58 Pa. Code § 461a.8 - Gaming vouchers
(a) A slot
machine licensee may utilize gaming vouchers and a gaming voucher system that
has been tested and approved by the Board under §
461a.4 (relating to submission for
testing and approval).
(b) The
design specifications for a gaming voucher, the voucher verification
methodologies utilized and any limitation on the value of a gaming voucher must
be in compliance with technical standards on gaming vouchers under §
461b.3 (relating to gaming
vouchers).
(c) The design
specifications for a gaming voucher system must be in compliance with technical
standards on gaming voucher systems under §
461b.3.
(d) Prior to issuing a gaming voucher, a slot
machine licensee shall establish a system of internal controls for the issuance
and redemption of gaming vouchers. The internal controls shall be submitted and
approved by the Board under §
465a.2 (relating to internal
control systems and audit protocols) and address:
(1) Procedures for assigning an asset number
and identifying other redemption locations in the system, and enabling and
disabling voucher capabilities for slot machines, fully automated electronic
gaming tables, electronic wagering terminals and redemption
locations.
(2) Procedures for
issuance, modification and termination of a unique system account for each user
in accordance with technical standards under §
461b.3.
(3) Procedures used to configure and maintain
user passwords in accordance with technical standards under §
461b.3.
(4) Procedures for restricting special rights
and privileges, such as administrator and override capabilities, in accordance
with technical standards under §
461b.3.
(5) The duties and responsibilities of the
information technology, internal audit, slot operations and finance
departments, respectively, and the level of access for each position with
regard to the gaming voucher system.
(6) A description of physical controls on all
critical hardware such as locks and surveillance, including the location and
security protocols applicable to each piece of equipment.
(7) Procedures for the backup and timely
recovery of critical data in accordance with technical standards under §
461b.3.
(8) Logs used to document and maintain the
details of Board-approved hardware and software modifications upon
implementation.
(9) Procedures for
the payment of the value of unredeemed gaming vouchers, which individually or
in the aggregate equal $25 or more, to a patron whose identity can be
determined by the slot machine licensee using the slot machine licensee's
player tracking system.
(10)
Procedures for the retention, tracking and payment of the value of unredeemed
gaming vouchers to the State Treasurer as required by Article XIII.1 of The
Fiscal Code (72 P. S. §§
1301.1-1301.28a) regarding the
disposition of abandoned and unclaimed property.
(e) The system of internal controls required
to be submitted and approved by the Board under subsection (d) must also
include the procedures to be applied in the following instances:
(1) The slot machine licensee chooses to pay
a patron the value of a gaming voucher notwithstanding the fact that the gaming
voucher system is inoperable rendering it unable to determine the validity of
the gaming voucher at the time of payment.
(2) The slot machine licensee chooses to pay
a patron the value of a gaming voucher notwithstanding the fact that the gaming
voucher system failed to verify and electronically cancel the gaming voucher
when it was scanned.
(f)
At the end of each gaming day, the gaming voucher system must generate reports
and the reports must be provided to the finance department, either directly by
the system or through the information technology department. The report, at a
minimum, must contain the following information:
(1) A report of all gaming vouchers that have
been issued which includes the asset number and the serial number of the slot
machine, and the value, date and time of issuance of each gaming
voucher.
(2) A report of all gaming
vouchers that have been redeemed and cancelled by redemption location,
including the asset number of the slot machine or location if other than a slot
machine, the serial number, the value, date and time of redemption for each
voucher, the total value of all gaming vouchers redeemed at slot machines, and
the total value of all gaming vouchers redeemed at locations other than slot
machines.
(3) The unredeemed
liability for gaming vouchers.
(4)
The readings on gaming voucher related slot machine meters and a comparison of
the readings to the number and value of issued and redeemed gaming vouchers, as
applicable.
(5) Exception reports
and audit logs.
(g) A
slot machine licensee shall immediately report to the Board evidence that a
gaming voucher has been counterfeited, tampered with, or altered in any way
which would affect the integrity, fairness, reliability or suitability of the
gaming voucher.
(h) Upon
presentation of a gaming voucher for redemption at a slot machine, fully
automated electronic gaming table or electronic wagering terminal, the total
value of which gaming voucher cannot be completely converted into an equivalent
value of credits that match the denomination of the slot machine, fully
automated electronic gaming table or electronic wagering terminal, the slot
machine, fully automated electronic gaming table or electronic wagering
terminal must perform one of the following procedures:
(1) Automatically issue a new gaming voucher
containing the value that cannot be completely converted.
(2) Not redeem the gaming voucher and
immediately return the gaming voucher to the patron.
(3) Allow for the additional accumulation of
credits on an odd cents meter or a meter that displays the value in dollars and
cents.
(i) A slot machine
licensee that utilizes a system or a slot machine that does not print a test
gaming voucher that is visually distinguishable from a valid gaming voucher
whenever the slot machine is tested on the gaming floor must have in place
internal controls approved by the Board under §
465a.2 for the issuance of test
currency from the cashiers' cage and the return and reconciliation of the test
currency and any gaming vouchers printed during the testing process.
(j) Except as provided in subsection (n) with
regard to employee redemption of gaming vouchers, a gaming voucher shall be
redeemed by a patron for a specific value of cash, slot machine credits, or, at
the request of the patron, a check issued by the slot machine licensee in the
amount of the gaming voucher surrendered. Notwithstanding the forgoing, a slot
machine licensee may not permit a gaming voucher that is presented for
redemption to be redeemed if it knows, or has reason to know, that the gaming
voucher:
(1) Is materially different from the
sample of the gaming voucher approved by the Board.
(2) Was previously redeemed.
(3) Was printed as a test gaming
voucher.
(k)
Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (j), if a patron requests to
redeem a gaming voucher by mail, the slot machine licensee may effectuate the
redemption. However, the gaming voucher may only be redeemed by a cage
supervisor in accordance with internal controls approved by the Board under
§
465a.2, which include the
following:
(1) Procedures for using the
gaming voucher system to verify the validity of the serial number and value of
the voucher, which, if valid, must be immediately cancelled electronically by
the system.
(2) Procedures for the
issuance of a check equal to the value of the voucher.
(l) Gaming vouchers redeemed at cashiering
locations shall be transferred to the finance department on a daily basis.
Gaming vouchers redeemed by slot machines, fully automated electronic gaming
tables and electronic wagering terminals shall be counted in the count room and
forwarded to the finance department upon the conclusion of the count process.
Gaming vouchers redeemed at automated gaming voucher redemption machines shall
be forwarded to finance upon the conclusion of the cashiers' cage
reconciliation process. Finance department representatives with no incompatible
functions shall perform, at a minimum, the following:
(1) On a daily basis:
(i) Compare gaming voucher system report data
to any count room system report data available for that gaming day to ensure
proper electronic cancellation of the gaming voucher.
(ii) Calculate the unredeemed liability for
gaming vouchers, either manually or by means of the gaming voucher
system.
(2) On a weekly
basis, compare appropriate slot machine meter readings to the number and value
of issued and redeemed gaming vouchers per the gaming voucher system. Meter
readings obtained through a slot monitoring system may be utilized to complete
this comparison.
(m) A
slot machine licensee shall provide written notice to the Bureau of Gaming
Laboratory Operations of any adjustment to the value of any gaming voucher. The
notice shall be made prior to, or concurrent with, the adjustment.
(n) Employees of a slot machine licensee who
are authorized to receive gratuities under §
465a.19 (relating to acceptance of
tips or gratuities from patrons) may only redeem gaming vouchers given as
gratuities at a cashiers' cage. Gaming vouchers valued at more than $100 shall
only be redeemed at the cashiers' cage with the approval of the supervisor of
the cashier conducting the redemption transaction.
(o) A gaming voucher system must be
configured to alert a slot machine licensee to any malfunction. Following a
malfunction of a system, a slot machine licensee shall notify the Bureau of
Gaming Laboratory Operations and the casino compliance representatives at the
licensed facility within 24 hours of the malfunction and may not utilize the
system until the malfunction has been successfully eliminated. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Bureau of Gaming Laboratory Operations may permit a slot
machine licensee to utilize the system prior to its being successfully
restored, for a period not to exceed 72 hours, provided that:
(1) The malfunction is limited to a single
storage media device, such as a hard disk drive.
(2) In addition to the malfunctioning storage
media device, the system contains a backup storage media device not utilized in
the normal operation of the system. The backup device must immediately and
automatically replace the malfunctioning device to permit a complete and prompt
recovery of all information in the event of an additional
malfunction.
(3) Continued use of
the malfunctioning system would not inhibit the ability to perform a complete
and prompt recovery of all information, and would not otherwise harm or affect
the normal operation of the system.
(p) Other than a modification to a gaming
voucher system required on an emergency basis to prevent cheating or
malfunction and approved by the Board under §
461a.4(m), a
modification to a gaming voucher system may not be installed without the gaming
voucher system having undergone the testing and approval process required under
§
461a.4.
Notes
The provisions of this § 461a.8 amended under 4 Pa.C.S. §§ 1202, 1207, 13A 02(1), (2), (2.1), (4) and (6), 13A25(c), 13A62(a), 1321 and 1322.
This section cited in 58 Pa. Code § 465a.19 (relating to acceptance of tips or gratuities from patrons).
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