| distribute such a pull-tab bingo
ticket is effective immediately upon notice to the manufacturer by
the Commission. Upon receipt of such notice, the manufacturer must
immediately notify the distributor and the distributor must immediately
notify affected licensed authorized organizations to cease all use,
purchase, sale or other distribution of the disapproved pull-tab ticket.
The distributor must provide to the Commission, within 15 days of
the Commission's notice to the manufacturer, confirmation that the
distributor has notified the licensed authorized organization that
the pull-tab ticket has been disapproved and sale and use of the disapproved
ticket must cease immediately.
(2) If modified by the manufacturer all disapproved
pull-tab bingo tickets may be resubmitted to the Commission. No sale
of disapproved tickets will be allowed until the resubmitted tickets
have passed security testing by the Commission. At any time the manufacturer
may withdraw any disapproved pull-tab bingo tickets from further consideration.
(3) The Commission may disapprove a pull-tab bingo
game at any stage of review, which includes artwork review and security
testing, or at any time in the duration of a pull-tab bingo game.
The disapproval of a pull-tab bingo ticket is administratively final.
(d) Manufacturing requirements.
(1) Manufacturers of pull-tab bingo tickets must manufacture,
assemble, and package each deal in such a manner that none of the
winning pull-tab bingo tickets, nor the location, or approximate location
of any winning pull-tab bingo ticket can be determined in advance
of opening the deal by any means or device. Nor should the winning
pull-tab bingo tickets, or the location or approximate location of
any winning pull-tab bingo ticket be determined in advance of opening
the deal by manufacture, printing, color variations, assembly, packaging
markings, or by use of a light. Each manufacturer is subject to inspection
by the Commission, its authorized representative, or designee.
(2) All winning pull-tab bingo tickets as identified
on the payout schedule must be randomly distributed and mixed among
all other pull-tab bingo tickets of the same serial number in a deal
regardless of the number of packages, boxes, or other containers in
which the deal is packaged. The position of any winning pull-tab bingo
ticket of the same serial numbers must not demonstrate a pattern within
the deal or within a portion of the deal. If a deal of pull-tabs is
packed in more than one box or container, no individual container
may indicate that it includes a winner or contains a disproportionate
share of winning or losing tickets.
(3) Each deal's package, box, or other container shall
be sealed at the manufacturer's factory with a seal including a warning
to the purchaser that the deal may have been tampered with if the
package, box, or other container was received by the purchaser with
the seal broken.
(4) Each deal's serial number shall be clearly and
legibly placed on the outside of the deal's package, box or other
container or be able to be viewed from the outside of the package,
box or container.
(5) A flare must accompany each deal.
(6) The information contained in subsection (a)(3)(A),
(B), (C), (D), and (F) of this section shall be located on the outside
of each deal's sealed package, box, or other container.
(7) Manufacturers must seal or tape, with tamper resistant
seal or tape, every entry point into a package, box or container of
pull-tab bingo tickets prior to shipment. The seal or tape must be
of such construction as to guarantee that should the container be
opened or tampered with, such tampering or opening would be easily
discernible.
(8) All high tier winning instant pull-tab bingo tickets
must utilize a secondary form of winner verification.
(9) Each individual pull-tab bingo ticket must be constructed
so that, until opened by a player, it is substantially impossible,
in the opinion of the Commission, to determine its concealed letter(s),
number(s) or symbol(s).
(10) No manufacturer may sell or otherwise provide
to a distributor and no distributor may sell or otherwise provide
to a licensed authorized organization of this state or for use in
this state any pull-tab bingo game that does not contain a minimum
prize payout of 65% of total receipts if completely sold out.
(11) A manufacturer in selling or providing pull-tab
bingo tickets to a distributor shall seal or shrink-wrap each package,
box, or container of a deal completely in a clear wrapping material.
(12) Pull-tab bingo tickets must:
(A) be constructed of cardboard and glued or otherwise
securely sealed along all four edges of the pull-tab bingo ticket
and between the individual perforated break-open tab(s) on the ticket.
The glue must be of sufficient strength and type so as to prevent
the separation of the sides of a pull-tab bingo ticket;
(B) have letters, numbers or symbols that are concealed
behind perforated window tab(s), and allow such letters, numbers or
symbols to be revealed only after the player has physically removed
the perforated window tab(s);
(C) prevent the determination of a winning or losing
pull-tab bingo ticket by any means other than the physical removal
of the perforated window tab(s) by the player;
(D) be designed so that the numbers and symbols are
a minimum of 2/32 (4/64) inch from the dye-cut window perforations;
(E) be designed so that the lines or arrows that identify
the winning symbol combinations will be a minimum of 5/32 inch from
the open edge farthest from the hinge of the dye-cut window perforations;
(F) be designed so that highlighted "pay-code" designations
that identify the winning symbol combinations will be a minimum of
3.5/32 (7/64) inch from the dye-cut window perforations;
(G) be designed so that secondary winner protection
codes appear in the left margin of the ticket, unless the secondary
winner protection codes are randomly generated serial number-type
winner protection codes. Randomly generated serial number-type winner
protection codes will be randomly located in either the left or middle
column of symbols and will be designed so that the numbers are a
minimum of 3.5/32 (7/64) inch from the dye-cut window perforations.
Any colored line or bar or background used to highlight the winner
protection code will be a minimum 3.5/32 (7/64) inch from the dye-cut
window perforations;
(H) have the Commission's seal placed on all pull-tab
bingo tickets by only a licensed manufacturer; and
(I) be designed so that the name of the manufacturer
or its distinctive logo, form number and serial number unique to the
deal, name of the game, price of the ticket, and the payout structure
remain when the letters, numbers, and symbols are revealed.
(13) Wheels must be submitted to the Commission for
approval. As a part of the approval process, the following requirements
must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Commission:
(A) wheels must be able to spin at least four times
with reasonable effort;
(B) wheels must only contain the same number or symbols
as represented on the event ticket; and
(C) locking mechanisms must be installed on wheel(s)
to prevent play outside the licensed authorized organization's licensed
time(s).
(14) A manufacturer must include with each pull-tab
bingo ticket deal instructions for how the pull-tab bingo ticket can
be played in a manner consistent with the Bingo Enabling Act and this
chapter. The instructions are not required to cover every potential
method of playing the pull-tab bingo ticket deal.
(e) Sales and redemption.
(1) Instant pull-tab bingo tickets from a single deal
may be sold by a licensed authorized organization over multiple occasions.
A licensed authorized organization may bundle pull-tab bingo tickets
of different form numbers and may sell those bundled pull-tab tickets.
Pull-tab tickets may be sold up to one hour before an occasion, but
they may only be redeemed during an occasion.
(2) Except as provided by paragraph (3) or (4) of this
subsection, the event used to determine the winner(s) of an event
pull-tab bingo ticket deal must occur during the same bingo occasion
at which the first event pull-tab bingo ticket from that deal was
sold. A winning event pull-tab ticket must be presented for payment
during the same bingo occasion at which the event occurred.
(3) For a licensed authorized organization that conducts
bingo through a unit created and operated under Texas Occupations
Code, Subchapter I-1, any organization in the unit may sell or redeem
event pull-tab tickets from a deal on the premises specified in their
bingo licenses and during such licensed time on consecutive occasions
within one 24-hour period.
Cont'd... |
