Virginia Law

A. A qualified organization shall only manage, operate, and conduct a poker tournament after a permit has been issued pursuant to 11VAC20-20-20 by the department. A qualified organization that contracts with an operator that is registered pursuant to 11VAC20-30-50 shall obtain a permit prior to the operator administering a poker tournament.

B. A person shall only administer a poker tournament for a qualified organization permitted by the department pursuant to 11VAC20-20-20 and shall only administer a poker tournament after the person is registered pursuant to 11VAC20-30-50.

C. A qualified organization's game managers, volunteer game workers, dealers, charitable host representatives, or the immediate family members or persons residing in the household of a qualified organization's game managers, volunteer game workers, dealers, or charitable host representatives shall not participate as a player or otherwise play in the poker tournament in which they served as a game manager, volunteer game worker, dealer, or charitable host representative conducted by or administered for the organization.

D. The qualified organization shall ensure an operator's directors; officers; owners; partners; tournament managers; employees; independent contractors; volunteers; agents; or the immediate family members or persons residing in the household of an operator's directors, officers, owners, partners, tournament managers, employees, independent contractors, volunteers, or agents do not participate as a player or otherwise play in the poker tournament for which the operator is contracted to administer. The qualified organization, in its sole discretion, may prohibit dealers of the contracted operator from playing in any tournament that the operator conducts for the qualified organization. The qualified organization shall ensure that no dealer plays in a tournament in which that dealer was employed to deal, a tournament conducted concurrently with one in which that dealer is employed to deal, or within 48 hours of any shift. The qualified organization shall ensure that an operator's dealers or the dealer's immediate family member do not participate as a player or otherwise play in the qualified organization's tournament when working as a dealer.

E. A qualified organization is responsible for all actions performed by its game managers, volunteer game workers, dealers, and charitable host representatives. If a qualified organization contracts with an operator to administer its poker tournament, the qualified organization is responsible for ensuring the poker tournament is administered in compliance with the Charitable Gaming Law, this chapter, and 11VAC20-20.

F.

A qualified organization shall ensure that all persons, including the operator's employees, independent contractors, volunteers, or agents, involved in the management, operation, conduct, or administration of a poker tournament are trained in the use of any equipment, on the policies and procedures relevant to the person's function, on the person's responsibilities, on the poker game, and on the Charitable Gaming Law, this chapter, and 11VAC20-20. All training courses shall be approved in advance by the department.

Any person who will serve as a dealer shall be trained, at a minimum, in the following:

1. Procedures for opening and closing tables for the poker tournament, including the proper security procedures regarding poker chip inventories;

2. Procedures for distributing and removing gaming chips and plaques from the poker tournament table;

3. Procedures for accepting cash at the poker tournament table;

4. Procedures for shift changes at the poker tournament table;

5. Procedures for the proper placement of wagers by players and the proper collection of losing wagers and payment of winning wagers; and

6. Recognizing problem and compulsive gamblers at poker tournaments and procedures for informing supervisory personnel.

Before any person who will serve as a dealer is allowed to deal at a poker tournament, the prospective dealer must pass a table test. A table test shall consist of the dealer demonstrating proficiency prior to the poker tournament to the satisfaction of the game manager or tournament manager. The qualified organization shall ensure the completion of the training required by this subsection and the successful completion of the table test by the prospective dealer. Such completion shall be documented, maintained, and available for inspection by the department, at its request.

G. The qualified organization shall be responsible for ensuring all house rules are followed during the poker tournament, including those house rules administered by an operator.

H. If a qualified organization is managing, operating, and conducting its own poker tournament, then a game manager must be physically present during the entire duration of the poker tournament. If an operator is administering a qualified organization's poker tournament, then the charitable host representative must be physically present during the entire duration of the poker tournament and ensure the tournament manager is physically present during the entire duration of the poker tournament.

I. If a qualified organization is managing, operating, and conducting its own poker tournament, then a game manager shall complete and sign a poker tournament reconciliation form within the 48 hours following the end of the poker tournament, as required by 11VAC20-30-100. If an operator is administering a qualified organization's poker tournament, then the charitable host representative shall complete a poker tournament reconciliation form, sign it, and ensure the tournament manager signs it within the 48 hours following the end of the poker tournament as required by 11VAC20-30-100.

J. All persons involved in managing, operating, conducting, or administering a poker tournament shall be 18 years of age or older.

K. During a poker tournament managed, operated, and conducted by a qualified organization or administered by an operator on behalf of the qualified organization, no other gambling or gaming may take place within the rooms used to manage, operate, conduct, or administer the poker tournament.

L. During a poker tournament held by a qualified organization, no person may use currency, a token that is not an authorized tournament chip, or other thing of value as a wager.

M. The qualified organization shall be responsible for ensuring that all poker tournaments use human dealers and that the dealers are in the same physical location as all of the players.

N. Players must be physically present and seated at the poker table to play.