Florida HB 609: Vote-by-Mail Ballots

Bill Text

HB 609 2026

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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to bingo games; amending s. 849.0931, 2
F.S.; revising definitions; defining the term "instant 3
bingo ticket dispenser"; revising the requirements to 4
manufacture, issue, and operate instant bingo tickets; 5
requiring that instant bingo ticket dispensers have 6
certain features; prohibiting instant bingo ticket 7
dispensers from having certain features; providing 8
construction; reenacting ss. 402.82(4)(e), 718.114, 9
723.079(10), 849.09(3), 849.094(1)(a), and 849.142(6), 10
F.S., relating to electronic benefits transfer 11
program, association powers, powers and duties of 12
mobile home owners' associations; lottery prohibitions 13
and exceptions, game promotion in connection with the 14
sale of consumer products or services, and exempted 15
activities, respectively, to incorporate the amendment 16
made to s. 849.0931, F.S., in references thereto; 17
providing an effective date. 18
19
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20
21
Section 1. Present paragraphs (g) through (j) of 22
subsection (1), paragraphs (g) and (h) of subsection (13), and 23
subsection (14) of section 849.0931, Florida Statutes, are 24
redesignated as paragraphs (h) through (k) of subsection (1), 25

HB 609 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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paragraphs (j) and (k) of subsection (13), and subsection (15), 26
respectively, a new paragraph (g) is added to subsection (1) of 27
that section, new paragraphs (g) and (h) and paragraph (i) are 28
added to subsection (13) of that section, a new subsection (14) 29
is added to that section, and paragraphs (a), (d), (e), and (f) 30
of subsection (1) and paragraphs (b) and (f) of subsection (13) 31
of that section are amended, to read: 32
849.0931 Bingo authorized; conditions for conduct; 33
permitted uses of proceeds; limitations.— 34
(1) As used in this section: 35
(a) "Bingo game" means and refers to the activity, 36
commonly known as "bingo," in which participants pay a sum of 37
money for the use of one or more bingo cards. When the game 38
commences, numbers are drawn by chance, one by one, and 39
announced. The players cover or mark those numbers on the bingo 40
cards which they have purchased until a player receives a given 41
order of numbers in sequence that has been preannounced for that 42
particular game. This player calls out "bingo" and is declared 43
the winner of a predetermined prize. More than one game may be 44
played upon a bingo card, and numbers called for one game may be 45
used for a succeeding game or games. 46
(d) "Deal" means a separate set or package of not more 47
than 4,000 instant bingo tickets in which the predetermined 48
minimum prize payout is at least 65 percent of the total 49
receipts from the sale of the entire deal. 50

HB 609 2026

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(e) "Flare" means the board, or placard, or digital 51
display that accompanies each deal of instant bingo tickets and 52
that displays has printed on or affixed to it the following 53
information: 54
1. The game name. 55
2. The manufacturer's name or distinctive logo. 56
3. The form number. 57
4. The ticket count. 58
5. The prize structure, including the number of symbols or 59
number combinations for winning instant bingo tickets by 60
denomination, with their respective winning symbols or number 61
combinations. 62
6. The cost per play. 63
7. The game serial number. 64
(f) "Instant bingo" means a form of bingo that is played 65
at the same location as bingo, using tickets that are sold by 66
the bingo operator or through an instant bingo ticket dispenser 67
by which a player wins a prize by opening and removing a cover 68
from the ticket to reveal a set of numbers, letters, objects, or 69
patterns, some of which have been designated in advance as prize 70
winners. 71
(g) "Instant bingo ticket dispenser" means a device that 72
dispenses an instant bingo ticket or reads a barcode printed on 73
the exterior of the instant bingo ticket as the ticket is 74
dispensed and displays the win or loss status of the instant 75

HB 609 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb609-00
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bingo ticket on a video display contained on the device. 76
(13) 77
(b) Each deal of instant bingo tickets must be accompanied 78
by a flare, and the flare must be visible to the player posted 79
before the sale of any tickets in that deal. 80
(f) Except as provided under paragraph (e), an instant 81
bingo ticket manufactured, sold, or distributed in this state 82
must: 83