N.J. Admin. Code § 13:69O-1.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 13:69O-1.2 - General requirements for Internet and mobile gaming

(a) Internet or mobile gaming shall only be engaged in by patrons who have established an Internet or mobile gaming account.

(b) The message "If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-Gambler" shall be displayed prominently within the Internet or mobile gaming log on screen and a command to display this message on the log off screen shall be transmitted whenever the system detects a log off.

(c) When a patron logs on to an Internet or mobile gaming system, the system shall display the date and time of the patron's previous log on.

(d) If a patron has suspended his or her account, a casino licensee shall not send gaming-related electronic mail to such patron while the account is suspended.

(e) The Internet or mobile gaming system shall employ a mechanism to detect the physical location of a patron upon logging into the gaming system and as frequently as specified in the Internet gaming permit holder's approved submission. If the system detects that the physical location of the patron is in an area unauthorized for Internet or mobile gaming, the system shall not accept wagers until such time that the patron is in an authorized location as follows:

1. Mobile gaming shall only occur within the property boundaries of an approved casino hotel facility. For purposes of this chapter, the approved casino hotel facility shall include any area located within the property boundaries of the casino hotel facility, including any recreation area or swimming pool, where mobile gaming devices may be used by patrons, but excluding parking garages or parking areas. A mobile gaming system shall disable all gaming activity on a client terminal whenever it is removed from the property boundaries; and

2. Internet gaming shall only occur within the State of New Jersey, unless the conduct of such gaming is not inconsistent with Federal law, law of the jurisdiction, including any foreign nation, in which the participating patron is located, or such gaming activity is conducted pursuant to a reciprocal agreement to which this State is a party that is not inconsistent with Federal law.

(f) A client terminal used for Internet or mobile gaming shall not contain patron account information or game logic that determines the outcome of any game.

(g) Client terminal software used for Internet or mobile gaming shall not contain unauthorized data collection, file extraction, malware, or any other feature that compromises the integrity of the client terminal or the data contained therein.

(h) Software utilized for Internet or mobile gaming shall either:

1. Continuously display the current time in the time zone where the game server is physically located and the time elapsed while in the current patron session; or

2. Cause a pop-up notification, at least every half-hour, to be prominently displayed on the client terminal advising the patron of the current time and the amount of time elapsed since his or her log on.

(i) A casino licensee offering Internet wagering shall have an Internet gaming manager responsible for the operation and integrity of Internet gaming and reviewing all reports of suspicious behavior. A casino licensee offering mobile wagering shall have a mobile gaming manager responsible for ensuring the operation and integrity of mobile gaming and reviewing all reports of suspicious behavior. The Internet or mobile gaming manager shall be a key employee, however nothing shall preclude a casino licensee from having one key employee perform the functions of both the Internet and mobile gaming managers. The Internet and mobile gaming manager(s) shall immediately notify the Division upon detecting any person participating in Internet or mobile wagering who is:

1. Engaging in or attempting to engage in, or who is reasonably suspected of cheating, theft, embezzlement, collusion, money laundering, or any other illegal activities, including those activities prohibited in Article 9 of the Act;

2. Required to be excluded pursuant to 5:12-71, 5:12-71.2, or any person who is prohibited from entering a casino or a casino simulcasting facility pursuant to 5:12-119(a); or

3. Prohibited by the casino licensee from Internet wagering.

(j) A licensee shall file with the Division, internal controls for all aspects of Internet and mobile gaming operations prior to implementation and any time a change is made thereafter. The internal controls shall include detailed procedures for system security, operations, accounting, and reporting of problem gamblers.

(k) A casino licensee offering Internet or mobile gaming shall describe in its internal controls the method for securely issuing, modifying, and resetting a patrons account password, Personal Identification Number (PIN), or other approved security feature, where applicable. Any method shall include notification to the patron following any modification via electronic or regular mail, text message, or other manner approved by the Division. Such method shall include at a minimum:

1. Proof of identity, if in person;

2. The correct response to two or more challenge questions; or

3. Strong authentication.

(l) All terms and conditions for Internet or mobile gaming shall be included as an appendix to the internal controls of the licensee addressing all aspects of the operation, including the following:

1. Name of the party or parties with whom the patron is entering into a contractual relationship, including any licensee;

2. Patron's consent to have the licensee confirm the patron's age and identity;

3. Rules and obligations applicable to the patron other than rules of the game including, but not limited to:

i. Prohibition from allowing any other person to access or use his or her Internet or mobile gaming account;

ii. Prohibition from engaging in Internet or mobile wagering activity, unless they are physically present in New Jersey;

iii. Consent to the monitoring and recording by the operator and/or the Division of any wagering communications and geographic location information;

iv. Consent to the jurisdiction of the State of New Jersey to resolve any disputes arising out of Internet or mobile gaming; and

v. Prohibition against utilizing automated computerized software or other equivalent mechanism, such as a "bot," to engage in play.

4. Full explanation of all fees and charges imposed upon a patron related to gaming transactions;

5. Availability of account statements detailing patron account activity;

6. Privacy policies, including information access;

7. Legal age policy, including a statement that it is a criminal offense to allow a person who is under the age of 21 to participate in Internet or mobile wagering;

8. Full explanation of all rules applicable to dormant Internet gaming accounts;

9. Patron's right to set responsible gaming limits and to self-exclude;

10. Patron's right to suspend his or her account for a period of no less than 72 hours;

11. Actions that will be taken in the event a patron becomes disconnected from the Internet or mobile gaming system during game play;

12. Notice that a malfunction voids all pays;

13. Estimated time period for withdrawal of funds from Internet or mobile account; and

14. Information to be displayed on a patron protection page. The patron protection page shall be accessible to a patron during a patron session. The patron protection page shall contain, at a minimum, the following:

i. Method for changing or retrieving a password or other approved access security feature and the ability to choose "strong authentication" log in protection;

ii. Method for filing a complaint with the licensee;

iii. Method for filing with the Division an unresolved complaint after all reasonable means to resolve the complaint with the licensee have been exhausted utilizing the Internet Dispute Form on the Division's website;

iv. Method for obtaining a copy of the terms and conditions agreed to when establishing an Internet or mobile gaming account;

v. Method for the patron to obtain account and game history from the licensee;

vi. Notification that underage gambling is a criminal offense and that anyone who facilitates someone under the age of 21 to gamble has committed a criminal offense and shall be prohibited from Internet gaming;

vii. Notification that the patron is responsible to configure his or her client terminal's auto-lock feature to protect the client terminal from unauthorized use;

viii. Notification that a patron is prohibited from allowing any other person to access or use his or her Internet or mobile gaming account;

ix. Notification of Federal prohibitions and restrictions regarding Internet gaming, specifically, any limitations upon Internet gaming as set forth in 18 U.S.C. §§ 1084 et seq. (The Wire Act) and 31 U.S.C. §§ 3163 through 3167 (UIEGA). The notice shall explicitly state that it is a Federal offense for persons physically located outside of New Jersey to engage in Internet wagering through a New Jersey casino, unless explicitly authorized by the Division; and

x. Notification that for mobile gaming if the mobile device is removed from the property boundaries of the casino hotel facility the connection will be terminated.

(m) Whenever the terms and conditions that apply to Internet or mobile gaming are changed, the licensee shall require a patron to acknowledge acceptance of such change. Unless otherwise authorized by the Division, the patron's acknowledgement shall be date and time stamped by the Internet or mobile gaming system, as applicable.

(n) A casino operator's gaming equipment used to conduct Internet or mobile gaming shall be located, with the prior approval of the Division, as set forth below:

1. Primary gaming equipment shall be located:

i. In a restricted area on the premises of the casino hotel within the territorial limits of Atlantic City, New Jersey; or

ii. In another facility owned or leased by the casino licensee that is secure, inaccessible to the public, and specifically designed to house that equipment, and where the equipment shall be under the complete control of the casino licensee or its Internet gaming affiliate, within the territorial limits of Atlantic City, New Jersey. For the purposes of this subsection, a secure facility within Atlantic City that is owned or leased by the casino licensee to house Internet gaming equipment shall be considered to be part of the casino hotel facility notwithstanding that the facility may not be contiguous with the premises of the casino hotel.

2. Backup gaming equipment used to conduct Internet or mobile gaming may also be located:

i. Subject to Division approval, in a restricted area on the premises of a casino hotel facility within the territorial limits of Atlantic City to conduct Internet gaming for a time period not to exceed 60 days unless otherwise authorized by the Division; or

3. Backup gaming equipment that is not used to conduct Internet or mobile gaming but which is used only to restore data to primary Internet gaming equipment may be located within the State of New Jersey.

(o) Internet or mobile gaming systems shall require a patron after 15 minutes of user inactivity, as measured by the Internet or mobile gaming system, to re-enter his or her username and password.

(p) A casino licensee offering Internet or mobile gaming shall comply with all Federal requirements including, but not limited to, suspicious activity reporting and W2-G reporting.

(q) Each casino licensee offering Internet gaming shall perform an annual system integrity and security assessment conducted by an independent professional selected by the licensee, subject to the approval of the Divison. The independent professional's report on the assessment shall be submitted to the Division annually and shall include:

1. Scope of review;

2. Name and company affiliation of the individual(s) who conducted the assessment;

3. Date of the assessment;

4. Findings;

5. Recommended corrective action, if applicable; and

6. Casino licensee's response to the findings and recommended corrective action.

(r) A casino licensee shall investigate each patron complaint related to Internet gaming and provide a response to the patron within five calendar days. For complaints that cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the patron, related to patron accounts, game outcomes, and/or illegal activity, a copy of the complaint and licensees response including all relevant documentation shall be provided to the Division. All other complaints and responses related to Internet gaming (for example, password problems, online chat disputes and technical matters) shall be provided biweekly or with such frequency approved by the Division.

(s) An Internet or mobile gaming system may offer games that do not require a wager or payment from a patron's Internet gaming account to patrons who have not exceeded any daily time-based limit, provided that the games comply with the following requirements:

1. Any game substantially similar to a game approved by the Division shall utilize a payout percentage equal to or less than the lowest payout percentage of the approved game;

2. Any game not substantially similar to a game approved by the Division shall prominently display the following prior to the start of the game and during game play:

i. The game is offered for entertainment purposes only;

ii. The game is not approved by the Division; and

iii. The game outcomes may not be representative of those for a Division-approved game; and

3. Games traditionally played on social networks that may require a payment for certain game features (social games) may be fundable or accessible from a patron's Internet gaming account provided that the operator provides a clear and conspicuous notice on the initial screen of any social game and in its terms and conditions that such social games are not regulated by the Division.

(t) An Internet or mobile gaming system shall not induce a patron to continue placing wagers when play is in session, when the patron attempts to end a session, or when the patron wins or loses a bet.

(u) An Internet or mobile gaming system shall allow patrons to access a player protection page at all times while logged into their Internet or mobile gaming account. The player protection page shall include all features listed in (l)14 above.

(v) Employees of an Internet gaming operator who perform activities such as Internet casino accounting, patron identification and verification, problem gaming detection, anti-money laundering detection, fraud prevention, or other similar functions and that require access to confidential patron account information shall be physically present in New Jersey absent a showing of compelling need by the Internet gaming operator that the employee should be located elsewhere. Such need shall be documented by filing a written notice to the Division detailing the employee's location, job function, and information access rights.

(w) Internet gaming operators and related vendors shall be prohibited from retaining patron account information without the expressed written consent of the Internet gaming permit holder.

(x) All Internet gaming operators with employees who have direct contact with patrons via phone, e-mail, electronic chat, or other means, shall implement training for those employees, at the start of their employment and at regular intervals thereafter, addressing areas set forth in (y)1 through 3 below. If the training requirement under this subsection follows the standards set forth by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey it shall be deemed sufficient.

1. Recognizing the nature and symptoms of problem gambling behavior and how to assist players in obtaining information regarding help for a gambling problem and self-exclusion programs;

2. Responding to patrons who may disclose that they have a gambling problem; and

3. Responding to reports from third parties, such as family members, about patrons who may have a gambling problem.

(y) Internet gaming operators shall promptly notify all affected Internet gaming managers of any issues impacting the integrity of Internet gaming operations.

(z) Each Internet gaming site shall display a responsible gaming logo in a manner approved by the Division to direct a patron to the site's responsible gaming page. The responsible gaming page shall be accessible to a patron during a patron session and shall contain, at a minimum, the following:

1. A prominent message, which states "If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-Gambler";

2. A direct link to the Council on Compulsive Gambling New Jersey, Inc., and one other organization based in the United States dedicated to helping people with potential gambling problems;

3. A clear statement of the Internet gaming operator's policy and commitment to responsible gaming;

4. Information regarding the subjects in (z)4i through iv below, or a direct link to information regarding the following subjects, if available, from an organization based in the United States dedicated to helping people with potential gambling problems:

i. Practical tips to stay within safe limits;

ii. Myths associated with gambling;

iii. Information regarding the risks associated with gambling; and

iv. The potential signs of a gambling problem; and

5. Rules governing self-imposed responsible gaming limits and the ability for the patron to establish those limits.

(aa) Internet gaming operators shall employ personnel responsible for the duties of an IT Department as detailed by N.J.A.C. 13:69D-1.11(b)3 and 2.

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:69O-1.2

Amended by 46 N.J.R. 1817(c), effective 8/18/2014.

Amended by 48 N.J.R. 716(a), effective 5/2/2016

Amended by 48 N.J.R. 976(b), effective 6/6/2016

Amended by 48 N.J.R. 2162(a), effective 10/17/2016

Amended by 50 N.J.R. 617(a), effective 1/16/2018