<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".49" citation="COMAR 36.03.10.49" title_num="36" subtitle_num="03" chapter_num="10" heading="Acceptance of Tips or Gratuities.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Except as otherwise provided in this regulation:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A supervisory video lottery employee of a facility is prohibited from soliciting or accepting a tip or gratuity directly from a player;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>A video lottery employee is prohibited from soliciting a tip or gratuity from a player; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>A facility operator may permit an employee who is authorized to accept a gratuity from a player to accept a gaming ticket if the gaming ticket is redeemed:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>At the cashiers’ cage; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>With approval of the employee’s department supervisor, if the amount of the gaming ticket exceeds $100.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>At least 30 days before table game operations are to commence, a facility operator shall submit to the Commission for approval internal controls relating to the acceptance of tips or gratuities by dealers at banking and nonbanking table games.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>Except as provided in §G of this regulation, a dealer shall immediately deposit all tips and gratuities into a transparent locked box reserved for tips and gratuities, and:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>If roulette chips are received as a tips or gratuity, the marker button indicating the specific value of the roulette chips may not be removed until after the dealer, in the presence of a floorperson or above, has converted the roulette chips into value chips which shall then be immediately deposited in the transparent locked box reserved for tips and gratuities;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Tip and gratuities shall be:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Collected and accounted for at least once each gaming day; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Placed in a common pool for distribution pro rata among all dealers in accordance with §E of this regulation; and</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>A facility operator may include dealer supervisors in the common pool described in §C(3) of this regulation.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>Upon receipt of a tip or gratuity from a player, the dealer shall extend the dealer’s arm in an overt motion and deposit the tip or gratuity in the locked box reserved for tips and gratuities.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>Tips and gratuities placed in a common pool shall be distributed pro rata among the dealers in the pool based on the number of hours worked and based on any standards for distribution established by a facility operator, which may include:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Hours of vacation time, personal leave time, or any other authorized leave of absence in the number of hours worked by each employee; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Different full-time or part-time employees.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>A distribution of tips and gratuities from a common tip pool shall occur no more than once every 7 calendar days.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="G.">
    <text>Notwithstanding the requirements in §C of this regulation, a facility operator that offers the game of poker:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>May establish a separate common pool for tips and gratuities received by its poker dealers; or</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>If it allows a poker dealer to retain the poker dealer’s own tips and gratuities:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Shall require tips and gratuities received by a poker dealer to be deposited in a transparent locked box assigned to the particular dealer; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Shall require that the transparent locked box be moved from table to table with the dealer.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="H.">
    <text>If a facility operator elects to follow the requirements of §G(2) of this regulation, at the end of the poker dealer's shift:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The dealer shall take the transparent locked box assigned to the dealer to a cage cashier; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The cage cashier shall open the container and count the tips and gratuities in the presence of the poker dealer, and record the total amount of the tips and gratuities received by the dealer, and:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Return the tips and gratuities to the dealer; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Retain all or a portion of the tips and gratuities for inclusion in the dealer's paycheck.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="I.">
    <text>If a facility operator elects to follow the requirements of §G(2) of this regulation and has established a gaming industry tip and compliance agreement, §H of this regulation does not apply.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="J.">
    <text>A facility operator shall specify in its internal controls how dealer tips and gratuities will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service.</text>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>