Editor's note—Ord. No. 86-42, §§ 1-15, adopted July 2, 1986, amended the previous Art. V. Prior to said amendment, Art. V was composed of §§ 16-350—16-362, which pertained to bingo regulations and which derived from Ord. No. 76-22, § 1, enacted Aug. 11, 1976; Ord. No. 77-50, §§ 1-4, adopted Sept. 7, 1977; Ord. No. 80-16, §§ 1, 2, adopted March 5, 1980; and Ord. No. 86-56, § 1, enacted Aug. 14, 1985.
This article is adopted pursuant to Section 19 of Article IV of the California Constitution and Section 326.5 of the California Penal Code in order to make the game of bingo lawful under the following sections of this article.
(Ord. No. 95-1, § 1, 2-8-95)
(a) 
It shall be unlawful for any organization to conduct any bingo game in the City of Escondido unless the organization is a nonprofit, charitable organization and has been issued a license as provided in this division.
(b) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to conduct any bingo games in the City of Escondido unless such person is a member of a nonprofit, charitable organization, is acting on behalf of that organization, and that organization has been issued a license as described in this division.
(Ord. No. 95-1, § 1, 2-8-95)
Applications for a license, change or renewal thereof shall be filed with the business licensing officer of the City of Escondido on forms prescribed by the director and shall be signed under penalty of perjury. Such applications shall be filed:
(a) 
Not less than 30 days prior to the proposed date of the bingo game or games; and
(b) 
Each application shall list the name of the organization member who will be the person in charge and one alternate.
(Ord. No. 95-1, § 1, 2-8-95)
Applications shall not be filed unless the applicant is a qualified organization which has owned or leased property within the incorporated area of the City of Escondido that has been used by the applicant for the performance of the purposes for which it is organized, for at least 12 months immediately preceding filing of the application. The property upon which any bingo game is to be conducted must be owned or leased by the applicant. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to any qualified organization that was issued a bingo license or renewal thereof by the City of Escondido prior to July 2, 1986; provided, however, that the term of such license, or renewal, has not expired or been revoked.
(Ord. No. 95-1, § 1, 2-8-95)
(a) 
A bingo game shall be operated and staffed only by members of the nonprofit, charitable organization which has been issued a bingo license, and no person shall receive or pay a profit, wage or salary from any bingo game. Notwithstanding the above, a licensed bingo operation may employ uniformed, nonmember security personnel which may be paid from the revenues of the bingo games.
(b) 
All members of the nonprofit, charitable organization who operate a bingo game must apply to the chief of police on forms prescribed by the chief of police not less than 15 calendar days prior to the day that they wish to begin working.
(c) 
Each member of the nonprofit, charitable organization who is approved by the chief of police to staff or operate the bingo operation will be given a picture identification card.
(d) 
Each member of the nonprofit, charitable organization shall wear the identification card on outside clothing, in plain view and at chest height when staffing or operating a bingo operation.
(Ord. No. 95-1, § 1, 2-8-95)
(a) 
The term of bingo license and I.D. card is one year and may be renewed for a period of one year any time within one year from its date of issuance.
(b) 
A nonrefundable fee of shall accompany each application for a license or renewal. The fee shall be used to defray the cost of issuing the license. The amount of the fee shall be set periodically by resolution of the city council.
(c) 
The fee for an identification card shall be set by resolution of the City Council from time to time. This fee shall be used to defray the cost of issuing the identification card.
(d) 
An additional fee of one percent of the monthly gross receipts over $5,000 derived from bingo games shall be payable by the licensee to the finance director at the end of each and every month during which bingo games are conducted to defray the costs of enforcing this article.
(Ord. No. 95-1, § 1, 2-8-95; Ord. No. 95-13, § 1, 7-19-95; Ord. No. 2006-031, § 1, 9-20-06)
(a) 
A nonprofit, charitable organization shall conduct a bingo game only on property which it owns or leases and which is used by the organization for the purposes of the organization.
(b) 
No minors shall be allowed in any playing area of a bingo game, nor shall they participate in any bingo game.
(c) 
All bingo games shall be open to the public and shall not be limited to members of the nonprofit, charitable organization.
(d) 
No individual, corporation, partnership or other legal entity except the organization authorized to conduct a game shall hold any financial interest in the bingo game.
(e) 
No person shall receive a profit, wage, salary or percentage from any bingo game authorized by this article, except as specified in section 16-185(a).
(f) 
No person shall be allowed to participate in a bingo game unless the person is physically present at the time and place in which the bingo game is being conducted.
(g) 
No member of the nonprofit, charitable organization who is operating or staffing a bingo game may play, in any way, in the bingo game.
(h) 
The total value of prizes awarded during the conduct of any bingo game shall not exceed $250 for each separate game which is held.
(i) 
No bingo game shall be conducted between the hours of midnight and eight a.m.
(j) 
Bingo games shall not be conducted by any organization more than one day in every seven days.
(k) 
No organization licensed to conduct a bingo game shall conduct any bingo game unless the individual listed on the bingo license as the person in charge or a listed alternate are physically present and supervising the operation of each bingo game.
(Ord. No. 95-1, § 1, 2-8-95)
Any peace officer of the City of Escondido shall have free access to any bingo game licensed under this article. The licensee shall have the bingo license and list of approved staff available for inspection at all times during any bingo meeting. The licensee shall keep complete accounting records supported by properly executed contracts, leases, receipts and other related documents which pertain to all moneys, or other forms of income, collected in connection with the conduct of any of its bingo games, expenditures in connection with the games and any funds remaining or distributed for charitable purposes. Such records shall be clearly identified and readily accessible. Officials of the City of Escondido shall have the right to examine and audit the records at any reasonable time, and the licensee shall cooperate by making the records available.
(Ord. No. 95-1, § 1, 2-8-95)
(a) 
All moneys derived from a bingo game shall not be commingled with any other fund or account.
(b) 
All proceeds from a bingo game conducted by a nonprofit, charitable organization not exempt under Section 23701d of the Revenue and Taxation Code shall be used only for charitable purposes, except as follows:
(1) 
Proceeds may be used for prizes;
(2) 
A portion of such proceeds, not to exceed 20% of the proceeds before the deduction for prizes, or $2,000 per month, whichever is less, may be used for rental of property, overhead, including the purchase of bingo equipment, administrative expenses, security equipment and security personnel;
(3) 
Proceeds may be used to pay license fees.
(c) 
At the end of each month in which a bingo game or games are conducted, the licensee shall file with the director on forms prescribed by the director a full and complete accounting of all moneys collected, disbursed and the amount remaining for charitable purposes. Any and all fees due to the City of Escondido shall be paid with this monthly filing. A copy of this filing will be given to the chief of police.
(Ord. No. 95-1, § 1, 2-8-95)