1. (a) Bond and Insurance Requirements for Promoters

   1. (1) A Promoter applicant must submit to the Department proof of financial responsibility and insurance requirements. Financial responsibility may be shown by:

      1. (A) submitting a current financial statement prepared by a certified public accountant, showing liquid working capital of $10,000 or more; or
      2. (B) submitting a $10,000 performance bond guaranteeing payment of all obligations relating to the promotional activity; and
      3. (C) submitting a $15,000 surety bond, written by a bonding company authorized to do business in the State of Texas, which shall remain in effect for four years after the effective cancellation date.
   2. (2) The promoter shall provide insurance and pay all deductibles for contestants, to cover medical, surgical and hospital care with a minimum limit of $20,000 for injuries sustained while participating in a contest and $50,000 to a contestant's estate if he dies of injuries received while participating in a contest. The insurance premium and deductibles shall not be deducted from the contestant's purse. The promoter shall provide to the Department for each event sponsored, a certificate of insurance showing proper coverage. The promoter shall supply to those participating in the event the proper information for filing a medical claim.

2. (b) A Promoter shall:

   1. (1) Bear all financial responsibility for the event.
   2. (2) Provide the Department written notice of all proposed event dates, ticket prices, and participants of the main event, at least 21 days before the proposed event date and obtain written approval from the Department to promote the event prior to advertising or selling tickets.
   3. (3) Obtain written departmental approval for the fight card at least 10 working days before the event date. The request shall contain the full legal name, address, date-of-birth, Texas contestant license number, Federal Identification number, weight, previous fight record (by supplying current results from the contestant's registry recognized by the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996, 15 USC §§6301 - 6313), and number of rounds to be fought for each contestant. In addition, the Department may require submission of certified birth certificates or other official evidence of identification.
   4. (4) Provide written notice to the Department of any change in the card before the scheduled weigh-in. Notices announcing changes or substitutions in the card must also be conspicuously posted at the box office and announced from the ring before the opening contest.
   5. (5) Provide to the Department, written notice of any change in the announced or advertised location, time or card cancellations before the scheduled weigh-in.
   6. (6) Provide two ringside physicians, registered by the Department, for each event.
   7. (7) Provide at least one registered physician to conduct pre-fight physicals. The Department may require additional physicians depending on the event size. Provide a private area for the ringside physician to perform pre-fight examinations.
   8. (8) Assure that beverages are only allowed in paper or plastic cups at the event.
   9. (9) Immediately after the event, compensate the ringside physicians, timekeepers, judges, referees and contestants. Payment of percentage contracts shall be made when the amount can be determined. Payments that do not require additional accounting or auditing, shall be made in the presence of an authorized Department representative.
   10. (10) Provide no less than two private dressing rooms of adequate size for the contestants and their licensed managers, and seconds, and separate dressing rooms for male and female contestants. Only working Commission employees, contract inspectors, media, physicians, licensed working ring officials, promoter, matchmaker, manager and seconds will be allowed in the dressing rooms.
   11. (11) Assure that no alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs are in the dressing room.

   12. (12) Ensure the safety of the contestants, officials, and spectators.

       1. (A) There shall be a pre-fight plan and route to remove an injured contestant from the ring and arena. Upon request, the promoter shall inform the Department of these plans. The plan shall include the name and location of a local hospital emergency room.
       2. (B) A sufficient number of security personnel shall be retained to maintain order.
   13. (13) Schedule no less than 24 or more than 60 rounds for each event. Contests between males shall have no more than three-minute rounds with one-minute rest periods between rounds. Contests between females shall have no more than two-minute rounds with one-minute rest periods between rounds. No event shall exceed 10 rounds, except a championship or title contest, which shall not exceed 12 rounds. A sparring or exhibition event shall not exceed three rounds.
   14. (14) Prior to advertising a championship or title contest, file with the Department the contestants' contracts.
   15. (15) Contestants opposing one another must wear gloves manufactured by the same company with the same brand name, model and weight.

   16. (16) Ensure that each event has the appropriate equipment to include:

       1. (A) The ring shall be a square with sides not less than 16 feet or more than 24 feet inside the ropes. The ring floor shall extend at least 24 inches beyond the ropes on all sides. The ring floor shall be of at least 3/4-inch material, adequately supported, and padded with ensolite or similar closed-cell foam that is at least 1-inch thick.
       2. (B) The padding shall extend over the edge of the ring platform and have a top covering of canvas, duck, or similar material approved by the Department.
       3. (C) The covering shall be clean and be tightly stretched and laced to the ring platform and may not have tears, holes or overlapping seams.
       4. (D) The ring platform shall have at least three sets of steps into the ring during a contest: one set for each contestant's corner and one set in the neutral corner to be used for the ringside physician and the Department.
       5. (E) The ring corners shall be protected inside the ring with a urethane pad at least six inches wide. It shall be covered with material similar to the ring floor covering, and the covering must be long enough to cover all the rope joints.
       6. (F) Ring posts shall be made of a strong material, preferably steel, and shall be at least three inches in diameter. The posts shall be secured under the ring to prevent spreading. The ring shall be set up at least two hours before the contest is scheduled to begin.
       7. (G) There shall be four ring ropes at least one inch in diameter evenly spaced, one foot apart. The lower rope shall be 18 inches above the ring floor. The ropes shall be attached to the ring posts with turnbuckles and shall be stretched taut during all contests. The bottom rope shall be padded with at least 2 inch of soft material.
       8. (H) A bell that makes a sound loud enough to be heard by the contestants, referee, and other officials.
       9. (I) An appropriate receptacle for spitting for each contestant's corner, clean water buckets for the contestants' use, and at least three chairs or stools in each contestant's corner. The chairs shall be labeled "seconds" and shall be used only by the contestant's official seconds.
       10. (J) New gloves for all main events. If gloves used in preliminary contests have been used before, they shall be whole, clean, in sanitary condition, and subject to inspection by the referee and Department representatives. Any gloves found unfit shall not be used and must be replaced with acceptable gloves. There shall be extra sets of gloves on hand to be used in case gloves are broken or in any way damaged during a contest.
       11. (K) Contestants in all weight categories up to, and including welterweights, shall use eight-ounce gloves. In heavier classes, they may wear ten-ounce gloves. Female contestants may wear 10-ounce gloves.
       12. (L) Gloves shall be kept in the possession of the promoter and shall be made available for inspection by the Department for a minimum of seven days after a contest.
       13. (M) The ring apron shall be kept clear at all times of objects including, but not limited to: cameras, microphones, and advertisements. A separate camera platform at a neutral corner of the ring for use by cameramen may be provided. Cameramen may be allowed on the ring apron during rest periods, between bouts, or at the discretion of the Executive Director. No seats may be sold at the ring apron.
       14. (N) The Technical Zone shall be set up for the Department.
       15. (O) All emergency medical personnel and portable medical equipment shall be located within the Technical Zone during the event. There must be a resuscitator, oxygen, stretcher, a certified ambulance, and an emergency medical technician on site for all contests. The Executive Director may require additional medical personnel and equipment depending on the number of bouts scheduled.
       16. (P) The judges' chairs shall be high enough that their shoulders shall be no lower than the ring floor. Physician ringside seats shall be in the neutral corner(s).
       17. (Q) There shall be at least one, but no more than three, authorized promoter representative(s) at ringside at all times. Only the promoter's representative(s), Department officials, the press, physicians, representatives of sanctioning bodies, and judges shall sit at the ringside tables.
   17. (17) In the event that a person who is intended to be a Contestant is not licensed at the time of the weigh-in it is the promoter's responsibility to pay the licensing fee by check. No cash or other forms of payment will be accepted.

3. (c) Contract requirements between Promoter and Contestant.

   1. (1) The promoter for an event shall have contracts with contestants executed in triplicate on Department forms showing the amount of guarantee or percentage promised, the number and time limit of rounds, when and where the contestants are scheduled to appear, weight category, and other pertinent details governing the event. If applicable, the compensation section must include the specifics of television, radio and cable rights. The contract must define and provide for agreement on compensation if the opponent fails to appear at the weigh-in or bout. All contracts must state the dollar amount or percentage withheld for expenses, taxes, advances, sanctions or any other items the promoter seeks to subtract from a contestant's purse.
   2. (2) The promoter shall furnish one executed copy of the contract to the contestants or their managers, retain one, and submit one to the Department.
   3. (3) All required information must be typed or legibly printed, and the contestant and promoter shall initial any changes or addenda.

4. (d) Tickets

   1. (1) All tickets shall have printed on each half, the price including any service surcharge or handling fee the promoter's license number, and event date.
   2. (2) Roll tickets with consecutive numbers shall be sold only at the box office on the day of the show.
   3. (3) Tickets of different prices shall be printed on different colored ticket stock.
   4. (4) The promoter shall submit a sworn inventory to the Department of tickets delivered to any outlet or event sponsor. The inventory shall account for any known overprints, changes, or extras.
   5. (5) Tickets shall not be sold for more than the actual capacity of the location where the event is held.
   6. (6) All tickets shall be torn in half and one half returned to the ticket holder at the entrance gate. The other half shall be immediately deposited in a sealed container, where it is to remain until the Department's representative witnesses the opening of the container. No one shall pass through the gate without having their ticket torn or shall occupy a seat unless holding a ticket half or have a working pass or credential with a specific seat assignment indicated on them. Passes and or credentials may not be sold or bartered.
   7. (7) If a main event or special added attraction is postponed or cancelled for any reason, the promoter shall promptly refund ticket sales. A special added attraction is the appearance of any person or persons at any boxing event whose reputation or ability is calculated to increase attendance. Tickets in the hands of ticket services shall be returned to the promoter not later than when the box office at the boxing event site has closed.
   8. (8) Promoters shall hold tickets of every description used for any event for at least 30 days after the event. The tickets shall be kept in separate packages for each event for audit purposes.
   9. (9) When computing gross receipts, the face value of tickets, except deadwood, shall be included whether the tickets were sold for cash, given away, or bartered for services provided.
5. (e) A promoter shall submit to the Department a tax report and a 3% gross receipts tax payment within 72 hours after an event.

Source Note:The provisions of this §61.40 adopted to be effective October 1, 2000, 25 TexReg 9941; amended to be effective December 1, 2003, 28 TexReg 10445.