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<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".45" citation="COMAR 36.03.10.45" title_num="36" subtitle_num="03" chapter_num="10" heading="Accounting Controls for a Count Room.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Count Schedule. At least 30 days before video lottery terminal or table game operations are to commence, a facility operator shall submit to the Commission a count schedule setting forth the specific times during which cash storage and table game drop boxes are to be counted and recorded.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Notifications. A facility operator shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Notify the Commission in writing of any permanent change in the count schedule; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Notify the Commission of any temporary deviation from the count schedule.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>Count Frequency.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A facility operator shall count the contents of each cash storage box at least once every 7 days unless an alternative count schedule is submitted in writing to and approved in writing by the Commission.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>A facility operator shall count the contents of each table game drop box at least once each gaming day unless an alternative count schedule is submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Commission.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Unless no gaming is conducted or otherwise offered at the video lottery facility, a facility operator shall count the contents of each table game drop box at least once each gaming day.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>The following shall be counted and recorded separately:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Table game drop boxes from banking games; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Table game drop boxes from nonbanking games.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>Procedures. A facility operator shall develop and include in the internal controls submitted to and approved by the Commission under Regulation .05 of this chapter procedures addressing the counting and recording of cash storage and table game drop boxes.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>Internal Controls. A facility operator’s internal controls shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Detail all hardware, software, and related equipment utilized by the facility operator to conduct the count;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Detail the actual procedures to be performed and documentation to be generated by:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Count team employees conducting the counting process; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The main bank cashier in verifying and accepting the count;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Require computerized equipment utilized to count and strap currency, gaming tickets, and promotional play instruments to:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Conduct two separate counts;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>If the separate counts are not in agreement, document the discrepancy;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Be capable of determining the amount of a gaming ticket or promotional play instrument by independently examining information printed on the gaming ticket or promotional play instrument and:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Calculating the amount internally; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Obtaining the amount directly from a gaming ticket system or promotional play system in a secure manner; and</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>If a gaming ticket system or promotional play system is utilized to obtain the amount of a gaming ticket or promotional play instrument, require the system to perform a calculation or integrity check to ensure that the amount of the gaming ticket or promotional play instrument has not been altered in the system in any manner since the time of issuance;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Require a count room employee to:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Wear a one-piece, pocketless garment;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Carry only a handbag or other container constructed of transparent material; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Remove the count room employee’s hands from, or return them to, a position on or above the count table or counting equipment only after holding the backs and palms of the hands straight out and exposing them to the view of other employees of the count team and a surveillance camera; and</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Prior to the commencement of the count, require a count room employee to notify the surveillance department and receive confirmation that recording of the count process has commenced.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>Table Game Drop Box Count Requirements.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The Commission may require that the table game drop box be conducted in the presence of a Commission compliance representative.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>After the contents of each table game drop box from a banking table game are counted, a member of the count team shall record, on a three-part Daily Banking Table Game Count Report or electronic equivalent prepared on a computer system, the following:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Value of each denomination of currency counted;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Total value of all denominations of currency counted;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Gaming date of the items being recorded;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Total number of banking table game drop boxes opened and counted; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Current date.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>After the contents of each table game drop box from a nonbanking table game are counted, a member of the count team shall record the following on a three-part Daily Nonbanking Table Game Count Report or electronic equivalent prepared on a computer system:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Value of poker rake chips counted;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Value of value chips counted;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Total value of poker rake chips and value chips counted;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Gaming date of the items being recorded;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Total number of nonbanking table game drop boxes opened and counted; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Current date.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>After the preparation of the Daily Banking Table Game Count Report and the Daily Nonbanking Table Game Count Report, the count team members and the count room supervisor shall sign the reports attesting to the accuracy of the information recorded thereon.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>After the contents of all table game drop boxes have been counted, all cash, value chips, and poker rake chips shall be presented in the count room by a count team member to a main bank cashier or cage supervisor who, prior to having access to the information recorded on the Daily Banking Table Game Count Report and Daily Nonbanking Table Game Count Report, and in the presence of the count team members and, if required, a Commission compliance representative, shall recount the currency, value chips, and poker rake chips as follows:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The main bank cashier or cage supervisor may bulk count all strapped currency;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The Commission compliance representative may direct that currency straps be recounted by the main bank cashier or cage supervisor if a discrepancy is discovered during the initial bulk recount; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>All partial straps, loose currency, mutilated or torn currency, value chips, and poker rake chips shall be recounted by the main bank cashier or cage supervisor.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>Upon completion of the recount, the main bank cashier or cage supervisor shall attest to the accuracy of the count by signature on the Daily Banking Table Game Count Report and Daily Nonbanking Table Game Count Report.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>The Daily Banking Table Game Count Report and the Daily Nonbanking Table Game Count Report shall be distributed as follows:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Immediately after leaving the count room, the count room supervisor shall deliver the original to revenue audit or place it in a secure locked box controlled by revenue audit;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The Commission compliance representative who observed the count shall retain the second copy; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>The cage supervisor or main bank cashier shall retain the third copy.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>Immediately after leaving the count room, the count room supervisor shall deliver any additional documents contained in the table game drop boxes to revenue audit or place the documents in a secured locked box controlled by revenue audit, including:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Requests for fills;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Fill slips;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Requests for credit;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Credit slips;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Issuance copies of counter checks; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Table inventory slips.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(9)">
      <text>A count room employee shall conduct a thorough inspection of the count room, and all counting equipment in the count room, to verify that no currency, chips, checks, vouchers, coupons, or other documentation remains in the room.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="G.">
    <text>A gaming ticket or promotional play instrument accepted by a cash storage or table game drop box shall be counted and included in the calculation of proceeds without regard to the validity of the gaming ticket or promotional play instrument.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="H.">
    <text>A promotional play instrument which is not cancelled upon acceptance or during the count process shall be cancelled prior to the conclusion of the count.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="I.">
    <text>A facility operator shall report in writing to the Commission within 72 hours of the count:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Any variance between the actual count of cash, gaming tickets, and promotional play instruments in a cash storage box as determined in the count room and the amount for that particular cash storage box recorded on the:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Facility operator’s video lottery terminal; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>If the data has been made available to the facility operator, the central monitor and control system;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The reason for the variance; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Corrective action taken or adjustments made.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>