Statutory Authority: 28 Delaware Code, Section 1508(a)(2) (28 Del.C. §1508(a)(2))
10 DE Admin. Code 103
On May 1, 2014 the Delaware Board of Charitable Gaming published proposed changes to its regulations in the Delaware Register of Regulations, Volume 17, Issue 11. This notice indicated that written comments would be accepted by the Board, a public hearing would be held, and written comments would be accepted for fifteen days thereafter. After due notice in the Delaware Register and two newspapers a public hearing was held on June 5, 2014 at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Charitable Gaming to receive verbal comments of the Board's proposed amendments to its regulations.
There was no verbal testimony given at the public hearing on June 5, 2014. No written comments were received by the Board during the initial thirty day comment; nor were any written comments received after the public hearing during the fifteen day 29 Del.C. §10118(a) public comment period.
3. Pursuant to 28 Del.C. §1508(a)(2) the Board has statutory authority to promulgate rules and regulations clarifying specific sections of its statute.
NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to 28 Del.C. §1508(a)(2) and for the reasons set forth above, Delaware Board of Charitable Gaming does hereby ORDER that the regulations be, and that they hereby are, adopted and promulgated as set forth in the Delaware Register of Regulations on May 1, 2014. The effective date of this Order is ten days from the date of its publication in the Delaware Register of Regulations, pursuant to 29 Del.C. §10118(g).
“Board” The Delaware Gaming Control Board.
“Charitable Gaming” Any game or scheme operated by an organization which has been in existence for two (2) years or longer in which chance is the dominant factor in determining the allocation of a prize, excluding slot machines, roulette, craps, baccarat games, or raffles as defined in the Board's Regulations for Raffles.
“Charitable gaming vendor” is a term which the Board may use to describe a “third party vendor” as that term appears in Title 28 of the Delaware Code. It is an entity licensed to do business in Delaware which is in the business of assisting charitable organizations in conducting gaming events through leasing of premises for the events, providing personnel or equipment to help conduct events or providing other assistance which helps the organization to provide the event.
“Function” is a licensed event of Charitable Gambling maintained and conducted by a Sponsoring Organization for the disposal of awards of merchandise, cash, or its equivalent by means of “Game” as defined in this section. This includes without limitation thereto, so-called Las Vegas, Casino, or Monte Carlo Nights.
“Game” shall include without limitation card games such as draw poker, stud poker, or blackjack, devices such as big six wheels or similar devices, dice games other than craps, horse racing games, Nevada cards or pull tabs or any other activity similar to these mentioned games approved by the Board.
“Gross Receipts” means the total amount of money or other consideration received as admission fees, income from gambling and except for a bazaar, carnival, festival, or similar affair, from the sale of food and beverages from any one event.
“Instant Bingo” shall mean any game of chance played with sealed or covered cards which must be opened in some fashion by the holder, such that the cards reveal instantly whether the holder has won a prize. This game includes, but is not limited to games commonly known as “rip-offs” and “Nevada pull-tabs.”
“Net Proceeds” is Gross Receipts less license fee, prizes and reasonable and necessary expenses ordinarily incidental to the conduct of a function.
“Officer” as used in these regulations includes owners, directors, partners, members, investors, managers, shareholders or any other person involved in the operation of the business of a charitable gaming vendor. All such persons must undergo the criminal background checks and all other requirements.
“Sponsoring Organization” Any veterans, religious, or charitable organization, volunteer fire company or fraternal society as defined in Article II, §17A or §17B of the State Constitution.
5.1 Ownership of Equipment. The licensed organization shall conduct games only with equipment owned by it, borrowed from another qualified Sponsoring Organization or which a lessor undertakes to provide by the terms of a written lease leased or borrowed from a licensed third party vendor. The rental fee contained in such a lease shall be a sum certain and shall be commercially reasonable.
12.1 Within 30 days of the last day of the function, the member-in-charge shall submit a report to the Board that includes all information required by Title 28 of the Delaware Code.
If ownership of a charitable gaming vendor changes, the new owner or owners must submit a valid Delaware business license to the Board immediately. In addition, if a charitable organization was to conduct an event using that third party vendor, the organization must inform the Board that it is aware of the change in ownership and whether it will continue with the event with the new owners.
15.6 The Board shall communicate the results of the determination of suitability in writing to the applicant within sixty (60) days of receipt of the criminal history information, unless extenuating circumstances require a longer period. If the Board determines that an applicant has satisfied the licensing requirements, the applicant will be issued a license. If an applicant is denied a license, the applicant may appeal for reconsideration as set forth below. If the Board determines that an applicant is not suitable or has not satisfied the licensing requirements, the licensee shall be entitled to a hearing before the Board to be heard upon the qualifications of the applicant and the merits of the application. The burden of proof shall be on the applicant.
15.6.1 Appeal may be initiated by an applicant notified that the license was denied by submitting a request for a hearing to the Board of Charitable Gaming within ten (10) days of receipt of the notice of denial.
15.6.2 The appeal shall be reviewed by the Board and the person shall be given the opportunity to be heard by the Board within sixty (60) days of receipt of the letter of appeal, unless extenuating circumstances require a longer period. The hearing will be held in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act, 29 Del.C., Ch. 101.
15.6.3 A written decision shall be rendered by the Board within sixty (60) days of the hearing, unless extenuating circumstances require a longer period. All decisions are final and may then be appealed to Superior Court under 29 Del.C. §10142.
15.87 All records pertaining to criminal background checks and suitability determinations shall be maintained in a confidential manner including, but not limited to, the following:
15.87.1 Access to criminal background check records, letters of reference accompanying out-of-state criminal background checks and determination of suitability of applicants shall be limited to the Board and designated personnel within the Division;
15.87.3 No information from such records shall be released without the signed release of the individual applicant or officer.
15.108 The license shall expire and be renewable every three (3) years. Ninety (90) days prior Prior to expiration, each licensee shall contact the Division of Professional Regulation and submit a new and updated license application form and undergo an investigation as in the original licensing.
15.119 Officers of licensees shall notify the Division of Professional Regulation no later than three (3) days after an arrest for any crime, excluding minor traffic violations. The Division will forward this information to the Board and the Board may proceed to determine the person’s continuing suitability as a licensee, and may suspend the license until the criminal charges have been resolved.
16.1 Under the terms of 28 Del.C. §§1526(a) and 1562 and 10 DE Admin. Code 103 Rule 8.1, organizations are limited in the number of bingo, Texas Hold ‘Em and charitable gaming events which they may conduct. The Board has held that a Delaware charitable organization that establishes a subsidiary group or groups, such as an auxiliary which does not have its own separate Employee Identification Number or Federal Identification Number from the Internal Revenue Service, will be required to share its limited number of permissible events with the subsidiary group. For example, since five (5) Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments are permitted in one year under 28 Del.C. §1562, the main group and the subsidiary group or groups may have a total of five (5) tournaments between or among them, rather than each entity being permitted to have up to five tournaments.