(a) Neither an owner licensee, nor a California affiliate of an owner licensee, shall enter into, without prior approval of the commission, any contract or agreement with a person who is denied a license, or whose license is suspended or revoked by the commission, or with any business enterprise under the control of that person, after the date of receipt of notice of the commission’s action.
(b) An owner licensee or an affiliate of the owner licensee shall not employ, without prior approval of the commission, any person in any capacity for which that person would be required to be licensed, if the person has been denied a license, or if their license has been suspended or revoked after the date of receipt of notice of the action by the commission. Neither an owner licensee, nor a California affiliate of an owner licensee, without prior approval of the commission, shall enter into any contract or agreement with a person whose application has been withdrawn with prejudice, or with any business enterprise under the control of that person, for the period of time during which the person is prohibited from filing a new application for licensure.
(c) (1) If an employee who is required to be licensed pursuant to this chapter fails to apply for a license within the time specified by regulation, is denied a license, or has their license revoked by the commission, the employee shall be terminated in any capacity in which they are required to be licensed and they shall not be permitted to exercise a significant influence over the gambling operation, or any part thereof, upon being notified of that action.
(2) If an employee who is required to be licensed pursuant to this chapter has their license suspended, the employee shall be suspended in any capacity in which they are required to be licensed and shall not be permitted to exercise a significant influence over the gambling operation, or any part thereof, during the period of suspension, upon being notified of that action.
(3) If the owner licensee designates another employee to replace the employee whose employment was terminated, the owner licensee shall promptly notify the department and shall require the newly designated employee to apply for a license.
(d) An owner licensee or an affiliate of the owner licensee shall not pay to a person whose employment has been terminated pursuant to subdivision (c) any remuneration for any service performed in any capacity in which the person is required to be licensed except for amounts due for services rendered before the date of receipt of notice of the commission’s action. Neither an owner licensee, nor an affiliate thereof, during the period of suspension, shall pay to a person whose employment has been suspended pursuant to subdivision (c), any remuneration for any service performed in any capacity in which the person is required to be licensed, except for amounts due for services rendered before the date of receipt of notice of the commission’s action.
(e) Except as provided in subdivision (c), a contract or agreement for the provision of services or property to an owner licensee or an affiliate thereof, or for the conduct of any activity at a gambling establishment, which is to be performed by a person required by this chapter or by regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter, to be licensed, shall be terminated upon a suspension or revocation of the person’s license.
(f) In any case in which a contract or agreement for the provision of services or property to an owner licensee or an affiliate thereof, or for the conduct of any activity at a gambling establishment, is to be performed by a person required by this chapter or by regulations adopted by the commission to be licensed, the contract shall be deemed to include a provision for its termination without liability on the part of the owner licensee or its duly registered holding company upon a suspension or revocation of the person’s license. In any action brought by the department or commission to terminate a contract pursuant to subdivision (c) or (e), it shall not be a defense that the agreement does not expressly include the provision described in this subdivision, and the lack of express inclusion of the provision in the agreement shall not be a basis for enforcement of the contract by a party thereto.
(g) (1) The commission may, at its discretion, not apply the provisions of subdivision (a), (b), or (d), or paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) when the person who has been denied a license was denied that license solely due to the person’s failure to clearly establish eligibility and qualification for licensure as described in subdivision (a) of Section 19859.
(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply if additional grounds for denial of the license existed, whether or not those grounds were formally provided as the reason for the denial.
(Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 138, Sec. 2. (SB 1519) Effective January 1, 2025.)