2014 -- S 3013

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LC005611

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- VIDEO LOTTERY TERMINAL

     

     Introduced By: Senator Maryellen Goodwin

     Date Introduced: May 15, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. The general assembly hereby finds that:

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     (1) The state of Rhode Island operates table games at the Twin River facility ("Twin

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River") located in the town of Lincoln pursuant to § 42-61.2-2.1 and electoral approval in

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accordance with Article VI, Section 22 of the Rhode Island Constitution. The state of Rhode

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Island also operates video lottery games at Twin River pursuant to § 42-61.2-2.2.

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     (2) It is imperative that legislative action be taken to preserve and protect the state's

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ability to maximize revenues at Twin River in an increasingly competitive gaming market by

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expanding critical revenue-driving programs.

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     (3) The extension of credit to table game and video lottery players (collectively, "players"

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or "patrons") is a vital customer service function that facilitates a gaming program's long-term

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success.

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     (4) It is the intent of the general assembly to authorize the establishment of a program for

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the extension of credit to players at Twin River pursuant to the terms and conditions hereof and

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the rules and regulations submitted by Twin River and approved and promulgated by the division

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of lotteries.

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     SECTION 2. Section 42-61.2-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-61.2 entitled "Video

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Lottery Terminal" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     42-61.2-1. Definitions. [Effective June 30, 2009.] -- For the purpose of this chapter, the

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following words shall mean:

 

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      (1) "Central communication system" means a system approved by the lottery division,

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linking all video lottery machines at a licensee location to provide auditing program information

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and any other information determined by the lottery. In addition, the central communications

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system must provide all computer hardware and related software necessary for the establishment

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and implementation of a comprehensive system as required by the division. The central

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communications licensee may provide a maximum of fifty percent (50%) of the video lottery

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terminals.

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      (2) "Licensed video lottery retailer" means a pari-mutuel licensee specifically licensed

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by the director subject to the approval of the division to become a licensed video lottery retailer.

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      (3) "Net terminal income" means currency placed into a video lottery terminal less

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credits redeemed for cash by players.

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      (4) "Pari-mutuel licensee" means an entity licensed and authorized to conduct:

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      (i) Dog racing, pursuant to chapter 3.1 of title 41; and/or

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      (ii) Jai-alai games, pursuant to chapter 7 of title 41.

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      (5) "Technology provider" means any individual, partnership, corporation, or association

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that designs, manufactures, installs, maintains, distributes or supplies video lottery machines or

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associated equipment for the sale or use in this state.

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      (6) "Video lottery games" means lottery games played on video lottery terminals

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controlled by the lottery division.

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      (7) "Video lottery terminal" means any electronic computerized video game machine

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that, upon the insertion of cash or any other representation of value that has been approved by the

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division of lotteries, is available to play a video game authorized by the lottery division, and

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which uses a video display and microprocessors in which, by chance, the player may receive free

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games or credits that can be redeemed for cash. The term does not include a machine that directly

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dispenses coins, cash, or tokens.

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      (8) "Casino gaming" means any and all table and casino-style games played with cards,

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dice or equipment, for money, credit, or any representative of value; including, but not limited to

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roulette, blackjack, big six, craps, poker, baccarat, paigow, any banking or percentage game, or

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any other game of device included within the definition of Class III gaming as that term is

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defined in Section 2703(8) of Title 25 of the United States Code and which is approved by the

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state through the division of state lottery.

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      (9) "Net Table Game Revenue" means win from Table Games minus counterfeit

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currency.

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      (10) "Rake" means a set fee or percentage of cash and chips representing cash wagered

 

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in the playing of a nonbanking Table Game assessed by a Table Game Retailer for providing the

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services of a dealer, gaming table or location, to allow the play of any nonbanking Table Game.

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      (11) "Table Game" or "Table Gaming" means that type of Casino Gaming in which table

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games are played for cash or chips representing cash or any other representation of value that has

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been approved by the division of lotteries, using cards, dice or equipment and conducted by one

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or more live persons.

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      (12) "Table Game Retailer" means a retailer authorized to conduct Table Gaming

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pursuant to sections 42-61.2-2.1 and 42-61.2-2.2 of the Rhode Island General Laws.

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     (13) "Credit facilitator" means any employee of Twin River approved in writing by the

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division whose responsibility is to, among other things, review applications for credit by players,

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verify information on credit applications, grant, deny and suspend credit, establish credit limits,

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increase and decrease credit limits, and maintain credit files, all in accordance with this chapter

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and rules and regulations approved by the division.

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     SECTION 3. Chapter 42-61.2 of the General Laws entitled "Video Lottery Terminal" is

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hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     42-61.2-3.2. Gaming credit authorized. – (a) Authority. In addition to the powers and

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duties of the state lottery director under §§ 42-61-4, 42-61.2-3, 42-61.2-3.1 and 42-61.2-4, the

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division shall authorize Twin River to extend credit to players pursuant to the terms and

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conditions of this chapter.

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     (b) Credit. Notwithstanding any provision of the general laws to the contrary, including

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without limitation §11-19-17, except for applicable licensing laws and regulations, Twin River

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may extend interest-free, unsecured credit to its patrons for the sole purpose of such patrons

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making wagers at table games and/or video lottery terminals at the Twin River facility, subject to

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the terms and conditions of this chapter.

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     (c) Regulations. Within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this section, Twin River

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shall submit to the division of lotteries for review and approval proposed rules and regulations

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regarding to the establishment of procedures governing a program for the extension of credit, and

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requirements with respect to a credit applicant's financial fitness, including, without limitation,

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annual income, debt-to-income ratio, prior credit history, average monthly bank balance and/or

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level of play. The division of lotteries may approve, approve with modification or disapprove any

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portion of the policies and procedures submitted for review and approval.

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     (d) Credit applications. Each applicant for credit shall submit a written application to

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Twin River, which shall be maintained by Twin River for three (3) years in a confidential credit

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file. The application shall include the patron's name, address, telephone number, social security

 

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number and comprehensive bank account information, the requested credit limit, the patron's

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approximate amount of current indebtedness, the amount and source of income in support of the

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application, the patron's signature on the application, a certification of truthfulness and any other

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information deemed relevant by Twin River or the division of lotteries.

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     (e) Credit application verification. As part of the review of a credit application and before

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an application for credit is approved, Twin River shall verify:

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     (1) The identity, creditworthiness and indebtedness information of the applicant by

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conducting a comprehensive review of:

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     (i) The information submitted with the application;

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     (ii) Indebtedness information regarding the applicant received from a credit bureau;

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and/or

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     (iii) Information regarding the applicant's credit activity at other licensed facilities which

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Twin River may obtain through a casino credit bureau and, if appropriate, through direct contact

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with other casinos.

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     (2) That the applicant's name is not included on an exclusion or self-exclusion list

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maintained by Twin River and/or the division of lotteries.

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     (3) As part of the credit application, Twin River shall notify each applicant in advance

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that Twin River will verify the information in subsections (1) and (2) of this section and may

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verify any other information provided by the applicant as part of the credit application. The

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applicant is required to acknowledge in writing that he or she understands that the verification

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process will be conducted as part of the application process and that he or she consents to having

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said verification process conducted.

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     (f) Establishment of credit. After a review of the credit application and upon completion

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of the verification required under subsection (e) of this section, and subject to the rules and

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regulations approved by the division of lotteries, a credit facilitator may approve or deny an

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application for credit to a player. The credit facilitator shall establish a credit limit for each patron

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to whom credit is granted. The approval or denial of credit shall be recorded in the applicant's

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credit file which shall also include the information that was verified as part of the review process,

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and the reasons and information relied on by the credit facilitator in approving or denying the

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extension of credit and determining the credit limit. Subject to the rules and regulations approved

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by the division of lotteries, increases to an individual's credit limit may be approved by a credit

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facilitator upon receipt of written request from the player after a review of updated financial

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information requested by the credit facilitator and re-verification of the player's credit

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information.

 

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     (g) Recordkeeping. Detailed information pertaining to all transactions affecting an

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individual's outstanding indebtedness to Twin River shall be recorded in chronological order in

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the individual's credit file. The financial information in an application for credit and documents

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related thereto shall be confidential. All credit application files shall be maintained by Twin River

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in a secure manner and shall not be accessible to anyone that is not a credit facilitator or a Twin

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River manager or officer responsible for the oversight of the extension of credit program.

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     (h) Reduction or suspension of credit. A credit facilitator may reduce a player's credit

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limit or suspend his or her credit to the extent permitted by the rules and regulations approved by

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the division of lotteries, and shall reduce a player's credit limit or suspend a player's credit limit as

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required by said rules and regulations.

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     (i) Voluntary credit suspension. A player may request that Twin River suspend or reduce

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his or her credit. Upon receipt of a written request to do so, the player's credit shall be reduced or

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suspended as requested. A copy of the request and the action taken by the credit facilitator shall

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be placed in the player's credit application file.

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     (j) Liability. In the event that a player fails to repay a debt owed to Twin River resulting

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from the extension of credit by Twin River, neither the state of Rhode Island nor the division of

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lotteries shall be responsible for the loss and said loss shall not affect Net Table Game Revenue

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or Net Terminal Income. Twin River, the state of Rhode Island, the division of lotteries, and/or

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any employee of Twin River, shall not be liable in any judicial or administrative proceeding to

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any player, any individual or any other party, including table game patrons or individuals on the

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voluntary suspension list, for any harm, monetary or otherwise, which may arise as a result of:

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     (1) Granting or denial of credit to play table games;

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     (2) Increasing the credit limit of a table game player;

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     (3) Allowing a player to exercise his or her right to use credit as otherwise authorized;

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     (4) Failure of Twin River to increase a credit limit;

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     (5) Failure of Twin River to restore credit privileges that have been suspended whether

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involuntarily or at the request of the table game patron; or

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     (6) Permitting or prohibiting an individual whose credit privileges have been suspended

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whether involuntarily or at the request of the player to engage in gaming activity in a licensed

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facility while on the voluntary credit suspension list.

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     (k) Limitations. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, for any extensions

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of credit, the maximum amount of outstanding credit per player shall be seventy-five thousand

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dollars ($75,000).

 

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     SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC005611

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- VIDEO LOTTERY TERMINAL

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     This act would authorize the extension of credit to players at the Twin River gaming

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facility, and would establish the statutory guidelines governing such extension of credit.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC005611

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