SB 839 - This act makes several changes in statutes pertaining to excursion gambling boats.

Under provisions of SB 839, passengers would be allowed to board the excursion gambling boats anytime the boats are docked. No excursion gambling boat will be required to cruise between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.

The provisions permitting the Commission to regulate the wagering structure for gambling excursions and the maximum loss limit of five hundred dollars per player per gambling excursion are deleted.

Also deleted is the requirement for all licensees of gambling game operations to use a cashless wagering system in which players' money is converted to tokens, electronic cards or chips which are only valid for wagering on the excursion gambling boat.

At the present time, money or other negotiable currency may not be wagered and the licensee is required to exchange gambling tokens, chips or other forms of wagering credit for money if the wagerer requests the exchange. This requirement is removed.

Finally, when a city or county submits a proposal on licensing excursion gambling boats to the voters of the city or county and the proposal is rejected, resubmission of the proposal cannot take place sooner than twenty-four months from the submission of the previous proposal.
TOM CRAWFORD