PENNSYLVANIA GAMING CONTROL BOARD
[58 PA. CODE CH. 466a]
Slot Computer Systems
[36 Pa.B. 3447]
[Saturday, July 1, 2006]This statement of policy applies to the operation of Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3 facilities and to manufacturer applicants and licensees.
Purpose
The purpose of this statement of policy is to provide guidelines for the technical standards for use by slot machine licensees and manufacturer applicants and licensees for the use of slot computer systems at licensed facilities. This statement of policy defines the Board's current expectations as to the specifications for slot computer systems.
Scope
This statement of policy applies to slot machine licensees and manufacturer applicants and licensees.
Authority
This statement of policy is adopted under the authority of 4 Pa.C.S. Part II (relating to gaming).
Background
This statement of policy is necessary to establish and provide notice of the technical standards approved by the Board to govern the use of slot computer systems under Subpart E, entitled slot machine testing, certification and control.
Fiscal Impact
This statement of policy will have no appreciable fiscal impact on the Commonwealth.
Contact Person
Further information is available by contacting the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, P. O. Box 69060, Harrisburg, PA, 17106-9060.
Effective date
This statement of policy will take effect upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
THOMAS A. DECKER,
Chairperson(Editor's Note: Title 58 of the Pa. Code is amended by adding a statement of policy in § 466a.1 to read as set forth in Annex A.)
Fiscal Note: 125-34. No fiscal impact; (8) recommends adoption.
Annex A
TITLE 58. RECREATION
PART VII. GAMING CONTROL BOARD
Subpart E. SLOT MACHINE TESTING, APPROVAL AND CONTROL
CHAPTER 466a. TECHNICAL STANDARDS--STATEMENT OF POLICY § 466a.1. Slot computer systems.
(a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Computer access or logical access--The ability of a person or process to obtain information from, or execute an action in, a slot computer system in accordance with privileges established by a slot machine licensee. The privileges shall be specified by an approved level of computer access.
Firewall--
(i) Dedicated computer hardware, software and the related security policy that protects a slot computer system, its software and data from access by other computer systems and users not specifically authorized to access the slot computer system, its software or data through procedures such as monitoring and analyzing all data packets on a real-time basis and automatically rejecting all unauthorized communications.
(ii) The term includes, without limitation, logging and reporting, automatic alarms and a user interface for controlling the firewall.
Level of computer access--
(i) The particular privileges granted to a person in a slot computer system by a slot machine licensee, such as read, modify and execute.
(ii) The privileges shall vary by slot computer system program, process, library or directory, according to the following:
(A) Position title and job code, for an employee of the slot machine licensee.
(B) Responsibilities and functions authorized to be performed, for any person not employed by the slot machine licensee.
Slot computer system--All aspects of a computer system which the act, this part or any technical standards adopted by the Board either require or permit to be utilized by a slot machine licensee in the conduct of, or monitoring of, slot machine operations including hardware, software and network interfaces used in connection with the operation of a slot monitoring system, casino management system, player tracking system, external bonusing system, cashless funds transfer system and gaming voucher system. A slot computer system may not be construed to include the following:
(i) A slot machine or bill validator.
(ii) A wide area progressive slot system.
(iii) A computer system that does not constitute a slot computer system and is connected to a slot computer system in accordance with subsection (f) and through a firewall which has the ability to:
(A) Maintain a list of each device, person or process authorized to obtain computer access to the slot computer system.
(B) Generate daily monitoring logs to inform the slot machine licensee of any unsuccessful attempts by a device, person or process to obtain computer access to the slot computer system.
(C) Authenticate the identity of each device, person and process from which communication is recorded before granting computer access to the slot computer system to the device, person or process.
(iv) Other computer systems or applications that the Board determines are not slot computer systems.
(b) Authorized locations.
(1) All aspects of a slot machine licensee's production slot computer system shall be located within the licensed facility. For the purposes herein, a production slot computer system shall be defined as the slot machine licensee's primary slot computer system comprised of a collection of hardware and software used to process or monitor, in real time, slot machine activity. A production slot computer system includes any segregated testing component.
(2) With the written approval of the Board, a slot machine licensee's back-up slot computer system, or any portion thereof, may reside in a computer located in a secure location, referred to herein as a ''remote computer,'' under the custody and control of an affiliate, intermediary, subsidiary or holding company licensed by the Board, referred to herein as a ''host entity.'' For the purposes herein, a back-up system may consist of either a mirrored back-up system which duplicates the production system by recording all slot related operations on a real time basis and is designed to become the production system whenever needed or a periodic back-up system which consists of regularly scheduled recording of selected data which may include a complete image of the production system or any portion thereof. At a minimum, a slot machine licensee requesting authorization to allow a back up slot computer system to reside outside the licensed facility shall establish that:
(i) Communications between the remote computer and the slot machine licensee's slot computer system occur using a dedicated and secure communication medium, such as a leased line.
(ii) The remote computer automatically performs the following functions:
(A) Generates daily monitoring logs and real time alert messages to inform the slot machine licensee and host entity of any system performance problems and hardware problems.
(B) Generates daily monitoring logs and real time alert messages to inform the slot machine licensee of any software errors.
(C) Generates daily monitoring logs to inform the slot machine licensee of any unsuccessful attempts by a device, person or process to obtain computer access.
(D) Authenticates the identity of every device, person and process from which communications are received before granting computer access to the device, person or process.
(E) Ensures that data sent through a transmission is completely and accurately received.
(F) Detects the presence of corrupt or lost data and, as necessary, rejects the transmission.
(3) Unless a remote computer is used exclusively to maintain the slot computer system of the slot machine licensee, it shall be partitioned in a manner approved by the Board and include the following:
(i) A partition manager that complies with the following requirements:
(A) The partition manager must be comprised of hardware or software, or both, and perform all partition management tasks for a remote computer, including creating the partitions and allocating system resources to each partition.
(B) The slot machine licensee and host entity shall jointly designate and each shall identify the security officer who shall be responsible for administering the partition manager and maintaining access codes to the partition manager. The security officer shall be an employee of the slot machine licensee or host entity and shall be licensed as a key employee in this Commonwealth.
(C) Special rights and privileges in the partition manager such as administrator shall be restricted to the information technology director and the security officer of the slot machine licensee or host entity who shall be licensed as key employees in this Commonwealth.
(D) Access to the partition manager shall be limited to employees of the information technology departments of the slot machine licensee and host entity.
(E) Software-based partition managers contained in a remote computer shall be functionally limited to performing partition management tasks for the remote computer, while partition managers using hardware and software that are not part of a remote computer may be utilized to perform other functions for a remote computer that are approved by the Board.
(ii) A separate and distinct partition established for the slot machine licensee's slot computer system that complies with the following requirements:
(A) The partition shall be limited to maintaining the software and data of the slot machine licensee for which the partition has been established.
(B) The security officer of the slot machine licensee for which the partition has been established shall be licensed as a key employee in this Commonwealth and shall be responsible for maintenance of access codes to the partition.
(C) Special rights and privileges in the partition such as administrator shall be restricted to the security officer and the information technology director of the slot machine licensee for which the partition has been established.
(iii) Separate and distinct operating system software, application software and computer access controls for the partition manager and each separate partition.
(c) The Board may permit a slot machine licensee to establish a partition, within a computer that contains its slot computer system, for its affiliate, intermediary, subsidiary or holding company provided that:
(1) A partition manager comprised of hardware or software, or both, is utilized to perform all partition management tasks, including creating the partitions and allocating system resources to each partition.
(2) A security officer is designated within the information technology department of the slot machine licensee to be responsible for administering the partition manager and maintaining access codes to the partition manager. Special rights and privileges in the partition manager such as administrator shall be restricted to the security officer and the information technology director of the slot machine licensee.
(3) Special rights and privileges in any partition which has been established for the benefit of an affiliate, intermediary, subsidiary or holding company shall be restricted to the security officer and information technology director of the affiliate, intermediary, subsidiary or holding company.
(d) The Board may permit a slot machine licensee to maintain back-up or duplicate copies of the software and data of its slot computer system, or any portion thereof, in removable storage media devices, such as magnetic tapes or disks, in a secure location within a licensed facility or other secure location outside the licensed facility as approved by the Board for the purposes of disaster recovery.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b), upon the declaration of a disaster affecting the slot computer system by the chief executive officer of the slot machine licensee and with the prior written approval of the Board, a slot machine licensee may maintain the software and data of its slot computer system, or any portion thereof, in a computer located in a secure location outside the licensed facility.
(f) A slot machine licensee may locate software or data not related to a slot computer system, such as food and beverage related software or data, in a computer located outside the licensed facility. With the written approval of the Board, a slot machine licensee may connect the computer to a slot computer system, provided that:
(1) Logical access to computer software and data of the slot computer system is appropriately limited.
(2) Communications with all portions of the slot computer system occur using a dedicated and secure communications medium, such as a leased line.
(3) The slot machine licensee complies with other connection specific requirements required by the Board.
(g) The Board may waive one or more of the technical requirements applicable to slot computer systems adopted by the Board upon a determination that the nonconforming system protocols nonetheless meet the integrity requirements of the act, this part and technical standards adopted by the Board.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 06-1257. Filed for public inspection June 30, 2006, 9:00 a.m.]
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