The
commission shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) To authorize and issue licenses for a period not to
exceed one year to bona fide charitable or nonprofit
organizations approved by the commission meeting the requirements
of this chapter and any rules and regulations adopted pursuant
thereto permitting said organizations to conduct bingo games,
raffles, amusement games, and social card games, to utilize
punchboards and pull-tabs in accordance with the provisions of
this chapter and any rules and regulations adopted pursuant
thereto and to revoke or suspend said licenses for violation of
any provisions of this chapter or any rules and regulations
adopted pursuant thereto: PROVIDED, That the commission shall
not deny a license to an otherwise qualified applicant in an
effort to limit the number of licenses to be issued: PROVIDED
FURTHER, That the commission or director shall not issue, deny,
suspend, or revoke any license because of considerations of race,
sex, creed, color, or national origin: AND PROVIDED FURTHER,
That the commission may authorize the director to temporarily
issue or suspend licenses subject to final action by the
commission;
(2) To authorize and issue licenses for a period not to
exceed one year to any person, association, or organization
operating a business primarily engaged in the selling of items of
food or drink for consumption on the premises, approved by the
commission meeting the requirements of this chapter and any rules
and regulations adopted pursuant thereto permitting said person,
association, or organization to utilize punchboards and pull-tabs
and to conduct social card games as a commercial stimulant in
accordance with the provisions of this chapter and any rules and
regulations adopted pursuant thereto and to revoke or suspend
said licenses for violation of any provisions of this chapter and
any rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto: PROVIDED,
That the commission shall not deny a license to an otherwise
qualified applicant in an effort to limit the number of licenses
to be issued: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the commission may
authorize the director to temporarily issue or suspend licenses
subject to final action by the commission;
(3) To authorize and issue licenses for a period not to
exceed one year to any person, association, or organization
approved by the commission meeting the requirements of this
chapter and meeting the requirements of any rules and regulations
adopted by the commission pursuant to this chapter as now or
hereafter amended, permitting said person, association, or
organization to conduct or operate amusement games in such manner
and at such locations as the commission may determine. The
commission may authorize the director to temporarily issue or
suspend licenses subject to final action by the commission;
(4) To authorize, require, and issue, for a period not to
exceed one year, such licenses as the commission may by rule
provide, to any person, association, or organization to engage in
the selling, distributing, or otherwise supplying or in the
manufacturing of devices for use within this state for those
activities authorized by this chapter. The commission may
authorize the director to temporarily issue or suspend licenses
subject to final action by the commission;
(5) To establish a schedule of annual license fees for
carrying on specific gambling activities upon the premises, and
for such other activities as may be licensed by the commission,
which fees shall provide to the commission not less than an
amount of money adequate to cover all costs incurred by the
commission relative to licensing under this chapter and the
enforcement by the commission of the provisions of this chapter
and rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto: PROVIDED,
That all licensing fees shall be submitted with an application
therefor and such portion of said fee as the commission may
determine, based upon its cost of processing and investigation,
shall be retained by the commission upon the withdrawal or denial
of any such license application as its reasonable expense for
processing the application and investigation into the granting
thereof: PROVIDED FURTHER, That if in a particular case the
basic license fee established by the commission for a particular
class of license is less than the commission's actual expenses to
investigate that particular application, the commission may at
any time charge to that applicant such additional fees as are
necessary to pay the commission for those costs. The commission
may decline to proceed with its investigation and no license
shall be issued until the commission has been fully paid therefor
by the applicant: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That the commission may
establish fees for the furnishing by it to licensees of
identification stamps to be affixed to such devices and equipment
as required by the commission and for such other special services
or programs required or offered by the commission, the amount of
each of these fees to be not less than is adequate to offset the
cost to the commission of the stamps and of administering their
dispersal to licensees or the cost of administering such other
special services, requirements or programs;
(6) To prescribe the manner and method of payment of taxes,
fees and penalties to be paid to or collected by the commission;
(7) To require that applications for all licenses contain
such information as may be required by the commission: PROVIDED,
That all persons (a) having a managerial or ownership interest in
any gambling activity, or the building in which any gambling
activity occurs, or the equipment to be used for any gambling
activity, or (b) participating as an employee in the operation of
any gambling activity, shall be listed on the application for the
license and the applicant shall certify on the application, under
oath, that the persons named on the application are all of the
persons known to have an interest in any gambling activity,
building, or equipment by the person making such application:
PROVIDED FURTHER, That the commission shall require
fingerprinting and national criminal history background checks on
any persons seeking licenses, certifications, or permits under
this chapter or of any person holding an interest in any gambling
activity, building, or equipment to be used therefor, or of any
person participating as an employee in the operation of any
gambling activity. All national criminal history background
checks shall be conducted using fingerprints submitted to the
United States department of justice-federal bureau of
investigation. The commission must establish rules to delineate
which persons named on the application are subject to national
criminal history background checks. In identifying these
persons, the commission must take into consideration the nature,
character, size, and scope of the gambling activities requested
by the persons making such applications;
(8) To require that any license holder maintain records as
directed by the commission and submit such reports as the
commission may deem necessary;
(9) To require that all income from bingo games, raffles,
and amusement games be recorded and reported as established by
rule or regulation of the commission to the extent deemed
necessary by considering the scope and character of the gambling
activity in such a manner that will disclose gross income from
any gambling activity, amounts received from each player, the
nature and value of prizes, and the fact of distributions of such
prizes to the winners thereof;
(10) To regulate and establish maximum limitations on income
derived from bingo. In establishing limitations pursuant to this
subsection the commission shall take into account (a) the nature,
character, and scope of the activities of the licensee; (b) the
source of all other income of the licensee; and (c) the
percentage or extent to which income derived from bingo is used
for charitable, as distinguished from nonprofit, purposes.
However, the commission's powers and duties granted by this
subsection are discretionary and not mandatory;
(11) To regulate and establish the type and scope of and
manner of conducting the gambling activities authorized by this
chapter, including but not limited to, the extent of wager,
money, or other thing of value which may be wagered or
contributed or won by a player in any such activities;
(12) To regulate the collection of and the accounting for
the fee which may be imposed by an organization, corporation, or
person licensed to conduct a social card game on a person
desiring to become a player in a social card game in accordance
with RCW 9.46.0282;
(13) To cooperate with and secure the cooperation of county,
city, and other local or state agencies in investigating any
matter within the scope of its duties and responsibilities;
(14) In accordance with RCW 9.46.080, to adopt such rules
and regulations as are deemed necessary to carry out the purposes
and provisions of this chapter. All rules and regulations shall
be adopted pursuant to the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW;
(15) To set forth for the perusal of counties,
city-counties, cities and towns, model ordinances by which any
legislative authority thereof may enter into the taxing of any
gambling activity authorized by this chapter;
(16)(a) To establish and regulate a maximum limit on
salaries or wages which may be paid to persons employed in
connection with activities conducted by bona fide charitable or
nonprofit organizations and authorized by this chapter, where
payment of such persons is allowed, and to regulate and establish
maximum limits for other expenses in connection with such
authorized activities, including but not limited to rent or lease
payments. However, the commissioner's powers and duties granted
by this subsection are discretionary and not mandatory.
(b) In establishing these maximum limits the commission
shall take into account the amount of income received, or
expected to be received, from the class of activities to which
the limits will apply and the amount of money the games could
generate for authorized charitable or nonprofit purposes absent
such expenses. The commission may also take into account, in its
discretion, other factors, including but not limited to, the
local prevailing wage scale and whether charitable purposes are
benefited by the activities;
(17) To authorize, require, and issue for a period not to
exceed one year such licenses or permits, for which the
commission may by rule provide, to any person to work for any
operator of any gambling activity authorized by this chapter in
connection with that activity, or any manufacturer, supplier, or
distributor of devices for those activities in connection with
such business. The commission may authorize the director to
temporarily issue or suspend licenses subject to final action by
the commission. The commission shall not require that persons
working solely as volunteers in an authorized activity conducted
by a bona fide charitable or bona fide nonprofit organization,
who receive no compensation of any kind for any purpose from that
organization, and who have no managerial or supervisory
responsibility in connection with that activity, be licensed to
do such work. The commission may require that licensees
employing such unlicensed volunteers submit to the commission
periodically a list of the names, addresses, and dates of birth
of the volunteers. If any volunteer is not approved by the
commission, the commission may require that the licensee not
allow that person to work in connection with the licensed
activity;
(18) To publish and make available at the office of the
commission or elsewhere to anyone requesting it a list of the
commission licensees, including the name, address, type of
license, and license number of each licensee;
(19) To establish guidelines for determining what
constitutes active membership in bona fide nonprofit or
charitable organizations for the purposes of this chapter;
(20) To renew the license of every person who applies for
renewal within six months after being honorably discharged,
removed, or released from active military service in the armed
forces of the United States upon payment of the renewal fee
applicable to the license period, if there is no cause for
denial, suspension, or revocation of the license; and
(21) To perform all other matters and things necessary to
carry out the purposes and provisions of this chapter.
[2007 c 206 § 1; 2002 c 119 § 1; 1999 c 143 § 6; 1993 c 344 § 1; 1987 c 4 § 38; 1981 c 139 § 3. Prior: 1977 ex.s. c 326 § 3; 1977 ex.s. c 76 § 2; 1975-'76 2nd ex.s. c 87 § 4; 1975 1st ex.s. c 259 § 4; 1974 ex.s. c 155 § 4; 1974 ex.s. c 135 § 4; 1973 2nd ex.s. c 41 § 4; 1973 1st ex.s. c 218 § 7.]
NOTES:
Effective date -- 1993 c 344: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect June 1, 1993." [1993 c 344 § 2.]
Severability -- 1981 c 139: "If any provision of this amendatory act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [1981 c 139 § 19.]
Severability -- 1974 ex.s. c 155: See note following RCW 9.46.010.
Enforcement -- Commission as a law enforcement agency: RCW 9.46.210.