Bill Text: NY A09049 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Allows certain interactive poker games be considered games of skill rather than games of luck; includes definitions, authorization, required safeguards and minimum standards, the scope of licensing review and state tax implications; makes corresponding penal law amendments.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-06-09 - print number 9049b [A09049 Detail]
Download: New_York-2015-A09049-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9049--B IN ASSEMBLY January 19, 2016 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Racing and Wagering -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- again reported from said committee with amendments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law and the penal law, in relation to allowing certain interactive poker games The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law is 2 amended by adding a new article 14 to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 14 4 INTERACTIVE GAMING 5 Section 1400. Legislative findings and purpose. 6 1401. Definitions. 7 1402. Authorization. 8 1403. Required safeguards/minimum standards. 9 1404. Scope of licensing review. 10 1405. State tax. 11 § 1400. Legislative findings and purpose. The legislature hereby finds 12 and declares that: 1. Under the New York penal law a person engages in 13 gambling when he or she stakes or risks something of value upon the 14 outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under 15 his or her control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that 16 he or she will receive something of value in the event of a certain 17 outcome. 18 2. A contest of chance is defined as any contest, game, gaming scheme 19 or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon 20 an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contestants may 21 also be a factor therein. (Subdivision 1 of section 225.00 of the penal 22 law). Thus, games of chance may involve some skill, but in those games 23 the level of skill does not determine the outcome regardless of the 24 degree of skill employed. See People v. Turner, 165 Misc. 2d 222, 224, 25 629 N.Y.S.2d 661, 662 (Crim. Ct. 1995). On the other hand, where a EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD02917-13-6A. 9049--B 2 1 contest pits the skill levels of the players against each other, New 2 York courts have found a game to be one of skill rather than chance. See 3 People v. Hunt, 162 Misc. 2d 70, 72, 616 N.Y.S.2d 168, 170 (Crim. Ct. 4 1994) ("Played fairly, skill rather than chance is the material compo- 5 nent of three-card monte."); 6 3. Poker in many instances has been defined as a game of skill and a 7 New York federal court in U.S. v. DiCristina, 886 F. Supp. 2d 164, 224, 8 assessed that under federal law poker was predominantly a game of skill; 9 4. New York courts have interpreted New York law to apply a more 10 rigorous test in identifying a "contest of chance" than is applied by 11 most states in this nation and the courts have found that where a 12 contest pits the skill levels of the players against each other, those 13 games are games of skill and not games of chance. Furthermore, the 14 courts have not limited the legislature's ability to determine that 15 certain forms of poker should fall outside the general definition of 16 gambling since those games are games of skill; 17 5. Texas Hold'em poker involves two cards dealt face down to each 18 player and then five community cards placed face-up by the dealer, a 19 series of three, then two additional single cards, with players deter- 20 mining whether to check, bet, raise or fold after each deal. Omaha 21 Hold'em poker is a similar game, in which each player is dealt four 22 cards and makes his or her best hand using exactly two of them, plus 23 exactly three of the five community cards. These games are considered to 24 be complex forms of poker which involve player strategy and decision- 25 making and which pit the skill levels of the players against each other. 26 As games of skill, these forms of poker do not fall under the definition 27 of gambling as prohibited by the penal law; and 28 6. The legislature further finds that as the internet has become an 29 integral part of society, and internet poker a major form of enter- 30 tainment for many consumers, any interactive gaming enforcement and 31 regulatory structure must begin from the bedrock premise that partic- 32 ipation in a lawful and licensed gaming industry is a privilege and not 33 a right, and that regulatory oversight is intended to safeguard the 34 integrity of the games and participants and to ensure accountability and 35 the public trust. 36 § 1401. Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms 37 shall have the following meanings: 38 1. "Authorized game" means Omaha Hold'em and Texas Hold'em poker, as 39 well as any other poker game that the commission determines is the mate- 40 rial equivalent of either of those, whether in a cash game or tourna- 41 ment. 42 2. "Authorized participants" means persons who are either physically 43 present in this state when placing a wager or who otherwise are permit- 44 ted by applicable law, as determined by the commission, to place a 45 wager. The intermediate routing of electronic data in connection with 46 interactive gaming shall not determine the location or locations in 47 which a wager is initiated, received or otherwise made. 48 3. "Core function" means any of the following: (a) the management, 49 administration or control of wagers on interactive gaming; (b) the 50 management, administration or control of the games with which those 51 wagers are associated; or (c) the development, maintenance, provision or 52 operation of an interactive gaming platform. 53 4. "Commission" means the New York state gaming commission. 54 5. "Division" means the division of gaming, established under para- 55 graph (c) of subdivision two of section one hundred three of this chap- 56 ter.A. 9049--B 3 1 6. "Interactive gaming" means the conduct of games through the use of 2 the internet or other communications technology that allows a person, 3 utilizing money, checks, electronic checks, electronic transfers of 4 money, credit cards, debit cards or any other instrumentality, to trans- 5 mit to a computer information to assist in the placing of a wager and 6 corresponding information related to the display of the game, game 7 outcomes or other similar information. The term does not include the 8 conduct of (a) non-gambling games that do not otherwise require a 9 license under state or federal law; or (b) games that occur entirely 10 among participants who are located on a licensed casino premises. For 11 purposes of this provision, "communications technology" means any method 12 used and the components employed by an establishment to facilitate the 13 transmission of information, including, without limitation, transmission 14 and reception by systems based on wire, cable, radio, microwave, light, 15 optics or computer data networks, including, without limitation, the 16 internet and intranets. 17 7. "Interactive gaming gross revenue" means the total of all sums paid 18 to a licensee from interactive gaming involving authorized participants, 19 less only the total of all sums paid out as winnings to patrons and 20 promotional gaming credits; provided, however, that the cash equivalent 21 value of any merchandise or other non-cash thing of value included in a 22 contest or tournament shall not be included in the total of all sums 23 paid out as winnings to players for purposes of determining interactive 24 gaming gross revenue. 25 (a) Neither amounts deposited with a licensee for purposes of interac- 26 tive gaming nor amounts taken in fraudulent acts perpetrated against a 27 licensee for which the licensee is not reimbursed shall be considered to 28 have been "paid" to the licensee for purposes of calculating interactive 29 gaming gross revenue. 30 (b) "Promotional gaming credit" includes bonuses, promotions and any 31 amount received by a licensee from a patron for which the licensee can 32 demonstrate that it or its affiliate has not received cash. 33 8. "Interactive gaming platform" means the combination of hardware, 34 software and data networks used to manage, administer or control wagers 35 on interactive gaming or the games with which those wagers are associ- 36 ated. 37 9. "Internet" means a computer network of interoperable packet- 38 switched data networks. 39 10. "Licensee" means a person who is licensed by the commission to 40 offer interactive gaming, using an interactive gaming platform to 41 authorized participants. A licensee may utilize multiple interactive 42 gaming platforms provided that each platform is approved by the commis- 43 sion. 44 11. "Omaha Hold'em poker" means the poker game marketed as Omaha 45 Hold'em poker or Omaha poker in which each player is dealt four cards 46 and must make his or her best hand using exactly two of them, plus 47 exactly three of the five community cards. 48 12. "Significant vendor" means any person who offers or who proposes 49 to offer any of the following services with respect to interactive 50 gaming: (a) a core function; (b) sale, licensing or other receipt of 51 compensation for selling or licensing a database or customer list of 52 individuals residing in the United States selected in whole or in part 53 because they placed wagers or participated in gambling games with or 54 through an internet website or operator (or any derivative of such a 55 database or customer list); (c) provision of any trademark, tradename, 56 service mark or similar intellectual property under which a licensee orA. 9049--B 4 1 significant vendor identifies interactive games to customers; or (d) 2 provision of any product, service or asset to a licensee or significant 3 vendor in return for a percentage of interactive gaming revenue (not 4 including fees to financial institutions and payment providers for 5 facilitating a deposit or withdrawal by an authorized participant). The 6 term "significant vendor" shall not include a provider of goods or 7 services to a licensee that are not specifically designed for use and 8 not principally used in connection with interactive gaming. 9 13. "Texas Hold'em poker" means the type of poker marketed as Texas 10 Hold'em poker that involves two cards being dealt face down to each 11 player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer, 12 a series of three then two additional single cards, with players having 13 the option to check, bet, raise or fold after each deal. 14 § 1402. Authorization. 1. The commission shall, within one hundred 15 eighty days of the date this article becomes law, promulgate regulations 16 to implement interactive gaming in this state and shall authorize up to 17 eleven licenses to operate interactive gaming involving authorized 18 participants, subject to the provisions of this article and other appli- 19 cable provisions of law. 20 2. Applicants eligible to apply for a license pursuant to this article 21 shall be those entities: 22 (a) licensed by the state pursuant to section sixteen hundred seven- 23 teen-a of the tax law to operate video lottery gaming and has experience 24 in the operation of interactive gaming by being licensed in a state with 25 comparable licensing requirements or guarantees acquisition of adequate 26 business competence and experience in the operation of interactive 27 gaming; or 28 (b) licensed by the state to operate a class III gaming facility 29 pursuant to article thirteen of this chapter and has experience in the 30 operation of interactive gaming by being licensed in a state with compa- 31 rable licensing requirements or guarantees acquisition of adequate busi- 32 ness competence and experience in the operation of interactive gaming. 33 3. The commission shall, to the extent practicable, issue licenses to 34 multiple applicants no sooner than one hundred eighty days after the 35 promulgation of regulations in order to ensure a robust and competitive 36 market for consumers and to prevent early licensees from gaining an 37 unfair competitive advantage. 38 4. No person may operate, manage or make available an interactive 39 gaming platform or act as a significant vendor with respect to interac- 40 tive gaming that is offered to persons located in this state unless 41 licensed by the commission pursuant to this article and only those games 42 authorized by the commission shall be permitted. 43 5. License applicants may form a partnership, joint venture or other 44 contractual arrangement in order to facilitate the purposes of this 45 article. 46 6. Any person found suitable by the commission may be issued a license 47 as an operator or significant vendor pursuant to this article. In deter- 48 mining suitability, the commission shall consider those factors it deems 49 relevant in its discretion, including but not limited to: 50 (a) Whether the applicant is a person of good character, honesty and 51 integrity; 52 (b) Whether the applicant is person whose prior activities, criminal 53 record, if any, reputation, habits and associations do not: 54 (i) pose a threat to the public interest or to the effective regu- 55 lation and control of interactive gaming; orA. 9049--B 5 1 (ii) create or enhance the dangers of unsuitable, unfair or illegal 2 practices, methods and activities in the conduct of interactive gaming 3 or in the carrying on of the business and financial arrangements inci- 4 dental to such gaming; 5 (c) Whether the applicant is capable of and likely to conduct the 6 activities for which the applicant is licensed in accordance with the 7 provisions of this article, any regulations prescribed under this arti- 8 cle and all other applicable laws; 9 (d) Whether the applicant has or guarantees acquisition of adequate 10 business competence and experience in the operation of licensed gaming 11 or of interactive gaming in this state or in a state with comparable 12 licensing requirements; and 13 (e) Whether the applicant has or will obtain sufficient financing for 14 the nature of the proposed operation and from a suitable source. 15 7. The commission further shall develop standards by which to evaluate 16 and approve interactive gaming platforms for use with interactive 17 gaming. Interactive gaming platforms must be approved by the commission 18 before being used by a licensee or significant vendor to conduct inter- 19 active gaming in this state. 20 8. The commission shall require all licensees to pay a one-time fee of 21 ten million dollars. Such fee paid by each licensee shall be applied to 22 satisfy, in whole or in part, as applicable, that licensee's tax obli- 23 gation pursuant to section fourteen hundred five of this article in 24 sixty equal monthly installments, allocated to each of the first sixty 25 months of tax owed after the licensee has begun operating interactive 26 gaming pursuant to this article. No amounts not required to be used to 27 satisfy such tax obligation during that period shall be allocated to 28 payment of such tax obligation after that period. 29 9. Licenses issued by the commission shall remain in effect for ten 30 years. 31 10. The commission, by regulation, may authorize and promulgate any 32 rules necessary to implement agreements with other states, or authorized 33 agencies thereof (a) to enable patrons in those states to participate in 34 interactive gaming offered by licensees under this article or (b) to 35 enable patrons in this state to participate in interactive gaming 36 offered by licensees under the laws of those other states, provided that 37 such other state or authorized agency applies suitability standards and 38 review materially consistent with the provisions of this article. 39 11. Any regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision ten of this 40 section must set forth provisions that address: 41 (a) Any arrangements to share revenue between New York and any other 42 state or agency within another state; and 43 (b) Arrangements to ensure the integrity of interactive gaming offered 44 pursuant to any such agreement and the protection of patrons located in 45 this state. 46 12. The commission may delegate its responsibilities to administer the 47 provisions of this article to the division, as it sees fit, except for 48 its responsibilities to approve licenses. 49 § 1403. Required safeguards/minimum standards. The commission shall 50 require licensees to implement measures to meet the standards set out in 51 this section, along with such other standards that the commission in its 52 discretion may choose to require. 53 (a) Appropriate safeguards to ensure, to a reasonable degree of 54 certainty, that participants in interactive gaming are not younger than 55 twenty-one years of age.A. 9049--B 6 1 (b) Appropriate safeguards to ensure, to a reasonable degree of 2 certainty, that participants in interactive gaming are physically 3 located within the state or such other jurisdiction that the commission 4 has determined to be permissible. 5 (c) Appropriate safeguards to protect, to a reasonable degree of 6 certainty, the privacy and online security of participants in interac- 7 tive gaming. 8 (d) Appropriate safeguards to ensure, to a reasonable degree of 9 certainty, that the interactive gaming is fair and honest and that 10 appropriate measures are in place to deter, detect and, to the extent 11 reasonably possible, to prevent cheating, including collusion, and use 12 of cheating devices, including use of software programs (sometimes 13 referred to as "bots") that make bets or wagers according to algorithms. 14 (e) Appropriate safeguards to minimize compulsive gaming and to 15 provide notice to participants of resources to help problem gamblers. 16 (f) Appropriate safeguards to ensure participants' funds are held in 17 accounts segregated from the funds of licensees and otherwise are 18 protected from corporate insolvency, financial risk or criminal or civil 19 actions against the licensee. 20 § 1404. Scope of licensing review. 1. In connection with any license 21 issued pursuant to this article, the licensee, significant vendor or 22 applicant shall identify and the commission shall review the suitability 23 of such licensee's, significant vendor's or applicant's owner, chief 24 executive officer, chief financial officer and any other officer or 25 employee who the commission deems is significantly involved in the 26 management or control of the licensee, significant vendor or applicant 27 or of the interactive gaming platform. "Owner" for purposes of this 28 provision means any person who directly or indirectly holds any benefi- 29 cial or ownership interest in the applicant of five percent or greater 30 or any amount of ownership that the commission determines to be signif- 31 icant ownership of the licensee, significant vendor, or applicant. 32 2. Institutional investors are subject to the provisions set out in 33 this section. 34 (a) An institutional investor holding under twenty-five percent of the 35 equity securities of a licensee's or significant vendor's (or appli- 36 cant's) holding or intermediary companies, shall be granted a waiver of 37 any investigation of suitability or other requirement if such securities 38 are those of a corporation, whether publicly traded or privately held, 39 and its holdings of such securities were purchased for investment 40 purposes only and it files a certified statement to the effect that it 41 has no intention of influencing or affecting the affairs of the issuer, 42 the licensee (or significant vendor or applicant, as applicable) or its 43 holding or intermediary companies; provided, however, that it shall be 44 permitted to vote on matters put to the vote of the outstanding security 45 holders. The commission may grant such a waiver to an institutional 46 investor holding a higher percentage of such securities upon a showing 47 of good cause and if the conditions specified above are met. Any insti- 48 tutional investor granted a waiver under this paragraph which subse- 49 quently determines to influence or affect the affairs of the issuer 50 shall provide not less than thirty days' notice of such intent and shall 51 file with the commission a request for determination of suitability 52 before taking any action that may influence or affect the affairs of the 53 issuer; provided, however, that it shall be permitted to vote on matters 54 put to the vote of the outstanding security holders. If an institutional 55 investor changes its investment intent, or if the commission finds 56 reasonable cause to believe that the institutional investor may be foundA. 9049--B 7 1 unsuitable, no action other than divestiture shall be taken by such 2 investor with respect to its security holdings until there has been 3 compliance with any requirements established by the commission, which 4 may include the execution of a trust agreement. The licensee (or signif- 5 icant vendor or applicant, as applicable) and its relevant holding, 6 intermediary or subsidiary company shall notify the commission imme- 7 diately of any information about, or actions of, an institutional inves- 8 tor holding its equity securities where such information or action may 9 impact upon the eligibility of such institutional investor for a waiver 10 pursuant to this paragraph. 11 (b) If at any time the commission finds that an institutional investor 12 holding any security of a holding or intermediary company of a licensee 13 or significant vendor or applicant, or, where relevant, of another 14 subsidiary company of a holding or intermediary company of a licensee or 15 significant vendor or applicant which is related in any way to the 16 financing of the licensee or significant vendor or applicant, fails to 17 comply with the terms of paragraph (a) of this section, or if at any 18 time the commission finds that, by reason of the extent or nature of its 19 holdings, an institutional investor is in a position to exercise such a 20 substantial impact upon the controlling interests of a licensee or 21 significant vendor or applicant that investigation and determination of 22 suitability of the institutional investor is necessary to protect the 23 public interest, the commission may take any necessary action otherwise 24 authorized under this article to protect the public interest. 25 (c) For purposes of this section, an "institutional investor" shall 26 mean any retirement fund administered by a public agency for the exclu- 27 sive benefit of federal, state, or local public employees; investment 28 company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. § 29 80a-1 et seq.); collective investment trust organized by banks under 30 Part Nine of the Rules of the Comptroller of the Currency; closed end 31 investment trust; chartered or licensed life insurance company or prop- 32 erty and casualty insurance company; banking and other chartered or 33 licensed lending institution; investment advisor registered under The 34 Investment Advisors Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. § 80b-1 et seq.); and such 35 other persons as the commission may determine for reasons consistent 36 with the public interest. 37 § 1405. State tax. Licensees engaged in the business of conducting 38 interactive gaming pursuant to this article shall pay a privilege tax 39 based on the licensee's interactive gaming gross revenue at a fifteen 40 percent rate. 41 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 225.00 of the penal law is amended to 42 read as follows: 43 1. "Contest of chance" means any contest, game, gaming scheme or 44 gaming device in which the outcome depends [in a material degree] 45 predominantly upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of 46 the contestants may also be a factor therein. 47 § 3. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 225.36 to read 48 as follows: 49 § 225.36 Interactive gaming offenses and exceptions. 50 1. The knowing and willful offering of unlicensed interactive gaming 51 to persons in this state, or the knowing and willful provision of 52 services with respect thereto, shall constitute a gambling offense under 53 this article. 54 2. Licensed interactive gaming activities under section fourteen 55 hundred two of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law shall 56 not be a gambling offense under this article.A. 9049--B 8 1 3. A person offering unlicensed interactive gaming to persons in this 2 state shall be liable for all taxes set forth in section fourteen 3 hundred five of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law in the 4 same manner and amounts as if such person were a licensee. Timely 5 payment of such taxes shall not constitute a defense to any prosecution 6 or other proceeding in connection with the interactive gaming except for 7 a prosecution or proceeding alleging failure to make such payment. 8 § 4. Severability clause. If any provision of this act or application 9 thereof shall for any reason be adjudged by any court of competent 10 jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair, or 11 invalidate the remainder of the act, but shall be confined in its opera- 12 tion to the provision thereof directly involved in the controversy in 13 which the judgment shall have been rendered. 14 § 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 15 it shall have become a law.
