Module Three Conducting A Bingo Occasion

Conducting a Bingo Occasion What You Need to Know

Module Three Revised March 30, 2011

Did You Know? ANY occasion of bingo, either conducting under a Regular (annual) license or under a Temporary license, can be just PULLTAB Bingo game sales ONLY? You do NOT have to conduct “regular bingo”; you can have a bingo session selling ONLY pulltabs! See Administrative Rule 402.403

Operator on Duty Sign Any questions, comments or complaints regarding the conduct of this bingo occasion should be directed to the Operator on duty: Stephen Powell, White Owls Lodge 3412 If you are not satisfied with the response given by the Operator on duty, you have the right to contact the Texas Lottery Commission at 1-800-BINGO-77 and file a formal complaint.

Correct!

Key language: “the Operator on Duty”.

White Owls Lodge 3412 Any questions, comments or complaints regarding the conduct of this bingo occasion should be directed to the Operators on duty: Stephen Powell Mary Ann Tidwell Alicia Moreno Arnulfo Rosario Billy Wolfson Jack Sparrow Thomas Aquinas If you are not satisfied with the response given by the Operator on duty, you have the right to contact the Texas Lottery Commission at 1-800-BINGO-77 and file a formal complaint.

Incorrect! Administrative Rule 402.200(i)(3)

Selling & Redeeming

•Sell paper for occasion A or B only if respective occasion operator is present

Before 6:00 pm

6:00 pm Occasion A *

10:00 pm

Occasion B * 11:45 pm After11:45 pm

NO intermission necessary between occasions * If the same licensed organization is running Occasion A and B, or two unit members from the same bingo unit, then pull-tabs may sold and redeemed in Occasion A or B.

•Sell paper for occasion A or B •Sell pulltabs for occasion A only •Pay winners for occasion A regular games or pulltab games only •Sell paper for occasion B only •Sell pulltabs for occasion B only •Pay winners for occasion B regular games or pulltab games only •No paper sales or redemption of pulltabs past 11:45pm—end of second occasion. •Concluding activities: inventory and paperwork

On Hand, Available for Patrons? •Paper copies very difficult to keep current due to HB1474 changes and adoption of many new administrative rules. •A solution may be to keep access to the online (most current) version by having a computer or laptop in the bingo hall. If patrons ask, you are ready…. Administrative Rule 402.200(i)(1)

House Rules

House Rules

House Rules • Having effective, well-written and complete house rules that address situations in your bingo hall will help bingo operations run much smoother and prevent potential problems

House Rules  House rule inform players in detail how games will be

conducted  Adopt house rules developed by officers  Adhere to house rules during all bingo occasions  House rules must be made available to anyone upon

request  Post house rules where they are visible to all players  Publish some house rules on game schedule

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Announce certain rules prior to occasion

Some House Rules Recommendations • • • •

Organization’s Name and Effective Date of rules Definition of a valid bingo Process of determining the winner of a bingo game Procedure for handling multiple winners of a bingo game • Maximum prize limits allowed by law • Consequences for unacceptable behavior such as profanity or disruptive activities • Minimum purchase required, if any • Details of event games to be played • When during the occasion • How the event will be conducted • Alternate plan for awarding event tab prize not claimed

Some House Rules Recommendations • Must be present to win • Contingency plan for inclement weather, power outages, equipment failure • Low attendance • Age limits • Pricing of paper, sets and electronics • Alternate prize amounts

Some House Rules Recommendations

• All policies and procedures adopted by your organization that may be considered unusual. • A person may not be denied admission because of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or membership status in an organization.

Some House Rules Recommendations • Policy regarding table reservations • Policy regarding reserving unloaded cardminders • Address and phone number where complaints may be filed • Acceptable payment options • Returned check policy • Refund policy

Regulations Related to House Rules  Bingo cards may not be reserved.  Card-minders that have been loaded or are pre-loaded may not be reserved.  Illegal gambling is prohibited.  Anyone caught knowingly participating in the awarding of a prize in a manner that disregards the random selection of numbers or symbols shall be prosecuted.

That’s A Lot To Remember! • Just remember to go back to your organization and re-evaluate your house rules to make sure they cover everything. •You have 8 slides in this module to remind you of what should be included •There is a “checklist” available on the Bingo website to help you review your house rules • Remember from Module One, House Rule deficiencies and lack of written procedures are a fairly common audit finding

Bingo Workers • Only registered workers and provisional workers may act as an operator, manager, cashier, usher, caller or salesperson for the bingo occasion. • No person under the age of 18 may conduct or assist with the conduct of bingo.

Bingo Workers

10 • When hiring a new worker, discuss the criminal background check requirement. • Persons convicted of a felony, gambling offense, criminal fraud or a crime of moral turpitude that ten years has not passed since the termination of their sentence, parole, mandatory supervision or community supervision served for that offense are not eligible to be a registered worker

Bingo Workers •

A worker can apply for the Registry by completing a Texas Application for Registry of Approved Bingo Workers form

•

The normal processing time is approximately 5 days if the worker does not have a criminal background that must be researched

Working Without Being On The Registry Or Documented As Provisional Employment • Persons who work without being listed on the Registry will be prohibited from working for one year. • Organizations may only pay a worker that is registered* at the time of service. (* or filed for provisional employment)

Workers Can’t Play; Players Can’t Work • No person may play bingo if they are conducting or assisting in the conduct of the occasion • Exceptions might include non-bingo employees such as snack bar workers • Ask yourself how would your patrons react to bingo workers winning?

Prizes • Prize limits for regular bingo • $2,500 per occasion • $750 for a single game

• Merchandise prizes must be valued at current retail price

PRIZE FEE Collection! A licensed authorized organization shall: • Collect the 5% prize fee on bingo prizes of more than $5 • Optional to the organization not to collect from winners the 5% prize fee for prizes $5 or less.

• Must remit to the commission a fee in the amount of 5% of the value of all bingo prizes awarded. Citation: Section 2001.501(1),(2)

Read This Carefully!

Reservations WATCH OUT ! Also ensure that your license or letter of authority authorizing the game is posted.

• Do not reserve bingo paper or loaded card minding devices (computers)

Inventory = Your Money • Count and record inventory to be sold including all bingo paper, instant and event pull-tabs. • Prepare, count, and record inventory for individual floor sales workers/ushers. Boring to talk about…but critical to accurate records

Inventory for Sale • Verify that the bingo inventory belongs to your organization

Petty Ca$h • Count and record beginning petty cash amount. • Recommended: Two individuals count and verify Remember, Bingo generates over $600 million in gross receipts annually—That is a lot of cash!

Preparing for a Bingo Occasion • Begin an Occasion Schedule of Prizes. • Record key data listed on the form for each game

Keeping Bingo Fair • Inform all players – possibly on game schedule: • Games to be played • Order in which games will be played • Patterns needed to win • Prize(s) for each game • If prize payout is based on sales or attendance • Price of each type of bingo card offered for sale

• Announce any changes to information given

Keeping Bingo Fair • Inform all players prior to the play of a bingo event ticket: • How the game will be played • How the winners will be determined

• Inspect* prior to the first game to ensure proper working order of: • Bingo balls and bingo cards – all present and undamaged • Bingo console and flashboard • Sound System *Pre-game inspection and record of inspection by registered worker required per Rule 402.200 effective November 19,2008

Avoid the appearance of wrongdoing • Workers playing • Workers winning • Workers unfairly assisting friends, family or others to win and sharing the prize winnings • Workers signaling the caller for numbers needed to win Players file these types of complaints frequently when they suspect the games are not fair.

WHAT are these two talking about?

Count Attendance • Accurately count the number of persons attending the bingo occasion and record it on your Occasion Cash Report. • It is important—shows success of games, advertising, promotions and popularity of hall

Winner Verification • Winners must be verified before prize(s) are awarded. • Verification methods.

• Posting winning cards.

Verification of Numbers Drawn • A player can request verification of the numbers drawn and verification of the balls remaining in the blower and not drawn at the time a winner is determined. • Verification must take place in front of the operator, the player requesting the verification and one or more other players. • Make sure the Verification process is made known to your players. See Administrative Rule 402.200

Equipment Problems • If a problem is discovered with the bingo balls or equipment while the game is still in progress, the game should be voided and must be replayed. • Each player should be allowed to replay the bingo cards previously purchased. • If a problem is discovered with the bingo balls or equipment after the game has been closed, the organization should follow their established procedures in accordance with your house rules. See Administrative Rule 402.200(c)(6)

Caller Errors • A game may be reconstructed when the error was discovered prior to the close of the game. It is the operator on duty who will determine if the game can be reconstructed. • A game that can be reconstruction will continue recalling from the point of the error. • A game that cannot be reconstruction is declared void and replayed during the same occasion. • A problem discovered after the game has closed should be handled in accordance with your house rules. • Administrative Rule 402.200(c)(6) requires organizations to establish and adhere to written procedures concerning improper ball calls and other problems during the bingo occasion. Do You Have Yours?

Critical Phase: Concluding Paperwork • Tracking sales, prizes, inventory, cash, gift certificates… • All must be documented and accounted for.

Concluding Paperwork: Each Worker • Count and record the amount of inventory sold • Count the money • Verify beginning, ending and return amounts of inventory

Amount of Paper x Price of Paper Money

• Ring-up the total paper and total instant bingo sales and record them on the Occasion Cash Report

Concluding Paperwork • “Z” out the register tape to get a total for each type of paper sales • Count the inventory not sold for each type of paper and record that number on the Occasion Cash Report • Determine the inventory sold and multiply it by the price of each type of paper

Beginning Balance minus Inventory Not Sold = Inventory Sold

Inventory Sold x Price for Paper Total Sales for Each Paper Type

Concluding Paperwork • Enter the amount of electronic sales. • Add the total electronic, total regular, and the total instant sales to get the total gross sales and enter it on the Occasion Cash Report.

Concluding Paperwork •

Total all regular bingo and instant bingo prize amounts, prize fee and net payouts.

•

Record the total regular and instant prizes and prize fees withheld on the Occasion Cash Report.

•

On the Occasion Cash Report, subtract the total regular and instant prizes from the total electronic, regular bingo and instant bingo sales to get the net sales.

•

Ensure that gift certificates taken during the occasion are reimbursed and the money is in the register.

Concluding Paperwork • Enter the beginning petty cash amount on the report • Add the net sales, prize fees withheld and the beginning petty cash to get the total cash available amount • Verify the amount in the register by counting all cash and checks and record as the total cash on hand on the report

Concluding Paperwork • The amount calculated for the paper, electronic, and pull-tab sales using inventory figures should equal the amount of cash from sales. • Do not assume the cash count is the amount of paper, instant and electronic sales.

Concluding Paperwork • If the total cash available does not match the total cash on hand, the difference should be found and accounted for. • Any difference that cannot be accounted for should be entered on the cash over/short line on the Occasion Cash Report. • Enter the net deposit by subtracting the ending petty cash amount from the total cash on hand.

Concluding Paperwork

• Make out the deposit slip and place the money with the slip in the money bag for deposit and lock the bag • Gather up the paperwork and file it in a safe place

Deposits

• All funds from the conduct of bingo, less cash prizes, must be deposited into the bingo account. • All deposits must be made no later than the second business day after the day of the bingo occasion of whose receipts they are. • An organization cannot comingle their bingo gross receipts with any other funds of the organization.

BINGO CONTROLS

Minimizing Theft Opportunities :

 Reconcile cash after each occasion

 Provide cash register receipts to

patrons  Have two workers count the beginning

& ending cash amounts  Record correct prize amounts

Minimizing Theft Opportunities 

Have an officer verify invoices or receipts for every check written

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Have a written contract for goods and services

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Have workers sign in each night indicating the position worked

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Have written procedures

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Let employees know that there will be consequences for missing cash

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Separate duties – the person making the deposit should not be the same person maintaining the records

Safeguarding Your Inventory •

Verify inventory received

•

Keep inventory records current

•

Conduct frequent inventory counts

•

Limit access to inventory

•

Segregate duties involving sales and inventory recordkeeping

Member Involvement • Get as many members involved as possible • Give board members a bingo report at least on a quarterly basis • Initiate internal and external audits

LEGAL OFFENSES

3rd Degree Felony ?? Class A, B, C Misdemeanor??

Red Flags!    

Shortages/overages Late deposits Lost deposits Too many refunds and voided sales on the cash register  Over billing for expenses