Section 120. Suppliers of charitable gaming supplies: application, qualifications, suspension, revocation or refusal to renew permit, maintenance, and production..

Part III. Suppliers

A. Prior to providing any charitable gaming supplies, a supplier shall submit an application on a form prescribed by the department and receive a permit. A $1,000 application fee payable to the Treasurer of Virginia is required. In addition, a supplier must be authorized to conduct business in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which may include, but not be limited to, registration with the State Corporation Commission, the Department of Taxation, and the Virginia Employment Commission. The actual cost of background investigations for a permit may be billed by the department to an applicant.

B. The department may refuse to issue a permit or may suspend or revoke a permit if an officer, director, employee, agent, or owner:

1. Is operating without a valid license, permit, or certificate as a supplier, network bingo provider, or manufacturer in any state in the United States;

2. Fails or refuses to recall a product as directed by the department;

3. Conducts business with unauthorized entities or is not authorized to conduct business in the Commonwealth of Virginia;

4. Has been convicted of or pleaded nolo contendere to any crime as specified by § 18.2-340.34 B of the Code of Virginia; has had any license, permit, certificate, or other authority related to activities defined as charitable gaming in the Commonwealth suspended or revoked in the Commonwealth or in any other jurisdiction; has failed to file or has been delinquent in excess of one year in the filing of any tax returns or the payment of any taxes due the Commonwealth; or has failed to establish a registered office or registered agent in the Commonwealth if so required by § 13.1-634 or 13.1-763 of the Code of Virginia. As this provision relates to employees or agents, it shall only apply to individuals involved in sales to or solicitations of customers in the Commonwealth of Virginia;

5. Fails to notify the department within 20 days of the occurrence, knowledge, or receipt of the filing of any administrative or legal action relating to charitable gaming or the distribution of charitable gaming supplies involving or concerning the supplier, any officers or directors, employees, agent, or owner during the term of its permit;

6. Fails to provide to the department upon request a current Letter for Company Registration on file with the U.S. Department of Justice, if required in accordance with the Gambling Devices Act of 1962 (15 USC 1171-1178) for any device that it sells, distributes, services, or maintains in the Commonwealth of Virginia; or

7. Has been engaged in conduct that would compromise the department's objective of maintaining the highest level of integrity in charitable gaming.

C. A supplier shall not sell, offer to sell, or otherwise provide charitable gaming supplies for use by anyone in the Commonwealth of Virginia other than to an organization with a permit from the department or another permitted supplier. However, a supplier may:

1. Sell charitable gaming supplies to an organization that expects to gross the amount set forth in § 18.2-340.23 of the Code of Virginia or less in any 12-month period, providing that the amount of such purchase would not be reasonably expected to produce more than the amount set forth in § 18.2-340.23 of the Code of Virginia in gross sales. For each such organization, the supplier shall maintain the name, address, and telephone number. The supplier shall also obtain a written and signed statement from an officer or game manager of such organization confirming that gross receipts are expected to be the amount set forth in § 18.2-340.23 of the Code of Virginia or less. Such statement shall be dated and kept on file for a minimum of three years from the close of a fiscal year.

2. Sell bingo cards and paper to persons or entities other than qualified organizations provided such supplies shall not be sold or otherwise provided for use in charitable gaming activities regulated by the department or in unlawful gambling activities. For each such sale, the supplier shall maintain the name, address, and telephone number of the purchaser. The supplier shall also obtain a written statement from the purchaser verifying that such supplies will not be used in charitable gaming or any unlawful gambling activity. Such statement shall be dated and kept on file for a minimum of three years from the close of a fiscal year. Payment for such sales in excess of $50 shall be accepted in the form of a check.

3. Sell pull-tabs, seal cards, and electronic pull-tabs to organizations for use only upon the premises owned or exclusively leased by the organization and at such times as the portion of the premises in which the pull-tabs, seal cards, or electronic pull-tabs are sold is open only to members and their guests as authorized by § 18.2-340.26:1 of the Code of Virginia. Each such sale shall be accounted for separately and the accompanying invoice shall be clearly marked: "For Use in Social Quarters Only."

All such sales shall be documented pursuant to subsection H of this section and reported to the department pursuant to subsection J of this section. This provision shall not apply to the sale to landlords of equipment and video systems as defined in this chapter.

D. A supplier shall not sell, offer to sell, or otherwise provide charitable gaming supplies to any individual or organization in the Commonwealth of Virginia unless the charitable gaming supplies are purchased or obtained from a manufacturer or another permitted supplier. Suppliers may take back for credit and resell supplies received from an organization with a permit that has ceased charitable gaming or is returning supplies not needed.

E. No supplier, supplier's agent, or employee may be involved in the management, operation, or conduct of charitable gaming in the Commonwealth of Virginia. No member of a supplier's immediate family or person residing in the same household as a supplier may be involved in the management, operation, or conduct of charitable gaming of any customer of the supplier in the Commonwealth of Virginia. No supplier, supplier's agent, or employee may participate in any charitable gaming of any customer of the supplier in the Commonwealth of Virginia. For the purposes of this regulation, servicing of electronic bingo devices or electronic pull-tab devices shall not be considered conduct or participation.

F. The department shall conduct a background investigation prior to the issuance of a permit to any supplier. The investigation may include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

1. A search of criminal history on all officers, directors, and owners; and

2. Verification of current compliance with Commonwealth of Virginia tax laws.

If the officers, directors, or owners are domiciled outside of the Commonwealth of Virginia, or have resided in the Commonwealth of Virginia for fewer than five years, a criminal history search conducted by the appropriate authority in any state in which they have resided during the previous five years shall be provided by the applicant.

G. Appropriate information and authorizations shall be provided to the department to verify information cited in subsection F of this section.

H. Suppliers shall document each sale or rental of charitable gaming supplies to an organization in the Commonwealth of Virginia on an invoice, which reflects the following:

1. Name, address, and organization number of the organization;

2. Date of sale or rental and location where charitable gaming supplies are shipped if different from the billing address;

3. Name, form number, and serial number of each deal of instant bingo, pull-tabs, seal cards, electronic pull-tabs, or bundles and the quantity of cards in each deal;

4. Quantity of deals sold, the cost per deal, the selling price per card, the cash take-in per deal, and the cash payout per deal;

5. Serial number of the top sheet in each pack of disposable bingo paper, the quantity of sheets in each pack or pad, the cut and color, and the quantity of packs or pads sold;

6. Serial number for each series of uncollated bingo paper and the number of sheets sold;

7. Detailed information concerning the type, quantity, and individual price of any other charitable gaming supplies or related items including, but not limited to, concealed face bingo cards, hard cards, markers or daubers and refills, or any other merchandise. For concealed face bingo cards, the quantity of sets, price per set, and the serial number of each set shall be included;

8. Serial number of each electronic pull-tab device, a description of the physical attributes of the electronic pull-tab device, the quantity of electronic pull-tab devices sold or rented, and the physical address to which each electronic pull-tab device is shipped or delivered;

9. Serial number and description of any other equipment sold or rented that is used to facilitate the distribution, play, and redemption of electronic pull-tabs and the physical address to which the equipment is shipped or delivered; and

10. Any type of equipment, device, or product manufactured for or intended to be used in the conduct of charitable games including, but not limited to, designators, designator receptacles, number display boards, selection devices, dispensing machines, and verification devices.

I. Suppliers shall ensure that two copies of the detailed invoice are provided to the customer for each sale of charitable gaming supplies.

J. Each supplier shall provide a report to the department by March 1 of each year on sales of charitable gaming supplies for the fiscal year ending December 31 of the previous year to each organization in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This report shall be provided to the department via a department-approved electronic medium. The report shall include the name, address, and organization number of each organization and the following information for each sale or transaction:

1. Bingo paper sales including purchase price, description of paper to include quantity of sheets in pack and quantity of faces on sheet, and quantity of single sheets or packs shipped;

2. Deals of instant bingo, pull-tabs, seal cards, electronic pull-tabs, or any other raffle sales including purchase price, deal name, deal form number, quantity of tickets in deal, ticket price, cash take-in per deal, cash payout per deal, and quantity of deals;

3. Electronic bingo device sales including purchase or rental price and quantity of units;

4. Equipment used to facilitate the distribution, play, and redemption of electronic pull-tabs including purchase or rental price, description of equipment, quantity of units of each type of equipment, and the physical address to which the equipment is shipped or delivered; and

5. Sales of miscellaneous items such as daubers, markers, and other merchandise including purchase price, description of product, and quantity of units.

K. The department shall set manufacturing and testing criteria for all electronic bingo devices and other equipment used in the conduct of charitable gaming. An electronic bingo device shall not be sold, leased, or otherwise furnished to any person in the Commonwealth of Virginia for use in the conduct of charitable gaming until an identical sample device containing identical proprietary software has been certified by a testing facility that has been formally recognized by the department as a testing facility that upholds the standards of integrity established by the department. The testing facility must certify that the device conforms, at a minimum, to the restrictions and conditions set forth in these regulations. Once the testing facility reports the test results to the department, the department will either approve or disapprove the submission and inform the manufacturer of the results. If any such equipment does not meet the department's criteria, it shall be recalled and shall not be distributed in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The cost of testing shall be borne by the manufacturer of such equipment.

L. Department employees shall have the right to inspect all electronic and mechanical equipment used in the conduct of charitable gaming.

M. Suppliers, their agents and employees, members of the supplier's immediate family, or persons residing in their household shall not make any loan directly or indirectly to any organization or officer, director, game manager, or entity involved in the management, operation, or conduct of charitable gaming of a supplier's customer located in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

N. No supplier, supplier's agent, or employee shall directly or indirectly provide a rebate, discount, or refund to any person other than an organization that purchases supplies or leases or purchases equipment from the supplier. All such transactions shall be recorded on the supplier's account books.

O. A supplier shall not rent, sell, or otherwise provide electronic bingo devices or equipment used to distribute, play, or redeem electronic pull-tabs unless the supplier possesses a valid permit in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

P. A written agreement specifying the terms of lease or rental shall be required for any electronic bingo devices or equipment used to distribute, play, or redeem electronic pull-tabs provided to an organization.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 29, Issue 03, eff. November 7, 2012; amended, Virginia Register Volume 33, Issue 04, eff. November 17, 2016.

Statutory Authority

§ 18.2-340.15 of the Code of Virginia.