MTA considers win ticket 'stale date'
Steve Morris, the Montana Tavern Association representative to the Gaming Advisory Council (GAC), told the MTA board of directors at their quarterly meeting in Helena Nov. 17 the GAC was examining the issue of establishing a time period in which to redeem video gaming machine win tickets. After some discussion the board voted to back a 24-hour redemption proposal.
Morris said when the issue surfaced at the Oct. 23 GAC meeting, concern was expressed primarily over two points: one, that the new thermal-printed tickets are subject to more rapid deterioration than the conventional impact-printed tickets, especially from heat; and, two, that tickets can be more easily duplicated if there is no redemption period.
Morris told the MTA board that the Gaming Industry Association had also adopted a 24-hour redemption recommendation at its meeting one week earlier. He acknowledged that ideally all tickets should be cashed before a player leaves the premises, but that some realistic "courtesy" period for those who might simply forget should be allowed.
Morris also said the GIA position included provisions that a printed line advising players of the redemption period could appear on tickets, but that it would not be mandatory, especially important for previous-generation machines which would require a software upgrade to print such a message; and that the 24-hour redemption policy presented on indoor signage should be sufficient notification under the law.
When the GAC discussed the matter, Gambling Control Division Administrator Rick Ask said the change could be made in statute, or statute could simply be changed to give the Division the authority to establish a "stale-date" in rule. At the same GAC meeting GCD's Jeff Bryson also said a stale-date would be helpful in averting or deciding disputes.
Morris said a GAC subcommittee, working with Gambling Control and the Department of Revenue had successfully devised a highly streamlined license amendment process that essentially involved one simple form and a pared down documents list.
Morris was elected MTA's director to its national affiliate American Beverage Licensees at the September MTA convention and said he recently attended his first ABL board meeting in Kentucky.
Morris, kicking off the national report, said ABL was pushing an initiative to get federal relief from hidden and substantial credit card "interchange" fees which cost retailers in the range of 2 percent per charged sale and which have tripled since 2001. He distributed copies of a flyer and petition to solicit signatures which can be forwarded to ABL and Montana's congressional delegation to encourage them to reign in the onerous fees.
Rep. Harry Klock is the second MTA director to ABL, and he told the board he had been elected to the ABL Executive Committee where a lot of the heavy policy lifting gets done, so MTA would be well positioned in the mix.
He said ABL's finances are "in pretty good shape, better than they've been for awhile." The next ABL convention takes place in Louisville, Ky. June 13-15, he added.
Klock said ABL is following federal legislation dealing with ignition interlocks required after a DUI charge, union "card check" legislation which may have stalled, the 2010 expiration of estate tax rate reductions, federal alcohol excise taxes and more.
He said ABL is eyeing new membership affiliations from Alabama, Tennesee and Nebraska, and is now championing its own "We Don't Serve Teens" campaign.
Darrell Keck, the past MTA director to ABL, said Montana U.S. Sen. Max Baucus deserved credit for getting an alcohol excise tax removed from a recent spending bill. "He stood with us and we should thank him," Keck said.
The national report was accepted by the board.
Mary Jane Heisler, Budget and Finance chairman, reported, "Everything is well in hand, financially; the train is still on the tracks."
She said membership had increased somewhat.
Heisler also said the budget committee had been asked to help purchase poker tables for use by MTA and GIA at their annual convention tournaments. She said she thought five had already been purchased by other entities, yet Darrel Keck moved that MTA be authorized to "purchase up to half of the tables needed." Keck's motion passed.
Heisler said MTA Executive Director Bob Anderson has asked for a $2,200 appropriation "to start" to re-engineer, re-launch and maintain the MTA website. Some discussion ensued and Tom Heisler moved the appropriation be made but be capped at $3,000. The motion passed.
Bobby Lincoln gave the Public Relations Committee report, noting the committee decided to run the "No Dinner/Dinner" raffle again, but with two chances to win for each $100 ticket purchased. He said a December mailer was being prepared to solicit ticket sales and new memberships.
He said his committee recommended honoring a request for a contribution from Grateful Nation, a group working to provide college education for soldiers killed in the Middle East. When presented to Budget, Lincoln said, that committee asked to learn more about Grateful Nation before authorizing funding.
Mark Staples, MTA Government Affairs Counsel, was asked by Legislative and Gambling Committee Chairman Ralph Ferraro to give the committee report.
Staples said the effects of the smoking ban "were all over the map" with some regions and some locations experiencing considerable hardship while others appeared relatively unscathed and some even seeing business improvement.
He said business gaming departments appeared to be down broadly with food and beverage faring better while noting other mitigating factors were at play including a slow economy, flu epidemics and a cold snap in early October.
He noted that when the battle over indoor smoking was at its “end-stage,” the only entities still fighting for business owners were the tavern association and its allies the Gaming Industry Association and the Montana Coin Machine Operators. "When smokers get in your face and ask how you could let this happen, ask them, 'Where were you?''' Staples said.
He reminded the group they were threatened with an initiative much like those that were passing, and have since passed, in many jurisdictions around the country and world, and it was a fight that would have been exceedingly expensive yet, as proven by business polling, futile.
He also reminded the board that "it wasn't the state that did this to you. It was the health organizations and the citizens. Don't blame the Legislature or the Governor; they didn't do it, the public did."
"Compliance has been spectacular," Staples said. "I think the anti-smoking forces are fairly stunned" at how universally and quickly the business community complied. However, if MTA members were experiencing trouble with what they felt were unjust complaints, they should contact his office, he said.
The MTA and local chapters are now working with local governments to assure enforcement and implementation progresses as smoothly as possible, he said. He noted an earlier state health department declaration regarding "electronic cigarettes" being illegal had been retracted. "I don't believe the state has, at this point and under current law, jurisdiction over these tobacco-free products," he said.
He said new Department of Revenue rules to provide business incentives to train alcohol servers and sales clerks in proper techniques were to have a hearing the following day (Nov. 18), and that he expected the usual opposition from groups who often think only in terms of ratcheting up punishment on business, however sincere their actual motivations.
He said the public might benefit from an understanding of where youth actually access illegal alcohol – 90 percent of it from of-age family and friends – and that corresponding new policy strategies could accrue benefits, too.
Under the proposed rules, a new six-step sanctions lattice would be introduced for progressive actions against licensed businesses who were found in violation, ultimately topping out with license revocation, but applied only to those who have trained servers within 30 days of hire and do so annually. Those who don't train could face revocation with only four violations.
Staples also told the board that concerted forces would be pushing tougher DUI laws this coming session. "We are hopeful these well intentioned groups will deal with this issue with facts instead of just emotions," he said.
The Legislative and Gambling Committee report was accepted.
MTA Executive Director Bob Anderson noted the office has been working up a job application form more suited to its specific needs as well as updated job descriptions, and was also getting ready to publish a new "Contacts Book."
He said the executive office has been: notifying local chapters when server training will be available in the area; working on upgrading the MTA website; developing and sorting an e-mail address list, and is working closely with a business coalition that has formed to provide and promote server training.
As the meeting wound down, the board of directors elected past MTA President Dennis White as chairman of the board and Tippy Burtch as vice-chairman.
Orville Johnson won $275 when his ticket was pulled from the traditional 50/50 drawings that close board session.