BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1186

By: Kuempel

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns about the decline of charitable bingo in Texas due to competition from other gambling-related activities. H.B. 1186 seeks to address these concerns by providing for carryover pull-tab bingo games as a form of pull-tab bingo.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1186 amends the Occupations Code to exempt a jackpot prize awarded in a carryover pull‑tab bingo game from the prohibition against a bingo prize having a value of more than $750 for a single game and to cap the value of a jackpot prize awarded in a carryover pull-tab bingo game at $10,000. The bill defines "carryover pull-tab bingo" as a form of pull-tab bingo that is played in successive event pull-tab bingo deals of the same form number and in which a portion of the bingo prize awarded to the winner of the event prize for each deal is paid into a jackpot prize, the winner of the event prize for each deal has the opportunity to win the jackpot prize, and the play continues until the jackpot prize is awarded. The bill expressly excludes a game played on a gambling device from the definition. The bill specifies that carryover pull-tab bingo is included in the exemption for pull-tab bingo from the prohibition against a person offering or awarding on a single bingo occasion prizes with an aggregate value of more than $2,500.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.