These regulations establish the procedures and requirements for obtaining a Vessel Gaming Permit, and set forth the information which the operator or owner of a passenger cruise vessel shall provide to the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) and the Maryland State Police (MSP) in order to apply for a Vessel Gaming Permit. In order to conduct gaming aboard a vessel under the provisions of Transportation Article, §6-209, Annotated Code of Maryland, a vessel owner or operator shall obtain a Vessel Gaming Permit from the Maryland Port Administration. The MPA is the sole judge as to whether a Vessel Gaming Permit shall be issued, and once issued, whether a Vessel Gaming Permit shall be withdrawn. Failure to obtain a Vessel Gaming Permit from the MPA prohibits the vessel owner or operator from conducting or allowing any gaming operation on the vessel within the territorial waters of the State. Conducting or allowing a gaming operation on a vessel within the territorial waters of the State without a Vessel Gaming Permit may subject the vessel owner or operator to criminal prosecution under the provisions of Criminal Law Article, §12-105, Annotated Code of Maryland. An applicant for a Vessel Gaming Permit shall complete a Vessel Gaming Permit Application, and submit two originally signed copies to the Manager of Cruise Marketing, Maryland Port Administration, World Trade Center, 401 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The MPA shall send one of the completed applications to the MSP for its review. An application which has not been properly completed or is incomplete shall be rejected and returned to the applicant with the reasons for rejection. Fee. Each applicant shall send a nonrefundable fee to the Maryland Port Administration with each application package. The application fee shall be reasonable and determined by, and in the sole discretion of, the MPA and may change annually. Permit. Upon receipt of the application and fee, the MPA and the MSP shall conduct an inspection and investigation, and determine if the applicant qualifies for a Vessel Gaming Permit. If the permit is approved, the MPA shall issue the permit to the applicant. A Vessel Gaming Permit issued by the MPA shall be retained on the vessel specified in the permit. If the permit is not approved, the MPA shall notify the applicant of the reason for disapproval. Vessel Gaming Permits shall be issued for a period not to exceed 1 year and shall only authorize gaming on the territorial waters of Maryland northeast to the Maryland-Delaware border and south to the Maryland-Virginia border if the vessel is: Underway; East of the Francis Scott Key Bridge; and Operating under an itinerary that either originates or terminates in a foreign port outside the continental United States. Withdrawal of Permit. The MPA shall withdraw a Vessel Gaming Permit if the holder of the permit violates the provisions of Transportation Article, §6-209, Annotated Code of Maryland, or any other applicable gaming law of Maryland. The MPA shall withdraw a Vessel Gaming Permit only after: The MPA and the MSP conduct a joint investigation of the alleged violations of the provisions of Transportation Article, §6-209, Annotated Code of Maryland, or any other applicable gaming law of Maryland; The MPA provides the holder of a Vessel Gaming Permit with written notice of the holder's right to issue a written request for a hearing to be held before the Maryland Port Executive Director or the Executive Director's designee; and The Maryland Port Executive Director or the Executive Director's designee conducts a hearing in accordance with COMAR 11.01.14 if the holder of the Vessel Gaming Permit requests a hearing. If the Maryland Port Executive Director or the Executive Director's designee does not receive the permit holder's written request for a hearing within 30 days following the postmarked date of the MPA's written notice, the MPA may withdraw the permit without holding a hearing. Transportation Article, §6-209, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: November 18, 1977 (4:24 Md. R. 1807) Chapter, Operation of Vessels and Other Watercraft in Baltimore Harbor, repealed effective December 6, 1982 (9:24 Md. R. 2390) Regulations .01—.03, Vessel Gaming Permits, adopted effective January 31, 1994 (21:2 Md. R. 99) Regulation .03 amended effective April 6, 2009 (36:7 Md. R. 525)