Iowa Code § 99F.4 — IA Code / Title III / Chapter 99F / Section 99F.4
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Status: in_force

The commission shall have full jurisdiction over and shall supervise all gambling operations governed by this chapter. The commission shall have the following powers and shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to implement this chapter:

(1) To investigate applicants and determine the eligibility of applicants for a license and to select among competing applicants for a license the applicant which best serves the interests of the citizens of Iowa.

(2) To license qualified sponsoring organizations, to license the operators of excursion gambling boats, to identify occupations engaged in the administration, control, and conduct of gambling games and sports wagering which require licensing, and to adopt standards for licensing the occupations including establishing fees for the occupational licenses and licenses for qualified sponsoring organizations. The fees shall be paid to the commission and deposited in the general fund of the state. All revenue received by the commission under this chapter from license fees and regulatory fees shall be deposited in the general fund of the state.

(3) To adopt standards under which all excursion gambling boat operations shall be held and standards for the facilities within which the gambling operations are to be held. The commission may authorize the operation of gambling games on an excursion gambling boat and sports wagering in a sports wagering area which is also licensed to sell or serve alcoholic beverages, wine, or beer as defined in section 123.3.

(4) To license the licensee of a pari-mutuel dog or horse racetrack enclosure subject to the provisions of this chapter and rules adopted pursuant to this chapter relating to gambling except as otherwise provided in section 99F.4A.

(5) To enter the office, excursion gambling boat, facilities, or other places of business of a licensee to determine compliance with this chapter.

(6) To investigate alleged violations of this chapter or the commission rules, orders, or final decisions and to take appropriate disciplinary action against a licensee or a holder of an occupational license for a violation, or institute appropriate legal action for enforcement, or both. Information gathered during an investigation is confidential during the pendency of the investigation.

(7) To require a licensee, an employee of a licensee or holder of an occupational license to remove a person violating a provision of this chapter or the commission rules, orders, or final orders, or other person deemed to be undesirable, from the excursion gambling boat facilities.

(8) To require the removal of a licensee, an employee of a licensee, or a holder of an occupational license for a violation of this chapter or a commission rule or engaging in a fraudulent practice.

(9) To require a licensee to file an annual balance sheet and profit and loss statement pertaining to the licensee’s gambling activities in this state, together with a list of the stockholders or other persons having any beneficial interest in the gambling activities of each licensee.

(10) To issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and subpoenas duces tecum for the production of books, records, and other pertinent documents in accordance with chapter 17A, and to administer oaths and affirmations to the witnesses, when, in the judgment of the commission, it is necessary to enforce this chapter or the commission rules.

(11) To keep accurate and complete records of its proceedings and to certify the records as may be appropriate.

(12) To assess a fine and revoke or suspend licenses.

(13) To take any other action as may be reasonable or appropriate to enforce this chapter and the commission rules.

(14) To require all licensees of gambling game operations to utilize a cashless wagering system whereby all players’ money is converted to tokens, electronic cards, or chips which only can be used for wagering on the excursion gambling boat.

(15) To determine the payouts from the gambling games authorized under this chapter. In making the determination of payouts, the commission shall consider factors that provide gambling and entertainment opportunities which are beneficial to the gambling licensees and the general public.

(16) To set the payout rate for all slot machines.

(17) To define the excursion season and the duration of an excursion. While an excursion gambling boat is docked, passengers may embark or disembark at any time during its business hours.

(18) To provide for the continuous recording of all gambling activities on an excursion gambling boat. The recording shall be performed under guidelines set by rule of the division of criminal investigation and the rules may require that all or part of the original recordings be submitted to the division on a timely schedule.

(19) To provide for adequate security aboard each excursion gambling boat.

(20) Drug testing, as permitted by section 730.5, shall be required periodically, not less than every sixty days, of persons employed as captains, pilots, or physical operators of excursion gambling boats under the provisions of this chapter.

(21) To provide that a licensee prominently display at each gambling facility the annual percentage rate of state and local tax revenue collected by state and local government from the gambling facility annually.

(22) To establish a process to allow a person to be voluntarily excluded from advance deposit wagering as defined in section 99D.11, from an internet fantasy sports contest as defined in section 99E.1, from advance deposit sports wagering as defined in section 99F.9, from the gaming floor and sports wagering area of an excursion gambling boat, from the wagering area, as defined in section 99D.2, and from the gaming floor and sports wagering area of all other licensed facilities under this chapter and chapter 99D as provided in this subsection. The process shall provide that an initial request by a person to be voluntarily excluded shall be for a period of five years or life and any subsequent request following any five-year period shall be for a period of five years or life. The process established shall require that licensees be provided electronic access to names and social security numbers of persons voluntarily excluded through a secured interactive internet site maintained by the commission and information regarding persons voluntarily excluded shall be disseminated to all licensees under this chapter, chapter 99D, and chapter 99E. The names, social security numbers, and information regarding persons voluntarily excluded shall be kept confidential unless otherwise ordered by a court or by another person duly authorized to release such information. The process established shall also require a person requesting to be voluntarily excluded be provided information compiled by the department of health and human services on gambling treatment options. The state and any licensee under this chapter, chapter 99D, or chapter 99E shall not be liable to any person for any claim which may arise from this process. In addition to any other penalty provided by law, any money or thing of value that has been obtained by, or is owed to, a voluntarily excluded person as a result of wagers made by the person after the person has been voluntarily excluded shall be forfeited by the person and shall be credited to the general fund of the state. The commission shall not initiate any administrative action or impose penalties on a licensee who voluntarily reports to the commission activity described in section 99F.15, subsection 4, paragraph “n”.

(23) To approve a licensee’s application to operate as a moored barge, an excursion boat that will cruise, or an excursion boat that will not cruise, as submitted pursuant to section 99F.7.

(24) To conduct a socioeconomic study on the impact of gambling on Iowans, every eight years beginning in calendar year 2013, and issue a report on that study. The commission shall ensure that the results of each study are readily accessible to the public.

(25) To license the licensee of a gambling structure subject to the provisions of this chapter and rules adopted pursuant to this chapter relating to gambling and as provided in section 99F.4D.

(26) To require licensees to establish a process with the state for licensees to have electronic access to names and social security numbers of debtors of claimant agencies through a secured interactive internet site maintained by the state.

(27) To adopt standards under which all sports wagering is conducted, including the scope and type of wagers allowed, to identify occupations within sports wagering which require licensing, and to adopt standards for licensing and background qualifications for occupations including establishing fees for the occupational license. All revenue received by the commission under this chapter from license fees shall be deposited in the general fund of the state. All revenue received by the commission from regulatory fees shall be deposited into the gaming regulatory revolving fund established in section 99F.20.

89 Acts, ch 67, §4; 89 Acts, ch 139, §1; 91 Acts, ch 260, §1207; 93 Acts, ch 131, §4; 94 Acts, ch 1021, §10 – 12; 94 Acts, ch 1107, §35; 2000 Acts, ch 1231, §37; 2004 Acts, ch 1136, §31 – 35; 2007 Acts, ch 188, §8; 2007 Acts, ch 215, §86; 2008 Acts, ch 1172, §5; 2009 Acts, ch 182, §103; 2013 Acts, ch 90, §257; 2017 Acts, ch 132, §2; 2018 Acts, ch 1026, §36; 2018 Acts, ch 1099, §2; 2019 Acts, ch 132, §6, 7, 22, 23; 2022 Acts, ch 1143, §6, 16; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §65; 2024 Acts, ch 1185, §128