Title
Consider a resolution, as a requirement of House Bill 914, that provides notice to the Texas Lottery Commission that the City of Round Rock intends to continue to receive the portion of bingo prizes that the City is entitled to receive.
Body
House Bill (HB) 914 imposed by the Texas 86th Legislature, provides that in order to continue to receive the City’s share of the bingo prizes that it is entitled to, the governing body must do the following:
1. Approve the continued receipt of the share of bingo prize fees funds by a majority vote;
2. Notify the Texas Lottery Commission (Commission) of that decision no later than November 1, 2019; and
3. Notify each licensed authorized organization within the City’s jurisdiction of the continued imposition of the fee.
If the City does not vote and notify the Commission by November 1, 2019, it will forfeit its right to receive prize fees generated by bingo permanently.
Williamson County will also vote and notify the Commission that they voted to continue to receive their portion of the bingo prizes.
Licensed authorized organizations collect from a person who wins a cash bingo prize of more than $5 a fee in the amount of 5% of that amount. The Commission receives 50% of the fee and the rest is distributed to the county or municipality that imposes the prize fee. The City of Round Rock and Williamson County equally share the remaining 50%.
There are currently seven organizations that have a license to conduct a bingo game in the city limits of Round Rock. The City collected approximately $30,000 in bingo prize fees in fiscal year 2018.
Another change effective January 1, 2020 will require licensed organizations conducting bingo in the City to remit directly to the City the prize fees the organization collects on a quarterly basis. Prior to January 1, 2020, the fees were first sent to the Commission and the City received a disbursement at the end of the fiscal year from the Commission. The Commission is cre...
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