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92_HB4169 LRB9213637LDtm 1 AN ACT in relation to gambling. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Bingo License and Tax Act is amended by 5 changing Section 1 as follows: 6 (230 ILCS 25/1) (from Ch. 120, par. 1101) 7 Sec. 1. The Department of Revenue shall, upon 8 application therefor on forms prescribed by such Department, 9 and upon the payment of an annual fee of $200, and upon a 10 determination by the Department that the applicant meets all 11 of the qualifications specified in this Section, issue a 12 license for the conducting of bingo to any bona fide 13 religious, charitable, labor, fraternal, youth athletic, 14 senior citizen, educational or veterans' organization 15 organized in Illinois which operates without profit to its 16 members, which has been in existence in Illinois continuously 17 for a period of 5 years immediately before making application 18 for a license and which has had during that entire 5 year 19 period a bona fide membership engaged in carrying out its 20 objects. However, the 5 year requirement shall be reduced to 21 2 years, as applied to a local organization which is 22 affiliated with and chartered by a national organization 23 which meets the 5 year requirement. Each license expires at 24 midnight, June 30 following its date of issuance, except 25 that, beginning with applicants whose licenses expire on June 26 30, 1983, the Department shall stagger license expiration 27 dates by dividing the applicants into 4 groups which are 28 substantially equal in number. Licenses issued and license 29 fees charged to applicants in each group shall be in 30 accordance with the following schedule: 31 Group No. License Expiration Date Fee -2- LRB9213637LDtm 1 1 December 31, 1983 $100 2 2 March 31, 1984 $150 3 3 June 30, 1984 $200 4 4 September 30, 1984 $250 5 Following expiration under this schedule, each renewed 6 license shall be in effect for one year from its date of 7 issuance unless suspended or revoked by Department action 8 before that date. After June 30, 1983, every new license 9 shall expire one year from the date of issuance unless 10 suspended or revoked. A licensee may hold only one license 11 and that license is valid for only one location. 12 For purposes of this Act, the following definitions 13 apply: "Organization": A corporation, agency, partnership, 14 association, firm or other entity consisting of 2 or more 15 persons joined by a common interest or purpose. "Non-profit 16 organization": An organization or institution organized and 17 conducted on a not-for-profit basis with no personal profit 18 inuring to any one as a result of the operation. "Charitable 19 organization": An organization or institution organized and 20 operated to benefit an indefinite number of the public. 21 "Educational organization": An organization or institution 22 organized and operated to provide systematic instruction in 23 useful branches of learning by methods common to schools and 24 institutions of learning which compare favorably in their 25 scope and intensity with the course of study presented in 26 tax-supported schools. "Religious organization": Any church, 27 congregation, society, or organization founded for the 28 purpose of religious worship. "Fraternal organization": An 29 organization of persons, including but not limited to ethnic 30 organizations, having a common interest, organized and 31 operated exclusively to promote the welfare of its members 32 and to benefit the general public on a continuing and 33 consistent basis. "Veterans organization": An organization 34 comprised of members of which substantially all are -3- LRB9213637LDtm 1 individuals who are veterans or spouses, widows, or widowers 2 of veterans, the primary purpose of which is to promote the 3 welfare of its members and to provide assistance to the 4 general public in such a way as to confer a public benefit. 5 "Labor organization": An organization composed of labor 6 unions or workers organized with the objective of betterment 7 of the conditions of those engaged in such pursuit and the 8 development of a higher degree of efficiency in their 9 respective occupations. "Youth athletic organization": An 10 organization having as its exclusive purpose the promotion 11 and provision of athletic activities for youth aged 18 and 12 under. "Senior citizens organization": An organization or 13 association comprised of members of which substantially all 14 are individuals who are senior citizens, as defined in 15 Section 3.05 of the Illinois Act on the Aging, the primary 16 purpose of which is to promote the welfare of its members. 17 Licensing for the conducting of bingo is subject to the 18 following restrictions: 19 (1) The license application, when submitted to the 20 Department of Revenue, must contain a sworn statement 21 attesting to the not-for-profit character of the 22 prospective licensee organization, signed by the 23 presiding officer and the secretary of that organization. 24 (2) The application for license shall be prepared 25 in accordance with the rules of the Department of 26 Revenue. 27 (3) Each license shall state which day of the week 28 and at what location the licensee is permitted to conduct 29 bingo. The Department may, on special application made 30 by any organization having a bingo license, issue a 31 special operator's permit for conducting bingo at other 32 premises and on other days not exceeding 7 consecutive 33 days, except that a licensee may conduct bingo at the 34 Illinois State Fair or any county fair held in Illinois -4- LRB9213637LDtm 1 during each day that the fair is in effect; such bingo 2 games conducted at the Illinois State Fair or a county 3 fair shall not require a special operator's permit. No 4 more than 2 special operator's permits may be issued in 5 one year to any one organization. Any organization, 6 qualified for a license but not holding one, upon 7 application and payment of a $50 fee may receive a 8 limited license to conduct bingo at no more than 2 indoor 9 or outdoor festivals in a year for a maximum of 5 days on 10 each occasion. Such limited license shall be prominently 11 displayed at the site of the bingo games. 12 (4) The licensee shall display a license in a 13 prominent place in the area where it is to conduct bingo. 14 (5) The proceeds from the license fee imposed by 15 this Act shall be paid into the General Revenue Fund of 16 the State Treasury. 17 (6) A license authorizes the licensee to conduct 18 the game commonly known as bingo, in which prizes are 19 awarded on the basis of designated numbers or symbols on 20 a card conforming to numbers or symbols selected at 21 random. 22 (7) The Director has the power to issue or to 23 refuse to issue a license permitting a person, firm or 24 corporation to provide premises for the conduct of bingo; 25 provided, however, that a municipality shall not be 26 required to obtain a license to provide such premises. 27 The fee for such providers' license is $200. A person, 28 firm or corporation holding such a license may receive 29 reasonable expenses for providing premises for conducting 30 bingo. Reasonable expenses shall include only those 31 expenses defined as reasonable by rules promulgated by 32 the Department. 33 (8) The Department may issue restricted licenses to 34 senior citizens organizations. The fee for a restricted -5- LRB9213637LDtm 1 license is $10 per year. Restricted licenses shall be 2 subject to the following conditions: 3 (A) Bingo shall be conducted only at a 4 facility which is owned by a unit of local 5 government to which the corporate authorities have 6 given their approval and which is used to provide 7 social services or a meeting place to senior 8 citizens, or in common areas in multi-unit federally 9 assisted rental housing maintained solely for the 10 elderly and handicapped; 11 (B) The price paid for a single card shall not 12 exceed $15 cents; 13 (C) The aggregate retail value of all prizes 14 or merchandise awarded in any one game of bingo 15 shall not exceed $20$1; 16 (D) No person or organization shall 17 participate in the management or operation of bingo 18 under a restricted license if the person or 19 organization would be ineligible for a license under 20 this Section; 21 (E) No license is required to provide premises 22 for bingo conducted under a restricted license; and 23 (F) The Department may, by rule, exempt 24 restricted licensees from such requirements of this 25 Act as the Department may deem appropriate. 26 The Director has the power to issue a license permitting 27 an Illinois person, firm or corporation to sell, lease or 28 distribute to any organization licensed to conduct bingo 29 games or to any licensed bingo supplier all cards, boards, 30 sheets, markers, pads and all other supplies, devices and 31 equipment designed for use in the play of bingo. No person, 32 firm or corporation shall sell, lease or distribute bingo 33 supplies or equipment without having first obtained a license 34 therefor upon written application made, verified and filed -6- LRB9213637LDtm 1 with the Department in the form prescribed by the rules and 2 regulations of the Department. The fee for such license is 3 $200. 4 Applications for providers' and suppliers' licenses shall 5 be made in writing in accordance with Department rules. Each 6 providers' or suppliers' license is valid for one year from 7 date of issuance, unless suspended or revoked by Department 8 action before that date. 9 The following are ineligible for any license under this 10 Act: 11 (a) any person who has been convicted of a felony; 12 (b) any person who has been convicted of a 13 violation of Article 28 of the "Criminal Code of 1961"; 14 (c) any person found gambling, participating in 15 gambling or knowingly permitting gambling on premises 16 where bingo is being conducted; 17 (d) any firm or corporation in which a person 18 defined in (a), (b) or (c) has a proprietary, equitable 19 or credit interest, or in which such person is active or 20 employed; 21 (e) any organization in which a person defined in 22 (a), (b) or (c) is an officer, director, or employee, 23 whether compensated or not; 24 (f) any organization in which a person defined in 25 (a), (b) or (c) is to participate in the management or 26 operation of a bingo game. 27 (Source: P.A. 87-758.)