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11VAC5-90-170 Table games definitions and equipment

 

Poker rake chip" means a chip used by dealers to facilitate the collection of the rake in the poker room.

Comment: The omission of the term “poker rake chip” is deleted as same will not be used; only  value chips will be used as they can be more accurately accounted for at each table. The poker language should also be amended to delete any reference to “rake chips”

"Table inventory" means the chips, coins, or plaques used for the operation of a table game located in the table inventory container.

Comment: adds specificity

B. Gaming chips and promotional chips.

5. Promotional nongaming chips.

a. A facility operator may issue a promotional nongaming chip that:

(1) Is unique from an approved gaming chip and promotional chip in size or color and appearance;

D. Roulette chips.

3. The identifying characteristics required under subdivision 2 of this subsection shall be visible to surveillance employees using the facility's surveillance system and include:

b. A unique design, insert, or symbol that will permit a set of roulette chips being used at a particular roulette table to be distinguished from the roulette chips being used at another roulette table in the facility or each set of roulette chips will be of unique color and marking to prevent chips from one table being used at another table;

I. Plaques.

1. A plaque issued by a facility operator shall be a solid, one-piece object constructed entirely of plastic or other substance, and a plaque shall have at least six square inches of surface area per face :

a. Be square, rectangular, or elliptical in shape;

b. Have at least two, but not more than six, smooth, plane surfaces;

c. Have at least two faces opposite and parallel to each other and identical in shape.

K. Receipt, inventory, security, storage, and destruction of chips and plaques.

6. Destruction or Retirement.

8. A facility operator that permanently removes from use or replaces approved chips or tokens at its gaming establishment, or that ceases operating its gaming establishment whether because of closure or sale of the establishment or any other reason, must prepare a plan for redeeming discontinued chips and tokens that remain outstanding at the time of discontinuance. The facility operator must submit the plan in writing to the department not later than 30 days before the proposed removal, replacement, sale, or closure, unless the closure or other cause for discontinuance of the chips or tokens cannot reasonably be anticipated, in which event the licensee must submit the plan as soon as reasonably practicable. The department may approve the plan or require reasonable modifications as a condition of approval. Upon approval of the plan, the licensee shall implement the plan as approved.

Comment:  addressing the retirement of chips and as a side note, the numbering of this section may be off

L. Dice.

1. Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions 2 and 3 of this subsection, each die used in the play of table games shall:

a. Be formed in the shape of a perfect cube, with ball edge corners and of a size not smaller than 0.750 inch on each side nor any larger than 0.775 inch on each side, with a tolerance of plus or minus 0.005;

M. Receipt, storage, inspection, and removal of dice.

5. Envelopes and containers used to hold or transport dice must be:

(b) Designed or constructed with seals so that any tampering is evident  latches so that access or tampering is prevented during transportation through the gaming area; and

14. Destruction or cancellation of dice.

a. Other than those retained for department or facility operator inspection, destruction or cancellation of dice shall be completed within seven days of collection.

b. Cancellation shall be accomplished by drilling a circular hole of at least 1/4-inch in diameter through the center of the die or by clearly impressing a circle no less than ¼ inch on the four side of the die fully contained in the cellulose material.

a. A set of five dice used at a craps or mini-craps table shall be changed at least once every 24 hours after 25 hours or less of use.

b. A new set of dice shall be used:

15. Rotation and replacement of dice.

(1) When a craps or mini craps table is reopened for gaming;

(21) If a die goes off the table during play and is lost;

(32) If a die shows signs of tampering or alteration; or

(43) A die is otherwise marked, chipped, scratched, or no longer suitable for play.

O. Cards.

8. An entire deck of poker cards shall be replaced if any card in the deck shows signs of wear, damage, or any other markings that make the card unsuitable for use. At a minimum, all poker cards that have been in play for four months shall be replaced.

P. Receipt, storage, inspection, and removal of cards.

8. Envelopes and containers used to hold or transport cards shall be:

a. Transparent;

b. Designed or constructed with latches or seals so that any tampering is prevented or evident; and

9. Damaged cards.

(6) Tear the damaged card down the center, or cancel the card, and place it in a clear bag or container marked “Discard”. Face up un the replacement deck; and

(7) Return the remaining incomplete replacement deck to the pit stand and clearly mark the incomplete box “Replacement”.

d. At least once each gaming day, the personnel operating table games shall:

(1) Collect the replacement discarded cards and place the replacement remaining replacement card decks in an envelope or container;

14. Inspection of cards.

a.. The facility shall have adequate personnel on property trained and capable of inspecting cards from purposeful alteration.

 

b. Any cards removed from play will be segregated from those intended for cancellation or destruction.  The cards removed from play will be forwarded to the designated personnel for inspection.

 

c. Once cards have been inspected, the inspector will fill out a report outlining their conclusion and place a copy of the report in an envelope along with the card for a period of one year for later reference.  A copy of the report is forwarded to the General Manager, the head of surveillance and the Department.  The card and report are retained for future access by the compliance committee or internal audit.

 

d. At least once every three months, the inspectors shall remove ten decks of playing cards from those retained for cancellation or destruction for random inspection.  They will complete a report of the findings of their inspection and a copy of the report will be forwarded to the General Manager, the head of Surveillance and the Department.  The report will be retained for future access by the compliance committee or internal

When the envelopes or containers of used cards and reserve cards with broken seals are returned to the security department, the cards shall be inspected for tampering, marks, alterations, missing or additional cards, or anything that might indicate unfair play.

b. For cards used in blackjack, Spanish 21, baccarat, midibaccarat, or minibaccarat, the facility operator shall inspect:

(1) All decks used during the day; or

(2) If department has approved, as part of the facility's internal controls, the procedures for selecting the sample size and for ensuring a proper selection of the sample, a sample of decks selected at random or in accordance with an approved stratification plan.

c. The facility operator shall also inspect:

(1) A deck of cards that the department requested the facility operator to remove for the purpose of inspection;

(2) A deck of cards the facility operator removed for indication of tampering;

(3) All cards used for all banked table games other than the games listed in subdivision 14 b of this subsection; and

(4) All cards used for poker.

d. The procedures for inspecting all decks required to be inspected under this subsection shall include the:

(1) Sorting of cards sequentially by suit or utilizing a machine approved by the department capable of reading the cards to determine whether any deck contains missing or additional cards;

(2) Inspection of the backs with an ultraviolet light;

(3) Inspection of the sides of the cards for crimps, bends, cuts, or shaving; and

(4) Inspection of the front and back of all plastic cards for consistent shading and coloring.

e. If, during the inspection procedures required for cards used in poker, one or more of the cards in a deck are determined to be unsuitable for continued use, those cards shall be placed in a sealed envelope or container and a two-part Card Discrepancy Report shall be completed in accordance with subdivision 14 j of this subsection.

f. Upon completion of the inspection procedures required under subdivision 14 c of this subsection, each deck of cards used in poker that is determined suitable for continued use shall be placed in sequential order, repackaged, and returned to the approved or poker storage area for subsequent use.

g. The facility operator shall develop internal control procedures for returning the repackaged cards to the poker card inventory in accordance with subdivision 18 of this subsection.

h. An individual performing an inspection shall complete a work order form that details the procedures performed and lists the tables from which the cards were removed and the results of the inspection and shall sign the form upon completion of the inspection procedures.

i. The facility operator shall submit to the department the training procedures for the employees performing the inspections required under this subsection in its internal controls.

j. (1) Evidence of tampering, marks, alterations, missing, or additional cards or anything that might indicate unfair play discovered during an inspection, or at any other time shall be immediately reported to department staff by the completion and delivery of a two-part Card Discrepancy Report.

(2) The two-part report shall include the cards or decks of cards that are the subject of the report, and the cards or decks of cards shall be retained by department staff for further inspection.

(3) The department staff receiving the cards shall sign the original and duplicate copy of the Card Discrepancy Report and retain the original, and the facility operator shall retain the duplicate copy.

15. A facility operator shall submit to the department for approval internal control procedures for:

b. A daily continual reconciliation of the decks of cards distributed, destroyed, or canceled; returned to the storage area; and any decks of cards in the card reserve; and

16. Destruction or cancellation.

d. Cancellation of cards must be by drilling a circular hole of at least 1/4-inch in diameter through the center of each card in the deck or by obviously removing one corner of the deck at a 45 degree angle.

20. Card rotation. The facility operator shall change:

d. The decks of cards used in midibaccarat any baccarat game after the play of each dealing shoe if the player handles the cards; and

R. Pai gow tiles.

1. Pai gow shall be played with a set of 32 rectangular tiles.

2. Each tile in a set must be identical in size and shading to every other tile in the set and shall:

a. Be made of a nontransparent black material, formed in the shape of a rectangle, and be not smaller than 2-1/2 inches in length, 1-inch in width, and 3/8-inch in thickness;

b. Have the surface of each of its sides perfectly flat, except that the front side of each tile must contain spots that extend into the tile exactly the same distance as every other spot;

c. Have on the back or front of each tile an identifying feature unique to each facility operator;

S. Receipt, storage, inspection, and removal of pai gow tiles.

5. Envelopes and containers used to hold or transport tiles shall be:

a. Transparent;

b. Designed or constructed with latches or seals to prevent access so that any tampering is evident; and

11. At the end of each gaming day or in the alternative, at least once each gaming day, as designated by the facility operator and approved by the department, and at other times as may be necessary:

a. A security department employee shall collect and sign all env elopes or containers with damaged tiles, tiles used during the gaming day, and all extra tiles in the reserve that have been opened, and return the envelopes or containers to a secure storage to await inspection the security department; and

U. Dealer controlled electronic table game system procedures.

4. After a player has cashed out of a dealer controlled electronic table game system, the player’s electronic fund display must be zeroed out. Dealer or boxperson shall zero out the electronis fund display of the player’s game account

5. A dealer controlled electronic table game shall have no more than 50 table game positions in operation for each dealer.

11VAC5-90-180 Table games procedures

K. Match play coupons and direct bet coupons.

9. Upon receipt of the requisition document, the accounting department supervisor shall record in the coupon ledger the following information before issuing the coupons to the marketing department supervisor:

a. The beginning and ending serial number of the for coupons having a retail value in excess of twenty dollars to be issued

T. Game rules; notice; wagers.

3. A facility operator may increase or decrease the permissible maximum wager or decrease the permissible minimum wager at a table game:

b. While players are playing the game, if the facility operator:

(1) Provides at least 30 ten (10) minutes advance notice of the change;