Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*hb1587*
HOUSE BILL 1587
C7 (6lr3639)
ENROLLED BILL
— Ways and Means/Budget and Taxation —
Introduced by Delegate Patterson
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at _________________ _______ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Gaming – Operation of Electronic Instant Bingo Machines – Operation and 2
Maximum Number of Machines and Report by State Lottery and Gaming 3
Control Agency 4
FOR the purpose of altering the definition of “slot machine” to repeal a limitation on 5
increase the number of bingo cards certain handheld devices may allow a user to 6
play at the same time; increasing the number of electronic instant bingo machines 7
that certain entities may operate; providing that an electronic instant bingo machine 8
is not required to print a paper ticket for each instant bingo game played except 9
under certain circumstances; requiring the State Lottery and Gami ng Control 10
Agency, on or before a certain date, to report to the Governor and the General 11
Assembly regarding certain matters concerning certain electronic instant bingo and 12
satellite simulcast facilities; and generally relating to electronic instant bingo 13
machines gaming. 14
2 HOUSE BILL 1587
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 1
Article – Criminal Law 2
Section 12–301, 12–301.1(e), and 12–308 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 5
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6
Chapter 603 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2012 7
Section 3 8
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 9
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 10
Article – Criminal Law 11
12–301. 12
In this subtitle: 13
(1) “slot machine” means a machine, apparatus, or device that: 14
(i) operates or can be made to operate by inserting, depositing, or 15
placing with another person money, a token, or another object; and 16
(ii) through the element of chance, the reading of a game of chance, 17
the delivery of a game of chance, or any other outcome unpredictable by the user, awards 18
the user: 19
1. money, a token, or other object that represents or that can 20
be converted into money; or 21
2. the right to receive money, a token, or another object that 22
represents and can be converted into money; 23
(2) “slot machine” includes: 24
(i) a machine, apparatus, or device described in item (1) of this 25
section that also sells, delivers, or awards merchandise, money, or some other tangible 26
thing of value; 27
(ii) a pinball machine or console machine that pays off in 28
merchandise; and 29
(iii) a machine, apparatus, or device described in item (1) of this 30
section, regardless of whether the machine, apparatus, or device delivers a game through 31
the Internet or offers Internet or other services; and 32
HOUSE BILL 1587 3
(3) “slot machine” does not include a machine, apparatus, or device that: 1
(i) awards the user only free additional games or plays; 2
(ii) awards the user only noncash merchandise or noncash prizes of 3
minimal value; 4
(iii) dispenses paper pull tab tip jar tickets or paper pull tab instant 5
bingo tickets that must be opened manually by the user provided that the machine, 6
apparatus, or device does not: 7
1. read the tickets electronically; 8
2. alert the user to a winning or losing ticket; or 9
3. tabulate a player’s winnings and losses; 10
(iv) 1. is a handheld device that displays only facsimiles of bingo 11
cards that an individual uses to mark and monitor contemporaneously to a live call of bingo 12
numbers called on the premises by an individual where the user is operating the machine; 13
2. [does not permit a user to play more than 54 100 bingo 14
cards at the same time; 15
3.] does not randomly generate any numbers; and 16
[4.] 3. is not part of an integrated system; 17
(v) is used by the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission 18
under Title 9 of the State Government Article; 19
(vi) if legislation takes effect authorizing the operation of video 20
lottery terminals, is a video lottery terminal as d efined in and licensed under that 21
legislation; 22
(vii) is a skills –based amusement device that awards prizes, 23
merchandise, tickets, tokens, or other objects that: 24
1. per play, do not exceed minimal value approved by the 25
State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission through regulation; and 26
2. may be accumulated and exchanged for noncash 27
merchandise or prizes of value that: 28
A. is similar to the cumulated value of the objects exchanged; 29
and 30
4 HOUSE BILL 1587
B. does not exceed a minimal wholesale value of $599; or 1
(viii) is a skills–based device that awards noncash merchandise and is 2
located at a family entertainment center in Worcester County licensed under § 9–1B–02 of 3
the State Government Article. 4
12–301.1. 5
(e) (1) THIS SUBSECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO AN ELECTRONIC INSTANT 6
BINGO MACHINE AUTHORIZED UNDER § 12–308 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 7
(2) An electronic gaming device that is not licensed or otherwise operated 8
in compliance with the provisions of this section as of January 1, 2013, is an illegal gaming 9
device that may not legally operate in the State. 10
12–308. 11
(A) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this subtitle, an entity licensed to 12
offer instant bingo under a commercial bingo license on July 1, 2007, or by a qualified 13
organization as defined i n § 13 –201 of this article on the premises of the qualified 14
organization may continue to operate a game of instant bingo in the same manner using 15
electronic machines, provided that: 16
(1) [(i) the machines were in operation for a 1 –year period ending 17
December 31, 2007; or 18
(ii) the machines were in operation under a commercial bingo license 19
on December 31, 2007; 20
(2)] the entity does not operate more than TWICE the number of electronic 21
machines in operation on February 28, 2008; and 22
[(3)] (2) the c onduct of the gaming and operation of the machines are 23
consistent with all other provisions of this article. 24
(B) AN ELECTRONIC MACHINE ALLOWED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 25
SECTION IS NOT REQUIRED TO PRINT A PAPER TICKET FOR EACH GAME OF INSTANT 26
BINGO PLAYED UNLESS THE PLAYER ELECTS TO PRINT THE TICKET. 27
(C) THE STATE LOTTERY AND GAMING CONTROL COMMISSION SHALL 28
ADOPT REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT THIS SECTION. 29
Chapter 603 of the Acts of 2012 30
HOUSE BILL 1587 5
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, a licensee or organization 1
that is authorized under State law to own or operate electronic bingo machines for use after 2
July 1, 2012, may repair and replace the authorized electronic bingo machines provided 3
that the machines operate in the same manner as those in operat ion by the same 4
organization as of February 28, 2008 [, and that the organization does not operate more 5
than the number of electronic bingo machines in operation as of February 28, 2008]. 6
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 7
(a) On or before December 1, 2026, the State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency 8
shall report to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State Government 9
Article, the General Assembly on: 10
(1) subject to subsection (c) of this section, impacts of the potential 11
expansion of electronic instant bingo machines at commercial electronic instant bingo 12
machine facilities; and 13
(2) subject to subsection (d) of this section, impacts of the potential 14
expansion of electronic instant bingo machines, historical horse racing ma chines, or 15
underutilized video lottery terminals relative to the limitations under § 9 –1A–05(a) of the 16
State Government Article at satellite simulcast facilities that are not located at video lottery 17
facilities or horse racing facilities. 18
(b) (1) The Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the State Lottery and 19
Gaming Control Agency shall retain an independent third –party vendor to prepare the 20
reports required under subsection (a) of this section. 21
(2) When studying the issues to be addressed in the report and developing the 22
report described under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the third–party vendor shall include 23
in its deliberations the State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency and representatives of the 24
following stakeholders: 25
(i) the electronic instant bingo industry; 26
(ii) satellite simulcast facilities that are not located at video lottery facilities; 27
(iii) satellite simulcast facilities that are located at video lottery facilities; 28
and 29
(iv) labor unions in the gaming industry. 30
(c) The report required under subsection (a)(1) of this section shall include the 31
following information: 32
(1) the current State revenues and economic impact generated by 33
commercial electronic instant bingo machine operators; 34
6 HOUSE BILL 1587
(2) the operational challenges faced by commercial electronic instant bingo 1
machine operators; 2
(3) the impact of expansions of gaming on commercial instant bingo 3
machine operators over the years; 4
(4) the estimated amount of gaming revenue lost to neighboring 5
jurisdictions by individuals who travel from Maryland to those jurisdictions to engage in 6
gaming at brick–and–mortar facilities; 7
(5) the potential revenue from authorizing additional electronic instant 8
bingo machines at locations currently authorized to offer electronic instant bingo under a 9
commercial license, including calculations based on varying numbers of additional 10
machines and the potential revenue for both the operator and the State; 11
(6) the degree to which the estimated revenue described under paragraph 12
(5) of this subsection may be attributable to capturing revenue otherwise lost to neighboring 13
states that offer similar gaming opportunities; 14
(7) methods to maximize State revenues while balancing the interests of 15
commercial instant bingo machine operators; 16
(8) the estimated impact of an expansion of electronic instant bingo 17
machines at locations currently authorized to offer electronic instant bingo under a 18
commercial license on the revenue generated by the State’s video lottery facilities; and 19
(9) any other relevant policy considerations and impacts associated with 20
an expansion of electronic instant bingo machines. 21
(d) The report required under subsection (a)(2) of this section shall include the 22
following information: 23
(1) the current State revenues and economic impact generated by satellite 24
simulcast facilities that are not located at video lottery facilities or horse racing facilities; 25
(2) the role, function, and contributions of satellite simulcast facilities that 26
are not located at video lottery facilities or horse racing facilities in Maryland’s horse racing 27
industry and gaming environment; 28
(3) the operational challenges faced by satellite simulcast facilities that are 29
not located at video lottery facilities or horse racing facilities; 30
(4) the impact of sports wagering and other expansions of gaming on 31
satellite simulcast facilities that are not located at video lottery facilities or horse racing 32
facilities over the years; 33
HOUSE BILL 1587 7
(5) the estimated amount of gaming revenue lost to neighborin g 1
jurisdictions by individuals who travel from Maryland to those jurisdictions to engage in 2
gaming at brick–and–mortar facilities; 3
(6) the operational differences between and potential revenue from 4
authorizing electronic instant bingo machines, historic al horse racing machines, or video 5
lottery terminals at satellite simulcast facilities that are not located at video lottery 6
facilities or horse racing facilities, including the potential revenue for both the operator and 7
the State based on the type and number of machines authorized; 8
(7) the degree to which the estimated revenue described under paragraph 9
(6) of this subsection may be attributable to capturing revenue otherwise lost to neighboring 10
states that offer similar gaming opportunities; 11
(8) methods to maximize State revenues while balancing the interests of 12
satellite simulcast facilities that are not located at video lottery facilities or horse racing 13
facilities; 14
(9) the estimated impact of an expansion of electronic instant bingo 15
machines, h istorical horse racing machines, or underutilized video lottery terminals at 16
satellite simulcast facilities that are not located at video lottery facilities or horse racing 17
facilities on the revenue generated by the State’s video lottery facilities; and 18
(10) any other relevant policy considerations and impacts associated with 19
an expansion of electronic instant bingo machines, historical horse racing machines, or 20
underutilized video lottery terminals. 21
SECTION 2. 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this A ct shall take effect 22
July 1, 2026. 23
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.