N.H. Admin. Code § Lot 7005.03

Current through Register No. 50, December 12, 2024

Section Lot 7005.03 - Card-Minding System Standards

(a) A card-minding system shall not be sold, leased, or otherwise furnished to any person for use in the conduct of bingo until it has been:

(1) Tested by an authorized independent testing laboratory to ensure that the device and proprietary software conforms to the restrictions and conditions set forth in this chapter; and

(2) Demonstrated to and approved by the commission in accordance with (n) below.

(b) All card-minding system approved by the commission and in use prior to the effective date of this rule, which have not been subsequently changed or modified, shall be exempt from the requirement in (a) above, and may remain in use without being reapproved by the commission.

(c) Except as allowed by (d) below, a card-minding system that has been changed or modified shall not be sold, leased or otherwise furnished to any person for us in the conduct of bingo unless it has undergo additional testing and commission approval in accordance with (a) above.

(d) A manufacturer may conduct routine maintenance activities and replace secondary components of a card-minding device system without prior commission approval or additional testing as long as this activity does not affect the operation of any proprietary software or the manner in which a bingo game is played.

(e) If the manufacturer, distributor, charitable organization or commission detects or discovers any defect, malfunction, or problem with the card-minding device system that affects the security or the integrity of the bingo game or card-minding device system, the manufacturer, distributor, or charitable organization shall immediately discontinue its sale, distribution, and use until the defect has been corrected or resolved.

(f) A card-minding system shall consist of the following:

(1) A card-minding device that is used by a player to monitor bingo cards played at a bingo event, and which:

a. Provides a means for the player to input or monitor called bingo numbers;

b. Compares the numbers entered or received against the numbers on the bingo cards stored in the memory of the device or loaded or otherwise enabled for play on the device; and

c. Identifies any winning bingo pattern(s) and prize levels; and

(2) A site system that consists of computer hardware, software, and peripheral equipment, that is located at the bingo premises, is controlled by the gaming manager conducting bingo, and interfaces with, connects with, controls, or defines the operational parameters of card-minding devices, and includes the following components:

a. A point of sale station and an internal accounting system and database that is capable of recording the charitable organization's sale of all charitable gaming supplies;

b. A caller station verifier that is able to verify winning cards;

c. Printers;

d. Remote access capability;

e. Proprietary executable software; and

f. Report generation software.

(g) Card-minding devices shall:

(1) Have a unique, permanent identification number that is coded into the software of the card-minding device, or have a unique identification number secured by password or code and accessible only by use of such password or code;

(2) Automatically transmit its identification number to the site system or be known by the site system, to be recorded on the transaction log, each time the device is involved in a transaction with the site system;

(3) Be designed in such a manner to allow for one or more of the following daubing features:

a. Manual ball call, which requires the player to identify and enter the numbers as they are called, and enable the player to correct numbers entered in error;

b. Ball call confirm which requires the broadcast of the ball call information to the card-minding device, and then the player shall confirm by performing an action or entering each ball call;

c. Semi-auto daub which requires the broadcast of the ball call information to the card-minding device, much like the ball call confirmation except that a single action will daub all outstanding ball calls; or

d. Auto daub, which requires the broadcast of the ball call information to the card-minding device;

(4) Recognize bingo numbers called and electronically daub all activated bingo cards containing those numbers loaded on the device;

(5) Allow the player to cancel or correct any numbers entered in error when the device requires the player to manually enter ball call numbers;

(6) Recognize and display all winning bingo patterns achieved;

(7) Be programmed to only allow bingo cards purchased and loaded and enabled for play during a bingo event, to be in play during that event;

(8) Be programed to only allow bingo faces sold, loaded, and enabled during an open bingo session, to be in play during that open session; and

(9) Networked in such a manner that addresses issues of confidentiality, integrity and availability.

(h) A card-minding system shall not:

(1) Allow a player to modify cards that are loaded and enabled for play;

(2) Track and store any winnings from authorized bingo games;

(3) Replay any winnings;

(4) Be used to credit the player's winnings;

(5) Be used to purchase or play lucky 7 tickets;

(6) Be used for video confirmation of lucky 7 tickets; and

(7) Be used:

a. To generate or determine the random letters, numbers, or other symbols used in playing the bingo card played with the device's assistance;

b. As a receptacle for the deposit of tokens or money in payment for playing the bingo card played with the device's assistance; or

c. As a dispenser for the payment of a bingo prize, including coins, paper currency, or a thing of value for the bingo card played with the device's assistance.

(i) When applicable, a card-minding device utilizing a customer account shall:

(1) Not permit customers to purchase any bingo equipment other than electronic bingo cards for play on the card-minding device; and

(2) Display the account balance at all times.

(j) The site system shall:

(1) Be designed so that reports maintained or otherwise available for generation by the card-minding system may be downloaded or accessed at any time by the commission via a remote connection for the verification of the operation, compliance, and internal accounting systems;

(2) Include an internal accounting system that is capable of recording the charitable organization's sale of card-minding devices and bingo cards and sheets;

(3) Be capable of recording and storing:

a. All transactions affecting a card-minding device;

b. The device ID number for each transaction affecting the card-minding device; and

c. The date, time, quantity of electronic bingo cards affected, price per card or package, package number, and transaction number for each of the following transactions:

1. Loading of cards; and

2. Voiding of cards;

(4) Not allow the exact duplication of cards on 2 different card-minding devices, but may allow electronic bingo cards originally sold on one card-minding device to be reloaded on a different card-minding device, provided that the original device was removed from play and the site system recorded the transaction as a reload;

(5) Not be able to engage in any type of sale, void, or reload transaction for a card-minding device unless a functioning card-minding device or a programmable memory device that inserts into a card-minding device is connected with the site system;

(6) Ensure that, for voided transactions, all electronic bingo cards are erased or deactivated;

(7) Upon completion of each transaction, not allow any transactional information to be changed within the accounting system or database, including date, time, quantity of electronic bingo cards, price per card or package, package number, or other source information;

(8) Prevent and identify duplicate device identification numbers;

(9) Recognize the device identification number of the card-minding device, and record and store that number on the transaction log for each and every transaction that directly affects that device;

(10) Have a database backup and recovery system to prevent loss of transactional information in the event of power failures or any disruptive event;

(11) Not allow a player or operator to select specific cards from a perm of bingo cards to be sold or played, if such selection provides a material advantage to the player or operator;

(12) Record a sequential transaction number or audit tracking number for every transaction, which cannot be changed or reset manually;

(13) Be capable of producing:

a. A receipt;

b. A transaction log; and

c. A complete summary report(s) after each bingo event;

(14) Not erase or overwrite any of the required bingo event information until its detail information and summary information is transferred to a secondary storage medium;

(15) Be capable of storing and printing detailed bingo event reports and summaries on demand, which includes a separation of revenues collected from progressive coverall carryover coverall, and winner-take-all games;

(16) Not allow a card-minding device to enable and play more than 108 card faces for any one regular bingo game; and

(17) Be capable of maintaining all required reports and information for a period of 2 years.

(k) If the site system is designed to incorporate the use of a customer account, the system shall include the following requirements:

(1) All communications regarding transactions between the bingo card-minding device and the site system shall be secured by use of a unique personal identification number (PIN) established by the player;

(2) All transactions shall only be processed after the site system confirms the identity of the player;

(3) Each transaction made by a player from their customer account shall be recorded, and include the transaction number, transaction dollar amount, time and date, quantity, and type of product purchased, and customer's account number;

(4) The system shall not be used to track and credit a customer's account with bingo prizes won;

(5) Additional funds may be added to the customer's account only at a point-of-sale station;

(6) The system shall generate financial reports for customer account activity that includes:

a. The customer account number;

b. The initial amount of funds placed in the account;

c. Each transaction including quantity and type of bingo product(s) purchased, dollar amount, time and date, any ending balance, bingo worker login information; and

d. If balance was refunded at end of the bingo event, or retained by the organization as other income; and

(7) Provide a receipt for each customer transaction that contains the following disclaimer: "Any funds remaining in your customer account that you do not claim by the end of the bingo event will be kept by the licensed charitable organization. Please allow enough time before the end of the bingo event to claim your funds on your account."

(l) The card-minding system network shall employ sufficient security safeguards to ensure that:

(1) Any restrictions or requirements authorized by the commission or any approved proprietary software are protected from alteration; and

(2) Confidentiality methods guard against data theft during network eavesdropping, or unauthorized usage of the network by non-intended devices and minimizes interference from other networks;

(3) Integrity methods provide delivery of accurate data to system devices; and

(4) Availability methods provide a good functioning network during gaming.

(m) To obtain approval of a card-minding system, a manufacture shall:

(1) Submit the proposed system to an authorized testing laboratory for validation testing, and obtain written certification that confirms the systems complies with this chapter;

(2) Submit a written request for approval of the system along with a copy of the laboratory certification; and

(3) Demonstrate the system to the commission, if requested to do so.

(n) The commission shall approve a card-minding system when the system is found to meet the requirements of RSA 287-E, and this chapter.

(o) When a distributor leases, sells or otherwise furnishes a card-minding system to a licensed charitable organization, the distributor shall provide written notice to the commission that includes:

(1) The distributor's name and contact information;

(2) The name of the licensed manufacturer, model and version number of the card-minding system;

(3) The name of the licensed charitable organization to whom the card-minding system was sold, leased, or otherwise furnished;

(4) The location where the card-minding system will be located;

(5) The expected startup date for use of the card-minding system;

(6) The total number of card-minding devices installed at the bingo premises;

(7) The modem number or IP address and protocol for remote access, if applicable; and

(8) A certification statement from the manufacturer that the remote connectivity is operating properly.

(p) Before the complete removal or hardware up-grade of any card-minding system, the distributor shall supply one copy of the data files to each licensed authorized organization that utilized the card-minding system and maintain one additional copy for a period of 2 years.

N.H. Admin. Code § Lot 7005.03

Derived from Volume XL Number 28, Filed July 9, 2020, Proposed by #13067, Effective 6/26/2020, Expires 6/27/2030 (See Revision Notes #1, #2, and #3 at chapter heading for Lot 7000).