§ 465a.20. Personal check cashing.
(a) Checks made payable to an individual, including Social Security, unemployment insurance, disability, public assistance and payroll checks, may not be cashed by a slot machine licensee or entity certified or registered with the Board that is operating within the licensed facility. Notwithstanding the prohibition, a slot machine licensee may cash the payroll check of one of its employees or a check issued to a patron by the slot machine licensee. Personal checks accepted by a slot machine licensee which enable a patron to take part in gaming must be:
(1) Drawn on a commercial bank, savings bank, saving and loan association or credit union and payable on demand.
(2) Drawn for a specific amount.
(3) Made payable to the slot machine licensee or entity certified or registered with the Board that is operating within the licensed facility.
(4) Currently dated, but not postdated.
(b) Personal checks accepted under subsection (a) shall be presented by the patron directly to a cage cashier who shall:
(1) Endorse the check ‘‘for deposit only’’ to the bank account designated by the slot machine licensee.
(2) Initial the check.
(3) Date and time stamp the check.
(4) Verify that the signature of the patron on the personal check and the patron’s physical appearance agree with information recorded in a patron signature file created and maintained by the slot machine licensee in accordance with subsection (c) or with the signature and photograph or physical description contained on a government-issued identification presented by the patron. The slot cashier shall document how the signature verification was performed in connection with the acceptance of each personal check.
(5) For personal checks equaling or exceeding $500, verify the validity of the check directly with the commercial bank, savings bank, saving and loan association or credit union upon which it is drawn or obtain an authorization and guarantee of the check from a check verification and warranty service certified as a gaming service provider by the Board. The cage cashier shall document how the check verification was performed in connection with the acceptance of each personal check.
(6) Immediately exchange the personal check for cash in an amount equal to the amount for which the check is drawn or place the amount in a customer deposit account under § 465a.23 (relating to customer deposits) for subsequent use at the licensed facility. A slot machine licensee may not accept a check or multiple checks which in the aggregate exceed $2,500 per patron per gaming day, except as permitted in § § 609a.15(c) and 609a.16(b) (relating to redemption of Counter Checks; and substitution and consolidation of Counter Checks).
(c) To record a patron’s signature in a patron signature file, a cage cashier shall require the individual for whom the file is to be created to present for examination the following:
(1) If the identity of the patron is to be confirmed in accordance with subsection (d)(1), one form of identification.
(2) If the identity of the patron is to be confirmed in accordance with subsection (d)(2), two forms of identification, at least one of which must contain a photograph or general physical description of the patron.
(d) Before a slot machine licensee may use a signature recorded in a patron signature file to verify the identity of a patron or the validity of a signature on a document, the slot machine licensee shall confirm the identity of the patron by either:
(1) Comparing the signature on the identification presented by the patron under subsection (c)(1) with the signature obtained from the patron and verifying the address of the patron’s residence with a credit bureau, commercial bank or, if neither of these sources has the individual’s address on file or will not provide the information, with an alternative source, which does not include any identification credentials or other documentation presented by the patron at the cage.
(2) Comparing the signature on each of two forms of the identification presented by the patron under subsection (c)(2) with the signature obtained from the patron and comparing the photograph or general physical description contained on at least one of the forms of identification with the patron’s actual physical appearance.
(e) A patron signature file established and maintained by a slot machine licensee under subsection (c) must include, in addition to the patron’s signature, the following:
(1) The patron’s name.
(2) The address of the patron’s residence.
(3) The types of identification examined under subsection (d) and an indication whether the identification contained a photograph or physical description of the patron.
(4) For the purposes of this section, a physical description of the patron which includes:
(i) Date of birth.
(ii) Approximate height.
(iii) Approximate weight.
(iv) Hair color.
(v) Eye color.
(5) The date and time that the patron signature file was established.
(6) The procedure by which the identity of the patron was confirmed under subsection (d), including:
(i) The source of confirmation, date and time if confirmed under subsection (d)(1).
(ii) The date and time of confirmation if confirmed under subsection (d)(2).
(7) The signature of the cage cashier or cage supervisor who examined the identification of the patron and established the patron signature file. The signature will evidence that:
(i) The signature of the patron recorded in the patron signature file is consistent with the signature on each form of identification that was examined.
(ii) The physical description recorded in the patron signature file is consistent with both the actual appearance of the patron and any photograph or physical description that may be contained on an identification that was examined.
(f) A slot machine licensee that charges a fee for cashing checks shall comply with the Check Casher Licensing Act (63 P. S. § § 2301—2334).
(g) Prior to accepting personal checks, each slot machine licensee shall establish a comprehensive system of internal controls applicable to the acceptance of personal checks. The internal controls shall be submitted to and approved by the Board under § 465a.2 (relating to internal control systems and audit protocols). The internal controls submitted by the slot machine licensee must address procedures for complying with § 503a.4(a)(4) (relating to duties of slot machine licensees) and this section including the dollar limitation per gaming day contained in subsection (b)(6).
(h) An entity certified or registered with the Board that is cashing checks on behalf of a licensee within a licensed facility shall comply with the requirements in subsections (a)—(f).
Authority The provisions of this § 465a.20 amended under 4 Pa.C.S. § § 1103, 1202(b)(15) and (30), 1207, 1209(b), 1212, 1317(c), 1317.1(c), 1317.2, 1322, 1326, 13A02(1)—(6), 13A25, 13A26(c), 1509, 1516, 1518(a)(13) and 1602.
Source The provisions of this § 465a.20 amended October 10, 2008, effective October 11, 2008, 38 Pa.B. 5652; amended October 22, 2010, effective October 23, 2010, 40 Pa.B. 6083; corrected May 20, 2011, effective June 6, 2009, 41 Pa.B. 2580; amended May 11, 2012, effective May 12, 2012, 42 Pa.B. 2585; amended November 7, 2014, effective November 8, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 7057. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (370364) and (362103) to (362105).
Cross References This section cited in 58 Pa. Code § 437a.7 (relating to registered, certified and authorized gaming service provider responsibilities); 58 Pa. Code § 465a.16 (relating to accounting controls for the cage); 58 Pa. Code § 465a.22 (relating to cash equivalents); 58 Pa. Code § 465a.23 (relating to customer deposits); 58 Pa. Code § 609a.3 (relating to application and verification procedures for granting credit); 58 Pa. Code § 609a.15 (relating to redemption of Counter Checks); and 58 Pa. Code § 609a.16 (relating to substitution and consolidation of Counter Checks).
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