AB1081: Bill Text

LRB-4739/1

RLR:lmk&jld:rs

2005 - 2006 LEGISLATURE

2005 Assembly BILL 1081

February 28, 2006 - Introduced by Representatives Gunderson, Musser, Bies, Freese and Vos, cosponsored by Senators Lazich, Zien and Plale. Referred to Committee on State Affairs.

AB1081,1,5 An Act to repeal 563.51 (3) and 563.53 (4); to renumber and amend 563.51 (9) and 563.51 (23); to amend 563.135 (1) (intro.), (a), (b) and (c), 563.51 (4), 563.51 (10) (b), 563.51 (16), 563.51 (21), 563.52 (5) and 563.53 (3); and to create 563.03 (12c), 563.135 (1) (e), 563.51 (9) (c), 563.51 (23) (b) and 563.54 of the statutes; relating to: charitable bingo.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Bingo Prizes

Under current law, religious, charitable, service, fraternal, and veterans' organizations and organizations to which contributions are deductible for federal income tax purposes may operate bingo games upon obtaining a state bingo license. The maximum allowable monetary prize for any single bingo game is $250, and the maximum allowable monetary prize for a bingo occasion (a session at which a series of successive games is played) is $1,000. The prize for a bingo game must be determined and awarded on the same day the game is played. Additionally, the prize for a bingo game may not be based on the number of calls made before a player wins. This bill increases the maximum allowable prize for a single bingo game to $500, and the maximum allowable prize for a bingo occasion to $2,500. The bill also allows organizations that have a bingo license to conduct progressive jackpot bingo. In progressive jackpot bingo, the prize is carried over to a succeeding game if no player wins in a specified number of calls, and a player must cover all the squares on his or her bingo card to win. Under the bill, the specified number of calls must be at least 48 in the first game, and one additional call must be added in each succeeding game until someone wins. The starting prize must be either a specified amount that does not exceed $500 or 50 percent of the card sales for the first game. The prize for each succeeding game must be 50 percent of the card sales for the game plus the prize amount from the preceding game. If no player wins a progressive jackpot bingo game within the specified number of calls, play must continue until a player has covered all the squares on his or her card and that person must be awarded a consolation prize not to exceed $100. Once started, progressive jackpot bingo must be conducted at each bingo occasion until the progressive jackpot is awarded, except that progressive jackpot bingo may be played only once per day.

Types of bingo games

Currently, the Department of Administration (DOA) offers two types of licenses to conduct bingo: a regular license and a limited period license. An organization with a regular license may conduct "regular" bingo games. Regular bingo games must be played on reusable cards (hard cards). For an admission fee not to exceed $1, a player receives a hard card that he or she may use to play all regular bingo games conducted at a bingo occasion. For a fee not to exceed $1 per card, a person may rent extra hard cards, each good for all regular bingo games conducted at the bingo occasion. Current law does not limit the number of regular bingo occasions that a regular bingo licensee may conduct in a year.

An organization with a regular license may also conduct up to three games of "special" bingo at each regular bingo occasion. Special bingo is played on disposable (paper) cards. The maximum price for each special bingo card is 25 cents per card per game. A player must pay for a regular bingo card to play a special bingo game offered during a regular bingo occasion.

DOA issues limited period licenses for organizations to conduct bingo for up to four days a year at short-term events such as fairs, festivals, carnivals, or bazaars. An organization may not charge admission for limited period bingo, but may charge up to 50 cents per card per game. Either paper or hard cards may be used to play limited period bingo, and current law does not limit the number of games that may be played with paper cards during a limited period bingo occasion.

This bill eliminates the prohibition against playing more than three special bingo games at a regular bingo occasion and eliminates the requirement that a player must pay for a regular bingo card to play special bingo at a regular bingo occasion. The bill also provides that the maximum fee for any type of bingo is $1 per card per game.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB1081, s. 1 Section 1. 563.03 (12c) of the statutes is created to read:

AB1081,3,4 563.03 (12c) "Progressive jackpot bingo" means a series of bingo games in which the prize is carried over to the succeeding game if no player wins a game within a specified number of calls.

AB1081, s. 2 Section 2. 563.135 (1) (intro.), (a), (b) and (c) of the statutes are amended to read:

AB1081,3,10 563.135 (1) An application for a license to conduct bingo for an organization listed under s. 563.11 (1) (b) to (d) shall be accompanied by a $5 license fee and a sworn statement by the owner or operator of the organization that all of the following rules shall apply to bingo conducted by the organization:

AB1081,3,14 (a) Only residents, guests of residents, and employees of the community-based residential facility or adult family home, or members, patrons, guests of members, and patrons and employees of the senior citizen community center, will may play bingo;.

AB1081,3,15 (b) Bingo will may be played only as a recreational or social activity;.

AB1081,3,16 (c) No admission fee will may be charged to play bingo; and.

AB1081, s. 3 Section 3. 563.135 (1) (e) of the statutes is created to read:

AB1081,3,18 563.135 (1) (e) Progressive jackpot bingo may not be played.

AB1081, s. 4 Section 4. 563.51 (3) of the statutes is repealed.

AB1081, s. 5 Section 5. 563.51 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1081,3,22 563.51 (4) Sufficient space to play. Purchase of a regular bingo card shall entitle each player to a place with sufficient room in which to play.

AB1081, s. 6 Section 6. 563.51 (9) of the statutes is renumbered 563.51 (9) (a) and amended to read:

AB1081,4,3 563.51 (9) (a) No Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c), no prize in a single bingo game shall exceed $250. The $500 and the aggregate value of prizes at any bingo occasion may not exceed $1,000 except $2,500.

AB1081,4,5 (b) The aggregate value of prizes at a bingo occasion may exceed $2,500 by the amount resulting from the awarding of minimum prizes under sub. (27).

AB1081, s. 7 Section 7. 563.51 (9) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

AB1081,4,7 563.51 (9) (c) The limits under par. (a) do not apply to progressive jackpot bingo.

AB1081, s. 8 Section 8. 563.51 (10) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1081,4,12 563.51 (10) (b) No bonus or additional prizes shall be awarded on the basis of either a specific arrangement of the numbers or the type of card required to win a game. No Except as provided for progressive jackpot bingo under s. 563.54, no prize shall be determined on the basis of a specified number of calls.

AB1081, s. 9 Section 9. 563.51 (16) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1081,4,17 563.51 (16) Winners and prizes; same day. Each Except as provided for progressive jackpot bingo under s. 563.54, each bingo winner shall be determined and every prize shall be awarded and delivered on the same day on which the bingo occasion is conducted.

AB1081, s. 10 Section 10. 563.51 (21) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1081,5,2 563.51 (21) Price of bingo cards. Regular bingo cards, extra regular cards and special bingo cards shall each be assigned a specific price, and the price shall remain the same during a bingo occasion. At any time during a bingo occasion, a regular or extra regular card may be changed at no additional cost. Cards shall be sold or rented only on the premises at which bingo is being conducted. A price list shall be posted where the regular bingo cards are distributed, setting forth the price of each type of card. Only the posted price may be charged. The regular bingo cards and the extra regular cards shall be readily distinguishable from each other.

AB1081, s. 11 Section 11. 563.51 (23) of the statutes is renumbered 563.51 (23) (a) and amended to read:

AB1081,5,9 563.51 (23) (a) The Except as provided in par. (b), the particular arrangement of numbers required to be covered in order to win and the amount of the prize for each game shall be clearly described and audibly announced to the players immediately before each game. The Except as provided in par. (b), the amount of the prize for each bingo game also shall be posted where the regular bingo cards are distributed.

AB1081, s. 12 Section 12. 563.51 (23) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

AB1081,5,15 563.51 (23) (b) If the amount of the prize in a progressive jackpot bingo game under s. 563.54 is determined, at least in part, on the basis of card sales, the method for determining the amount of the prize must be clearly described, audibly announced, and posted as provided under par (a), but the amount of the prize need not be announced or posted.

AB1081, s. 13 Section 13. 563.52 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1081,5,18 563.52 (5) A fee of not more than 50 cents $1 per game may be charged for a single card to participate in limited period bingo.

AB1081, s. 14 Section 14. 563.53 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1081,5,21 563.53 (3) A fee of not more than 25 cents $1 may be charged for each special bingo card.

AB1081, s. 15 Section 15. 563.53 (4) of the statutes is repealed.

AB1081, s. 16 Section 16. 563.54 of the statutes is created to read:

AB1081,6,3 563.54 Progressive jackpot bingo. (1) A player wins progressive jackpot bingo by covering all the numbers on his or her bingo card within a specified number of calls. The number of calls for the first game shall be at least 48. The number of calls shall increase by one in each succeeding game until a player wins the progressive jackpot bingo prize.

AB1081,6,5 (2) (a) The starting prize for progressive jackpot bingo shall be any of the following:

AB1081,6,6 1. Fifty percent of the card sales for the first progressive jackpot bingo game.

AB1081,6,7 2. An amount specified before the start of play, not to exceed $500.

AB1081,6,9 (b) The prize for each succeeding game of progressive jackpot bingo shall be 50 percent of the card sales for the game plus the prize amount from the preceding game.

AB1081,6,14 (3) After the specified number of calls for a game of progressive jackpot bingo are completed, if no person has won, the game shall continue until a player covers all of the numbers on his or her card and that player shall be awarded a consolation prize of not less than $100. The consolation prize may not be paid from the 50 percent of card sales used to fund the progressive jackpot bingo prize.

AB1081,6,16 (4) No card for a game of progressive jackpot bingo may be sold after the game has begun.

AB1081,6,19 (5) Once started, progressive jackpot bingo shall be played at each succeeding bingo occasion until a player wins a game of progressive jackpot bingo, except that progressive jackpot bingo may be played only once per day.

AB1081,6,20 (6) Progressive jackpot bingo may be played only on special bingo cards.

AB1081,6,21 (End)