2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIFTEEN - Sports and Parks (§§ 1 — 2020) › Subtitle 1 - Generally (§§ 1 — 915) › Chapter 5 - Games of Chance (§§ 71 — 91) › § 85 - Alcoholic beverages, schedule of operations; prohibition to open on Good Friday; shows and entertainment

(a)
(1) The licensees of all gambling rooms operated through a license issued according to the terms of §§ 71—79 and 85—89 of this title are hereby authorized to serve alcoholic beverages provided they have obtained an alcoholic beverage retail sales license pursuant to the provisions of §§ 6001 et seq. of Title 13, and subject to the provisions of § 4246 of Title 33, known as the “Penal Code of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”, and any other applicable law.
(2) None of the restrictions and prohibitions related to the periods that alcoholic beverages may be sold or served shall be applied to the gambling rooms, whether they are statutory, administrative or municipal nature or of any other type, including but not limited to those provided in § 2080 of Title 25, known as the “Puerto Rico Military Code”, and similar provisions.
(3) No gambling room shall serve alcoholic beverages to any person who is not a guest of the hotel where said gambling room is located subject to the restrictions provided in clause (1) of this subsection during the effectiveness of any of the prohibitions or restrictions described in clause (2) of this subsection. The Tourism Company shall determine, through regulations, the mechanisms to be implemented by the gambling rooms to faithfully comply with the provisions of this clause.
(4) The Provisions of clause (2) of this subsection notwithstanding, in the event that, according to the law, executive order or administrative determination the closing of any gambling room is ordered, the latter shall neither be authorized to nor shall it serve alcoholic beverages to any person.
(b)
(1) As of the effective date of this act, any licensee of a gambling room operated under a license issued according to the terms of §§ 71—79 and 85—89 of this title, shall request the Tourism Company’s approval of the schedule of operations of his/her gambling room before opening its doors to the public.
(2) Any modification that a licensee may wish to make of the approved schedule of operations, must also be approved by the Tourism Company before its implementation. Provided, That the closing hour approved shall not be altered without having first posted a public notice of the fact in a conspicuous place at every gambling table at the beginning of the gambling period. Once the notice has been posted said hour shall not be altered.
(3) Any gambling room operated under a license issued according to the terms of §§ 71—79 and 85—89 of this title, shall operate for twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, subject to the above terms. Provided, That every gambling room must cease operations on Good Friday from 12:01 a.m. (midnight) on Friday until 12:01 p.m. (noon) on the following day (Saturday). Also Provided, That any gambling room which operates for twenty-four (24) hours a day shall have a counting room and any other facility required by the Tourism Company for counting and safekeeping the money in cash, coins and chips obtained in the operation of the games of chance.
(4) Every gambling room authorized by the Tourism Company to operate during the period between 4:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. (noon), may operate its slot machines without being compelled to have gambling tables available to the public.
(5) The Tourism Company is hereby authorized to establish through regulations, all the procedures and requirements it may deem necessary to comply with the provisions of this subsection.
(c) Every gambling room operated under a license issued according to the terms of §§ 71—79 and 85—89 of this title may present in its premises those variety shows and entertainment authorized by the Tourism Company through regulations.
History —May 15, 1948, No. 221, p. 750, added as § 11 on Sept. 3, 1996, No. 185, § 4; June 26, 1997, No. 24, § 13.