HOUSE BILL 331
54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2019
INTRODUCED BY
Patricio Ruiloba
AN ACT
RELATING TO GAMING; PROVIDING THAT HOURS USED FOR GAMING MACHINE MAINTENANCE OR TRAINING PURPOSES SHALL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE TIME LIMITATIONS FOR WHICH GAMING MACHINES MAY BE OPERATED; PROVIDING THAT GAMING MACHINES SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO CEASE OPERATION DUE TO THE UNAVAILABILITY OF THE GAMING CONTROL BOARD'S CENTRAL MONITORING SYSTEM; AMENDING SPECIFICATIONS FOR GAMING MACHINES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. Section 60-2E-27 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1997, Chapter 190, Section 29, as amended) is amended to read:
"60-2E-27. GAMING OPERATOR LICENSEES--SPECIAL CONDITIONS FOR RACETRACKS--NUMBER OF GAMING MACHINES--DAYS AND HOURS OF OPERATIONS.--
A. A racetrack licensed by the state racing commission pursuant to the Horse Racing Act to conduct live horse races or simulcast races may be issued a gaming operator's license to operate gaming machines on its premises where live racing is conducted.
B. A racetrack's gaming operator's license shall automatically become void if:
(1) the racetrack no longer holds an active license to conduct pari-mutuel wagering;
(2) the racetrack paid gaming tax to the state on its net take in an amount greater than eight million dollars ($8,000,000) in the prior fiscal year pursuant to Section 60-2E-47 NMSA 1978 and fails to maintain a minimum of four live race days a week with at least nine live races on each race day during its licensed race meet, except as provided in Subsection [F] G of this section; or
(3) the racetrack paid gaming tax to the state on its net take in an amount equal to eight million dollars ($8,000,000) or less in the prior fiscal year pursuant to Section 60-2E-47 NMSA 1978 and fails to maintain a minimum of three live race days a week with at least ten live races on each day during its licensed race meets, except as provided in Subsection [F] G of this section.
C. Unless a larger number is allowed pursuant to Subsection D of this section, a gaming operator licensee that is a racetrack may have up to six hundred licensed gaming machines.
D. By execution of an allocation agreement, signed by both the allocating racetrack and the racetrack to which the allocation is made, a gaming operator licensee that is a racetrack may allocate any number of its authorized gaming machines to another gaming operator licensee that is a racetrack. To be valid, the allocation agreement must bear the written approval of the board and the state racing commission, and this approval shall make specific reference to the meeting at which the action of approval was taken and the number of votes cast both for and against the approval. By allocating a number of its authorized machines to another racetrack, the allocating racetrack automatically surrenders all rights to operate the number of machines allocated. No racetrack shall operate or be authorized to operate more than seven hundred fifty gaming machines.
E. Gaming machines on a racetrack gaming operator licensee's premises may be played only on days when the racetrack is either conducting live horse races or simulcasting horse race meets. On days when gaming machines are permitted to be operated, a racetrack gaming operator licensee may offer gaming machines for operation for up to eighteen hours per day; provided that the total number of hours in which gaming machines are operated does not exceed one hundred twelve hours in a one-week period beginning on Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 8:00 a.m. on the following Tuesday; provided further that these limitations do not apply to time used for gaming machine maintenance or training purposes for staff. A racetrack gaming operator licensee may offer gaming machines for play at any time during a day; provided that the total hours of operation in each day from just after midnight of the previous day until midnight of the current day does not exceed eighteen hours. A racetrack gaming operator licensee shall determine, within the limitations imposed by this subsection, the hours it will offer gaming machines for operation each day and shall notify the board in writing of those hours.
F. A gaming operator licensee shall not be required to cease operation of gaming machines due to the unavailability of the board's central monitoring system; provided that the licensee's gaming machines are sufficiently monitored by a third party.
[F.] G. Maintaining fewer live race days or fewer live races on each race day during a licensed race meet does not constitute a failure to maintain the minimum number of live race days or races as required by Paragraphs (2) and (3) of Subsection B of this section if the licensee submits to the board written approval by the state racing commission for the licensee to vary the minimum number of live race days or races, and the variance is due to:
(1) the inability of a racetrack gaming operator licensee to fill races as published in the licensee's condition book as long as the same type of canceled race is run within the following two race weeks as the race season permits;
(2) severe weather or other act, event or occurrence resulting from natural forces;
(3) a strike or work stoppage by jockeys or other persons necessary to conduct a race or meet;
(4) a power outage, electrical failure or failure or unavailability of any equipment or supplies necessary to conduct a race or meet;
(5) hazardous conditions or other threats to the public health or safety; or
(6) any other act, event or occurrence that the board finds is not within the control of the licensee even with the exercise of reasonable diligence or care.
[G.] H. Alcoholic beverages shall not be sold, served, delivered or consumed in the area restricted pursuant to Subsection F of Section 60-2E-26 NMSA 1978."
SECTION 2. Section 60-2E-44 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1997, Chapter 190, Section 46, as amended) is amended to read:
"60-2E-44. MACHINE SPECIFICATIONS.--To be eligible for licensure, each gaming machine shall meet all specifications established by regulations of the board and:
A. be unable to be manipulated in a manner that affects the random probability of winning plays or in any other manner determined by the board to be undesirable;
B. have at least one mechanism that accepts coins or currency;
C. be capable of having play suspended through the central system by the executive director until [he] the executive director resets the gaming machine;
D. house nonresettable [mechanical and] electronic meters within a readily accessible locked area of the gaming machine that maintain a [permanent] record of all money inserted into the machine, all cash payouts of winnings, all refunds of winnings, all credits played for additional games and all credits won by players;
E. be capable of printing out, at the request of the executive director, readings on the electronic meters of the machine;
F. for machines that do not dispense coins or tokens directly to players, be capable of printing a ticket voucher stating the value of a cash prize won by the player at the completion of each game, the date and time of day the game was played in a twenty-four-hour format showing hours and minutes, the machine serial number, the sequential number of the ticket voucher and an encrypted validation number for determining the validity of a winning ticket voucher;
G. be capable of being linked to the board's central system for the purpose of being monitored continuously as required by the board;
H. provide for a payback value for each credit wagered, determined over time, of not less than eighty percent;
I. meet the standards and specifications set by laws or regulations of the states of Nevada and New Jersey for gaming machines, whichever are more stringent;
J. offer only games authorized and examined by the board; and
K. display the gaming machine license issued for that machine in an easily accessible place, before and during the time that a machine is available for use."
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