BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 2265
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current law limits the amount that can be awarded during each bingo occasion to $2,500 for regular bingo, with no more than $750 permitted to be awarded per bingo game. Additionally, a bingo game is required to be completed during the session in which it is started and the prize is required to be awarded for a bingo game during the session in which the bingo game begins. Charities believe that a progressive format would increase bingo participation by allowing the award of a larger prize.
H.B. 2265 authorizes a charity to continue a bingo game across more than one bingo occasion and to award a consolation prize and add prizes that are not awarded during one occasion to prize money in a subsequent occasion in order to create a larger, growing amount until the jackpot is won, not to exceed $2,500. This bill provides that while the progressive bingo game consists of a regular bingo play, the progressive jackpot money would be outside of the regular bingo limit of $2,500 per occasion and could exceed the current per game limit up to that amount. Finally, this bill provides that only one progressive bingo game could be conducted per occasion and only one consolation prize, not to exceed $250, could be awarded per occasion.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Lottery Commission in SECTION 3 of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 2001.002, Occupations Code, by adding Subdivisions (8-a), (13-a), and (23-a), to define "consolation prize," "jackpot prize," and "progressive bingo game."
SECTION 2. Amends Section 2001.420, Occupations Code, by amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (d), (e), and (f), as follows:
(a) Provides an exception in Subsection (d) from the prohibition of a bingo prize having a value of more than $750 for a single game.
(b) Provides an exception for progressive bingo games from the prohibition of a person offering or awarding on a single bingo occasion prizes with an aggregate value of more than $2,500. Provides that a jackpot or consolation prize offered or awarded in a progressive bingo game during a bingo occasion is not included in the aggregated value of prizes awarded at a single bingo occasion for purposes of this subsection.
(d) Prohibits a jackpot or consolation prize from having a value of more than $2,500 for a single progressive bingo game.
(e) Authorizes a licensed authorized organization to offer only one progressive bingo game during each bingo occasion.
(f) Prohibits a consolation prize in a progressive bingo game described by Subsection (b) from exceeding $250 and authorizes such a prize to be offered only once during each bingo occasion.
SECTION 3. Requires the Texas Lottery Commission to adopt the rules necessary to implement the changes in law made by this Act to Chapter 2001 (Bingo), Occupations Code, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.