1. ------IND- 2015 0449 P-- EN- ------ 20150818 --- --- PROJET
REGULATION No. ---/SRIJ/2015
RULES OF THE GAME OF ONLINE BLACKJACK/21
The Legal System for Online Betting and Gambling (RJO), approved by DecreeLaw No 66/2015 of 29 April 2015, states in its Article 5(3) that the implementing
rules of online betting and gambling shall be laid down by the monitoring,
inspection and regulatory authority.
In compliance with Article 48 of Decree-Law No 66/2015 of 29 April 2015, the
monitoring, inspection and regulatory authority announced the start of the
procedure on its website, specifying the subject and manner in which contributions
could be submitted to the drafting of the regulation.
Under the relevant regulatory consultation procedure, contributions were received
from various interested parties who submitted their comments.
The rules being approved take into consideration the contributions submitted under
said consultation.
Therefore, under the combined provisions of Article 5(3) and Article 48 of the RJO
and Article 7(3)(b) of Decree-Law No 129/2012 of 22 June 2012, as amended by
Decree-Law No 66/2015 of 29 April 2015, the Gambling Commission, in the
meeting of 17 July 2015 decided the following:
1.º To approve in the form of a regulation the implementing and playing rules of
the blackjack/21 game of chance, when engaged in remotely, through
electronic, computer, telematic and interactive media or by any other means
hereinafter referred to as “online”, as set out in the Annex to this resolution
which serves as an integral part thereof.
2.º The Operator, in the compliance, development and use of the powers granted
by the attached Regulation, shall prepare specific operating and implementing
rules for the execution of the blackjack/21 online game.
3.º The establishment and amendment of the rules prepared under the preceding
paragraph are subject to prior approval by the Gambling Regulation and
Inspection Service.
4.º The rules set out in the attached Regulation and the specific rules provided for
in Paragraph 2 shall be published and made permanently available free of
charge by the operator on its website.
5.º The Regulation shall enter into force on the day of entry into force of the
Regulation laying down the technical requirements for the technical system for
gambling.
ANNEX
1-
Blackjack/21 is a game of chance in which players bet against the Operator,
where the objective of each party is to achieve a blackjack combination using the
first two cards, or by receiving additional playing cards, to get a total of 21 or,
without exceeding the total of 21, to get the nearest possible total.
2-
The following terminology is applicable for the purposes of the rules
established herein:
a) "Bet", the quantity of chips or credits, representative of cash expressed in
euros, that the player can put into play during a game;
b) "Maximum Bet", the maximum value, expressed in euros, that the player
can bet during a game;
c) "Minimum Bet", the minimum value, expressed in euros, that the player
must bet during a game;
d) "Bank", represents the game and the 'hand' of the Operator, and against
which the player makes their bet;
e) "Split Pair", a situation in which players take two cards of the same value to
form a pair, afterwards splitting these two cards to make two separate bets,
independent of the initial one;
f) "Play", operations that commence with the placing of bets by each player,
which progress with the distribution of playing cards to the players and the
bank, followed by totalling the scores obtained by each player, and ending
with the collection of the chips of the losing players and the payment of
prizes to the winners;
g) "Game Session", the period of uninterrupted time that has elapsed between
the beginning and end of game-play access to blackjack/21 by the player.
3-
The operation and playing of the blackjack/21 online game must take place
in real time, in a virtual environment that graphically and visually reproduces the
characteristics of the equipment used in a physical gambling table, including proper
emulation of all such operations and their correct functioning.
4-
The graphical and visual representation of the gambling table and the game
tools must specifically contain the following characteristics:
a) A table with seven seats, with each one of these having a small rectangle or
circle that marks out the area for the bets of each of the players, and also
with a marked out area in the central region of the table for the insured
betting amounts;
b) Four, six or eight decks of 52 cards;
c) An indicator showing the results of the last plays made by the bank.
5-
Individual tables, or tables seating multiple players, may be used for the
operation and playing of blackjack/21 online.
6-
On tables with multiple players, each player bets individually against the
operator, with all bets being linked to the result of each play, which shall be
simultaneous and common to all participants.
7-
Under terms and conditions to be established in the specific rules, the
operator shall allow a single player to bet at more than one place at the multiple
player table.
8-
The cards have the following score-based values:
a) Ace — 1 or 11, except:
i)
When the bank plays, the value will always be 11, if the
player's score is 17 or higher but does not exceed 21, of if it
does exceed 21, will be valued at 1;
ii)
When one of the first two cards dealt to the player is an ace,
and such player opts to double their bet as a result of the ace
being valued at 1, the player shall be obliged to stick to this
value until the end of this game;
b) King, queen and jack (faces) — 10;
c) All other cards — the value indicated on the card itself.
9-
The amount of each bet shall not be lower than the amount fixed for the
table itself, nor greater than the defined maximum amount.
10-
The minimum and maximum amount of bets shall be established by the
operator.
11-
The amount of the maximum bet shall not exceed 100 times the amount of
the minimum bet.
12-
On tables with multiple players, the amount of time allocated for the making
of bets shall be defined by the operator, which shall simultaneously run for all
players, and must be clearly visible by means of a timer or through text messages
or audible sounds, using the following phrases, respectively, "make your bets" and
"no more bets allowed, cards being distributed" or equivalent types of phrases.
13-
On individual tables, the time at which the distribution of cards begins can
be instigated by the player him/herself, after the placing of the bet.
14-
After all bets have been made, the distribution of the first two cards to the
players and the bank shall occur, in accordance with the following procedure:
a) A card is dealt to each player, with the value of this card being face up,
followed by a card dealt to the bank, with the value of this card also being
face up;
b) The second card is then dealt to each of the players, with the value also
being face up, followed by the second card to the bank, but this time with
the value being face down.
15-
Once distribution of all of the cards has finished, any players that do not
have a blackjack combination shall be entitled to make the following decisions:
a) Make an obligatory request for a further card if the obtained score is
equal to, or less than 11, and assuming the players wish to remain in the
game;
b) Double their bets, if the total score of the two cards is 9, 10 or 11, and in
which case, with a further single card being dealt;
c) Ask for no further cards (stick), if the total score is greater than 11;
d) Request as many additional cards as desired, with the aim of improving
the score of their existing cards and up to a total of 21, inclusive, is
reached, with it not being permitted to request more cards should a total
of 21 be reached;
e) Quit the game, if the card dealt to the bank and shown face up is not an
ace, losing half the value of the bet;
f)
Insure your bet, when the card dealt to the bank and shown face up is
an ace, by placing, in the assigned insurance pot location on the table,
the amount of the bet, which shall not exceed half the amount of the
initial bet.
16-
Under the terms and conditions to be defined in the specific rules, the
operator shall be entitled to:
a) Permit doubling of bets, irrespective of the score of the cards of the
player;
b) Restrict the possibility of splitting cards, as stated in Rules No 21 and
No 22, for cards dealt as pairs;
c) Fix a limit to the number of splits permitted per gambling place at the
table and during each game;
d) To not use the insured bet referred to in paragraph f) of Rule No 15;
e) To not use the special prizes referred to in paragraph i) of Rule No 25.
17-
After the distribution of additional cards to the players has finished, the
value of the second card dealt to the bank is shown and, in accordance with the
score obtained, one of the following situations shall occur:
a) If the score is equal to, or greater than 17, no more cards shall be dealt
to the bank;
b) If the score is equal to, or less than 16, additional cards shall be dealt to
the bank until a minimum score of 17 is reached.
18-
The blackjack combination will always total 21.
19-
It is not considered blackjack when 21 is reached through the dealing of
additional cards, nor when 21 is obtained after making use of a split pair.
20-
The rules for the distribution of cards, as set out in Rules 15 and 17,
comprise the following exceptions:
a) If, with the first two cards the player achieves the blackjack combination,
and the card dealt to the bank, being laid face up, is not an ace, a face
card or a ten, the winnings shall be paid immediately to the player and
the cards returned to the pack;
b) If the player achieves a blackjack combination after the distribution of
the first two cards, and the first card dealt to the bank is an ace, before
revealing the value of the second card dealt to the bank, the player may
opt to receive an amount equal to the value of their bet;
c) The game shall end when all players have either lost or quit.
21-
Whenever the first two cards dealt have the same value, even when of
different suits, the player can separate these cards and make independent bets,
provided that the bet placed on each of these cards is equal to the value of the
initial bet, afterwards being able to request one or more cards for each of these
bets in accordance with the provisions of Rule No 15, except when the split pair
consists of aces, in which case only a single card may be requested for each bet.
22-
If the player, after splitting the initial pair, receives one or more additional
cards of the same value, said player may proceed by further splitting his pairs,
under the conditions of the previous rule.
23-
If the players, after splitting their pairs and using the received cards, get a
total of 9, 10 or 11, said players may double their bets under the conditions of
paragraph b) of Rule No 15.
24-
Throughout the course of the game, the operator must inform the players of
all of the possible decisions that can be made by the players during the game, in
addition to making it possible to select one of these options.
25-
Each of the bets made by the player shall be decided by the total score of
the cards, or by comparing the cards received by the player with the cards received
by the bank, in accordance with the following rules:
a) If the player gets blackjack, this player will win one and a half times (3 to 2)
the value of their bet, except when the bank also gets blackjack, in which
case it results in a draw;
b) If the player exceeds a total score of 21, the player will lose their bet, and
the cards are immediately returned to the pack;
c) Whenever the total score achieved by the player is closer to 21 than the
total score of the bank, this player wins the value of his bet;
d) If the bank exceeds a total score of 21, and the player is still in the game,
this player will win the value of his bet;
e) Whenever the total score achieved by the bank is closer to 21 than the total
score of the player, the player in question will lose the value of his bet;
f) Whenever the bank gets blackjack, the opposing player will receive the value
of any insured bets, which shall be paid at double the amount of the bet;
g) In the event that the bank does not get blackjack, the player will lose the
insured bet;
h) If the player and the bank both get blackjack, or both get the same score,
the result will always be a draw, with the value of the bet remaining with the
player;
i)
Whenever the player is dealt card values of 6, 7 and 8 of the same suit, or
three 7s (sevens), this player shall be entitled to a special prize
corresponding to three times the value of their bet, without losing out on the
potential prize that could still be awarded after comparison of the cards held
by the player and the bank;
26-
Winning bets shall continue to belong to the player.
27-
All games will be classified null and void if, through failure or malfunction,
such games are interrupted without it being possible to determine the combined
score of the cards, or when it is not possible to total the score of the bank, the
player, or make a comparison between the two in order to determine the winner.
28-
All bets shall be returned to the players in the event of a game being null
and void.
29-
For the purposes of the provisions set out in Rule No 27, games shall not be
considered null and void when failures, malfunctions or interruptions are due to
problems with the communications networks or equipment used by the player for
participating in the game, which makes it impossible, after making the respective
bets, to view the outcome of the game.
30-
In the instances referred to in the previous rule, the game and the bets
made by the player shall remain valid, with the winning or losing bet being paid to,
or collected from, the player, respectively.
31-
The operator shall make an option available to the player that enables them
to view all of the essential details of the previous game, including the results and
amounts that were bet.
32-
The operator shall provide clear, objective and appropriate information on
the rules of the game for the player before, during and after the gambling session,
in addition to the minimum and maximum values of applicable bets, information on
wins and losses, and an appropriate system for making complaints.
33-
The operator shall make information available to the player on the amounts
bet and the respective wins and losses at the end of each gambling session.
34-
The beginning, duration and end of each session is defined by the player.
35-
Without having a negative impact on the previously stated rule, the operator
may invite the player to end the gambling session whenever:
a) On an individual table, the player does not make a bet after a time period of
greater than 3 minutes.
b) On a table with multiple players, the player does not make a bet for more
than 5 consecutive games.
36-
For the situations outlined in the previous rule, in the event that the player
does not voluntarily end the gambling session, the operator must warn the player
that the session will be terminated if the player does not make a bet within the next
minute or during the next game, respectively.
37-
The operator may provide blackjack/21 game demo applications on its
website with the same characteristics as used in the operation, but without the use
of money.
38-
Demo applications can only award extension of the game free of charge
based on the score obtained, and this cannot be replaced or converted into cash,
vouchers to play, or goods and services of any nature or kind.