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Panel backs lump sum payment of poker fees
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Posted on Jul 11 2005
The House Ways and Means Committee favors the lump sum payment of poker and other amusement machine license fees to ensure effective monitoring of the industry and boost revenues.
Based on Public Law 13-33, owners of poker machines are currently allowed to pay the fees on a quarterly basis “and that has quadrupled the amount of effort, especially manpower, to track and monitor the status of license and location if each individual machine,” said the committee in its report on House Bill 14-267, the proposed Poker and Amusement Machines Control and Regulation Act.
Bringing back the annual payment of the license fee payment as opposed to the quarterly method would result in significant savings in both administrative and enforcement manpower, “as well as significantly improve the cash flow in the general fund,” it said.
Further, the committee, chaired by Rep. Norman S. Palacios, said the bill provides for a more detailed record-keeping requirement and accountability to ensure accurate and timely payment of applicable taxes.
At the minimum, it said that the operator would be required to maintain certain critical information on the operation of the machines, “which must be reviewed and certified by independent certified public accountants as to their correctness.”
The bill also provides a registration system for all machines.
A registration fee of $100 would be assessed per machine.
More, the bill aims to create an Amusement Enforcement Fund to defray the cost in enforcing laws as well as the creation of a Poker Addiction Counseling and Rehabilitation Fund to provide counseling services for concerned individuals.
The bill, authored by Rep. Clyde Norita, is under discussion at the House of Representation.
