61D-7.020. Pari-Mutuels

(1) Win, Place and Show wagers may not be sold in less than $1 denominations, and may be sold only in $1 increments. A minimum base bet of at least .10 U.S. dollars (ten cents), and any increment greater, may be sold by a Florida permitholder or commingled into a Florida host permitholder’s pools by an out-of-state guest for exotic wagers only.

(a) Foreign guests’ pools may be commingled into a Florida host permitholder’s pools utilizing a currency conversion formula that may result in fractional monetary amounts, provided that the Florida host’s established minimum individual bet unit values shall be followed by such guests.

(b) Wagers from foreign sites commingling with the on-track pari-mutuel pool shall be converted to U.S. currency by the guest track, using the exchange rate as of 12:00 p.m. the prior day as established by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, for the current day’s races or games.

(2) A permitholder that serves as a totalisator hub shall provide a work area for use by division personnel. The work area shall be located adjacent to or within a reasonable proximity to the totalisator room, and provide visibility of the tote console, printer, and field totalisator boards. The work area shall include functioning power outlets and adequate space for locking file cabinets or other storage facility that can store records for a period of one year. State personnel shall have possession of any keys or combinations required to access storage facilities used for storing state equipment or records. Where the totalisator is located at a site other than a pari-mutuel facility, the responsibilities of this paragraph shall be borne by the totalisator company.

(3) All permitholders shall inform the patrons through the official program or shall post conspicuously throughout the facility the location and availability of the State of Florida pari-mutuel rules and statutes for their examination. Each permitholder shall provide a current version of the pari-mutuel rules and statutes for patron examination at a convenient location on the permitholder’s premises.

(4) The permitholder shall ensure that no minor is allowed to:

(a) Wager or cash tickets;

(b) Use patron operated wagering devices; or

(c) Participate in account betting.

(5)(a) No pari-mutuel tickets shall be sold except through properly designated totalisator terminals or via the following authorized methods:

1. Advanced and future bets;

2. Account betting;

3. Betting utilizing credit vouchers; and

4. Betting utilizing portable terminals.

(b) All ticket sales shall be for cash or cash equivalent.

(6) The duty of the licensed pari-mutuel tellers shall not be compromised and they shall not at any time serve as an agent or an employee of a patron with respect to pari-mutuel wagering. The permitholders shall inform their tellers of this and all applicable rules and statutes.

(7) Payment of winning and refundable pari-mutuel tickets shall be made only upon presentation and surrender of the tickets. Damaged tickets with complete and legible identification numbers or bar codes may be honored without presentation of a formal claim. Attempting to redeem or possession of a false, altered, or adulterated ticket shall be a violation of these rules.

(8) Any claim by a person that a wrong ticket has been delivered to him must be made prior to the stop bet command being issued for the race for which the wrong ticket was sold.

(9) No later than the opening of the starting box at greyhound tracks, all pari-mutuel machines shall be locked by the division judge via a control linked to the totalisator system.

(10) No later than the opening of the starting gate at thoroughbred tracks or crossing of the starting line at harness tracks, all pari-mutuel machines shall be locked by the state steward via a control linked to the totalisator system.

(11) As an alternate emergency procedure, if the division judge or steward fails to close pari-mutuel wagering, it shall become the responsibility of the permitholder’s judges or stewards. A report of such circumstances shall be made to the division within 48 hours by all the participating judges or stewards.

(12) At the start of the first serve motion in any jai alai game, the outcome upon which pari-mutuel wagers are made, all pari-mutuel machines shall be locked by the permitholder’s announcer via a control linked to the totalisator system.

(13) As an alternate emergency procedure, in any jai alai game, if the permitholder’s announcer fails to close pari-mutuel wagering, it shall become the responsibility of the permitholder's pari-mutuel manager. The participating announcer and pari-mutuel manager shall make a report of such circumstances to the division within 48 hours.

(14) If, then, the permitholder’s judges, stewards, jai alai announcer, or pari-mutuel manager fail to close the wagering or if the command is issued but fails to take hold, the responsibility shall fall to the totalisator operator at the facility conducting the live event or importing the contest from out of state as a primary guest. For this purpose the totalisator operator shall have the ability to monitor each contest being conducted live, or imported if a primary guest, at that facility.

(15) The totalisator system shall be capable of identifying the source of the stop bet command and shall log the origin automatically.

(16) Upon investigation, any wager which has been determined to have been purchased after the contest has started shall be disallowed and the bettor will not receive any winnings related to the disallowed wager. The disallowed winnings shall be treated as an underpayment to the public and within seven days of the incident shall be added into the net wagering pool chosen by the permitholder and approved by the division. The add-in must be done prior to the stop bet of the race and the pool matrix shall not be affected in any way. If the addition to the pool is not possible because of the end of the meet, the underpayment shall be carried over to the next meet and added to the first performance.

(17) Each permitholder must install and maintain in good working order a suitable communications system between the totalisator room and state judge’s/steward’s stand, or the announcer stand in jai alai and the office of mutuel operations.

(18) With respect to the operation of the mutuels department, should any emergency arise not covered by these rules and an immediate decision is necessary, the Mutuels Manager shall make the decision and render a written report to the division within 48 hours concerning the incident.

(19) Each permitholder that participates in account wagering or utilizes walk-around terminals or self-service terminals, at least seven days prior to implementation, shall provide to the division a copy of the operational procedures for each method of wagering. Such procedures shall include detailed information of any system interfaces within the totalisator system, procedures of how tickets are purchased and cashed, and the security controls for this system of wagering.

Specific Authority 550.0251(3), (7), 550.105(2)(b), 550.155(1), 550.3551(10), 550.495(4), 550.6305(5) FS. Law Implemented 550.0251, 550.0425, 550.105, 550.155, 550.495, 550.70 FS. History–New 10-20-96, Amended 12-15-97, 2-24-03, 9-19-04, 1-10-08.