Pennsylvania § 3701 - Testing and certification of terminals.

§ 3701. Testing and certification of terminals.

(a) General rule.--No video gaming terminal or redemption terminal or associated equipment may be made available for use in this Commonwealth prior to being tested and certified by the board in accordance with this section.

(b) Video gaming terminal specifications.--Video gaming terminals shall be tested and certified to meet the following specifications:

(1) The video gaming terminal shall have the ability to be linked to the central control computer.

(2) The video gaming terminal shall be marked with an irremovable identification plate that is placed in a conspicuous location on the exterior of the video gaming terminal. The identification plate shall contain the name of the manufacturer and the serial and model numbers of the video gaming terminal.

(3) The video gaming terminal shall prominently display the rules of play either on the video gaming terminal face or screen.

(4) The video gaming terminal may not have the ability to dispense cash, tokens or anything of value, except redemption tickets which shall only be exchangeable for cash at a redemption terminal or reinserted into another video gaming terminal located in the same video gaming area as the video gaming terminal.

(5) The cost of a credit shall only be 1¢, 5¢, 10¢ or 25¢.

(6) The maximum wager per individual game shall not exceed $5.

(7) The maximum prize per individual game shall not exceed $1,000.

(8) The video gaming terminal shall be designed and manufactured with total accountability to include gross proceeds, net profits, winning percentages and other information the board requires.

(9) The video gaming terminal shall pay out a minimum of 85% of the amount wagered.

(10) Other specifications the board requires.

(c) Redemption terminal specifications.--Redemption terminals shall be tested and certified to meet the following specifications:

(1) The redemption terminal shall be marked with an irremovable identification plate that is placed in a conspicuous location on the exterior of the redemption terminal. The identification plate shall contain the name of the manufacturer and the serial and model numbers of the redemption terminal.

(2) The redemption terminal shall only accept redemption tickets from video gaming terminals located in the same video gaming area.

(3) The redemption terminal shall be designed and manufactured with total accountability to record information the board requires.

(4) Other specifications the board requires.

(d) Use of other state standards.--

(1) The board may determine, in its discretion, whether the video gaming terminal or redemption terminal testing and certification standards of another jurisdiction within the United States in which a manufacturer licensee is licensed are comprehensive and thorough and provide similar adequate safeguards as those required by this part.

(2) If the board makes the determination under paragraph (1), the board may permit a manufacturer licensee to deploy those video gaming terminals or redemption terminals which have met the video gaming terminal or redemption terminal testing and certification standards in such other jurisdictions without undergoing the full testing and certification process by the board's testing facility.

(3) In the event video gaming terminals or redemption terminals of a manufacturer licensee are licensed in the other jurisdiction, the board may determine to use an abbreviated process requiring only that information determined by the board to be necessary to consider the issuance of a video gaming terminal or redemption terminal certification to such an applicant.

(e) Private testing.--The board may, in its discretion, rely upon the certification of a video gaming terminal or redemption terminal that has met the testing and certification standards of one or more board-approved independent private testing and certification facilities.

(f) Testing and certification fee.--

(1) A fee for the testing and certification of a video gaming terminal or redemption terminal shall be paid by the manufacturer licensee submitting the terminal, which fee shall be an amount established by the board according to a schedule adopted by the board.

(2) Fees established by the board shall be exempt from any fee limitation contained in section 4101 (relating to fees).

(g) Central control computer compatibility.--The board shall ensure that all video gaming terminals certified and approved for use in this Commonwealth are compatible and comply with the central control computer and protocol specifications approved by the department.