containing the information required in subsection (b)(1)--(5), for gaming vouchers that have been issued but not redeemed. The record shall be stored in the system for a period of time approved by the Board, which must be at least 5 years from the date of issuance of the gaming voucher, provided that:
(i) Any unredeemed gaming voucher record removed from the system after 5 years shall be stored and controlled in a manner approved by the Board.
* * * * * [Pa.B. Doc. No. 08-94. Filed for public inspection January 18, 2008, 9:00 a.m.]
