REFERENCE TITLE: problem gambling; event wagering; appropriation

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-sixth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2024

SB 1727

Introduced by

Senator Gonzales

An Act

amending section 5-1318, Arizona Revised Statutes; appropriating monies; relating to gaming.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 5-1318, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE5-1318. Fees; event wagering fund

A. The department shall establish a fee for the privilege of operating event wagering. In determining the fee, the department shall consider the highest percentage of revenue share that an Indian tribe pays to this state pursuant to the tribal-state gaming compact. The fee may not exceed ten percent of the event wagering operator's adjusted gross event wagering receipts. The event wagering operator or designee has the option to choose either the cash accrual or modified accrual basis method of accounting for purposes of calculating the amount of the fee owed by the event wagering operator or designee. The fees required pursuant to this section are due and payable to the department not later than the twenty-fifth day of the month following the calendar month in which the adjusted gross event wagering receipts were received and the obligation was accrued.

B. The event wagering fund is established consisting of monies deposited pursuant to this chapter, fees deposited pursuant to subsection d of this section or from any other source. The department shall administer the fund. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the department shall deposit, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, all monies collected under this chapter in the event wagering fund.  On or before the twenty-fifth of each month, ninety percent of the monies deposited in the event wagering fund from the previous month shall be transferred to the state general fund.  On notice from the department, the state treasurer shall invest and divest monies in the fund as provided by section 35-313, and monies earned from investment shall be credited to the fund.

C. Unless otherwise determined by the legislature, the department may spend not more than ten percent of monies on the department's annual costs of regulating and enforcing this chapter.

d. The department shall require each event wagering operator that is licensed to operate mobile and retail event wagering pursuant to section 5-1304, subsection a, paragraph 1 to pay an annual problem gambling fee of not less than three percent of each event wagering operator's annual adjusted gross event wagering receipts. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Appropriation; 2024-2025; department of gaming; exemption

A. The sum of $1,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2024-2025 to the department of gaming division of problem gambling to support problem gambling treatment and programs.

B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.