| TO: | Honorable Mike Hamilton, Chair, House Committee on Licensing & Administrative Procedures |
| FROM: | John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB594 by Raymond (Relating to the information reported to the comptroller by a coin-operated machine license holder, the penalty for failure to report that information, and the penalty for gambling promotion.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend Chapter 2153 of the Occupations Code, regarding coin-operated machines for amusement and entertainment, to require that a license holder of a coin-operated machine report the name and address of the owner of the machine. In addition, the license holder would report the name and address of any person other than the owner with a financial interest in the machine's proceeds, except a corporate license holder would not be required to make this report for shareholders with less than a 10 percent share in the license holder's corporation.
The bill would amend Chapter 47 of the Penal Code, regarding gambling, to increase the crime for gambling promotion from a Class A misdemeanor to a state jail felony; and would amend Chapter 71 of the Penal Code, regarding organized crime, to make a gambling offense punishable as a felony an offense under this Chapter's provisions.
The penalty enhancements would shift some of the cost burden to the state, but this cost is not expected to be significant.
The bill would take effect on September 1, 2011.
| Source Agencies: | 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
|
| LBB Staff: | AG, JOB, SD, LCO
|