PA SGOC Filing Deadline Extended - New Deadline Date not yet announced

PA Department of Revenue presses 'pause' on accepting 2014 activity being entered on their website until technical issues are resolved.  They also officially announce they will be extending the filing deadline date.

References:
http://www.revenue.pa.gov/GeneralTaxInformation/Tax%20Types%20and%20Information/Pages/Small%20Games%20of%20Chance/SGOC%20-%20Eligible%20Organizations%20and%20Club%20Licensees.aspx#.VMoHJ_54pK0

Having difficulty filing your gaming activity with the PA Department of Revenue?

Update: As of Monday January 12th the State modified the website to allow Negative Net proceed amounts. If you entered your activity into the website prior to 1/12/2015 and you had negative net proceeds (that you could not enter) - you may wish to inquire about your need to re-enter your activity.

Having difficulty filing your gaming activity with the PA Department of Revenue?

The time has finally arrived for your organization to file your 2014 gaming activity with the Department of Revenue. Now that the Department’s website is up-and-running, a number of difficulties have surfaced. Here is a list of some of the complications Licensee’s are finding with filing:

-          - Saving the information you’ve typed into the website is not possible

       - If your Organization netted a negative amount for a given week (a common occurrence) for a game, you cannot input the negative number, you must input a “0”

-           - If you input all of your 2014 activity, but find that you’ve made a mistake, you must re-enter your information in its entirety and hope that you haven’t made another error in the process

To this point, the only news regarding e-filing is that the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue will be making changes to allow for reporting of negative net proceeds. We maintain regular communication with the PA Department of Revenue, and we’ll keep you updated as information is made available.

As the leading ticket tracking software company in Pennsylvania, our promise is to make this very difficult process simple. We ensure that our Customers games are tracked by game and week in each of the required BLCE Schedules, and then file our Customers yearly activity with the Department of Revenue so that our Customers don’t have to.  Additionally, our Customers are able to edit their data at any time.

We are the ONLY Company approved by the PA Department of Revenue to file your gaming activity electronically. Our goal is to simplify tracking and reporting small games of chance. Our Customers do not have to worry about keeping large amounts of gaming records and filing yearly activity with the Department of Revenue, because our software does all of this for you.

For most Organizations, Gaming is their most vital source of revenue. Call us today, we’d be happy to show you how we make winning simple. 

Paul Jubas

Vice President

Myers Integrated Systems

PA Dept of Revenue Website available for 2014 SGOC activity

https://www.doreservices.state.pa.us/sgoc/Default.aspx

The Pa Department of Revenue website is available for organizations licensed to conduct small games of chance.  If your organization makes over $20,000 a year from gaming, you have until January 31, 2015 to file your 2014 activity into the State’s website.

Many organizations will now be finding themselves spending weeks compiling inconsistent gaming records, then taking those records and spending countless hours manually entering their gaming records into the Department of Revenue’s website

Why is this process so difficult?

Because all of the following must be accounted for:

1.    All Games that were in play and out of play in 2014, Gross Revenue/Total Expenses/Total Prizes and Proceeds amounts need to be grouped/tallied and reported.

2.    Processes must be implemented to lower the risk of employee theft

3.    Each game must be tracked using up to 14 different Schedules provided by the PA Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement.

4.    For all 2014 gaming activity each of the 8 Game types need to be grouped by business week, Expenses/Proceeds etc. Tallied and entered into the States website.

5.    All of your Gaming 60% transactions (donations) and a summary of your 40% transactions need to be entered into the States website.

SIENNA, our easy to use ticket tracking software, simplifies this complicated process.

By choosing SIENNA, our Customers do not have these difficulties. SIENNA simplifies all of the difficult aspects of running a successful gaming business.

SIENNA provides your organization with all of the following:

-       Tracks all information required by the BLCE as sales and payouts are made

-       Significantly reduces the ability for bar staff to steal gaming money

-       Provides daily reports for reconcilement

-       The ONLY ticket tracking software that files your gaming activity electronically to the Department of Revenue, so you don’t have to.

With features like Membership Tracking and customized alerts, your organization will find itself saving time, money, and simplifying all of the processes required to run a successful gaming business. Above all else, you will be safeguarding this all-important revenue stream. As the only ticket tracking system that is approved by the PA Department of Revenue, SIENNA provides the simplification and compliance that your organization needs to succeed.

Happy New Year and May you all have a Blessed 2015!

D. Kelly Myers

www.myersintsystems.com
"Think outside the Jar"

Resources: Same as listed above; https://www.doreservices.state.pa.us/sgoc/Default.aspx

2015 will be here soon, are you ready to file your 2014 SGOC activity ?

We thought this would be a perfect time to re-post BLCE Officer Todd Merlina's presentation from February 12, 2014.  You will find this video to be very informative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIHd4rE-b6k

If you are one of our current customers or business partners please signup and/or login to our Sienna SGOC Insiders only forum.  We posted some very important and informative information over the last several weeks.  This weeks post includes an SDS End of Year checklist, we strongly recommend our customers read the post.

Resources:
Youtube site shown above

Published on Feb 27, 2014

Todd Merlina is an Enforcement Supervisor with the Pennsylvania State Police, Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement. He provided this training on the PA Small Games of Chance laws and regulations on February 12, 2014 at the Cardinal Keeler Center, Harrisburg. This training is to help individuals be more aware of illegal gambling and to understand how to conduct games of chance for the purpose of raising funds legally. More information is available at www.Lce.state.pa.us

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PA SGOC Electronic Filing begins in approx. 7 weeks

A few important announcements for our valued customers and business partners…

You Must be on Release 4.11 or Greater

In roughly 40 days SGOC Licensee’s that made more than $20,000 in net proceeds in 2014 MUST file electronically with the PA Department of Revenue. To file electronically with your Sienna System, make sure that your system is on Release 4.11 or greater.  If your are not on 4.11 or greater please email us at support@myersintsystems.com and we will contact you and schedule a day/time to upgrade your system.

Take Advantage of our Insiders Only Forum

We suggest that our current customers and business partners sign up for our Insiders Only Forum. In the Forum you will find exclusive information on developments in Pennsylvania Small Games. Shoot us an email with your Organization and Contact Info to support@myersintsystems.com.

A Message from the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement

We have been asked by the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement to inform our readers that “Pulltab Parties” and “Ticket Parties” are illegal. 

Forming a Strategy to Comply with the Small Games of Chance Law

Since 2012, Pennsylvania has passed 3 laws that substantially changed the requirements for running a successful gaming business in Pennsylvania. Most Organizations in PA survive because of the revenue brought in from Pull-tabs and other games of chance. The frequent changes made to the Small Games of Chance Law threaten this vital revenue, and thus threatens the existence of not only the Organizations, but the Charities whose survival is dependent on donations from these Organizations. 

HOWEVER, THESE CHANGES SHOULD NOT BE AN OBSTACLE TO RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BAR AND GAMING BUSINESS.

How can your Organization grow its business in such confusing times?

A successful strategy for an Organization MUST cover the following:

1.      Bartenders that sell the tickets, payout winners, and sell food & beverages

2.      Managers that account for daily food & beverage and gaming business

3.      Compliance with ever-changing laws

4.      Retraining new Bartenders, Managers, Trustees/Board Members

1.      Bartenders: Running a successful business in this environment starts with your Bartenders. A good strategy will track each ticket sold by your Bartenders, and every payout made to winning customers. Implementing a good strategy will allow for the Manager to more easily account for the tickets, remove any possibility for your Bartenders to steal money or cheat, and maximize the profit for each and every game put into play.

 

2.      Managers: Your Bar Manager must account for every sale and payout to do his/her job properly. To complicate things, PA Law requires your Organization to maintain up to 14 different records that specify games, winners, and times. Needless to say, your Bar Manager is up against SUBSTANTIAL & TIME CONSUMING HURDLES, not to mention the tremendous pressure from the potential consequences of poor record keeping. Heavy fines and suspension of your gaming license could spell disaster. A successful strategy will allow your Bar Manager to deal with these responsibilities in a time-effective, and stress-relieving manner.

3.      Compliance: With up to a year’s worth of gaming activity for you to input into the Department of Revenue’s e-filing website, and for the BLCE to possibly audit, the chances are greatly increased for fines or worse. Having your gaming records organized is crucial to your Organization’s survival.  If your Organization is audited, your i’s must be dotted and your t’s must be crossed. A successful strategy makes it easy to e-file with the Department of Revenue, and will make for a seamless audit if the BLCE or the Department come knocking. 

4.      Retraining: Organizations like yours see frequent turnover in personnel. Bartenders and Bar Managers come and go, while Trustees and Board Members are voted in and out. To maintain the survival of your Organization, you must insure continuity among ever-changing personnel. A successful strategy makes it easy for a new hire or Trustee to jump right into the system.  A system removes confusion and provides stability in a confusing environment.

Our Customers find all the benefits of having a cohesive approach to their Bar and Gambling business. Sienna, our Food & Beverage and Ticket Management Software, tracks every ticket sale and payout as well as every food & beverage sale made by your Bartenders, provides reports that take hours of work away from your Bar Manager, automatically fills out all reports required by Pennsylvania law, e-files with the Dept. of Revenue so that you don’t have to, and insures continuity in the management of your business, no matter how many of your employees and Trustees come and go.

Contact us today, we would be happy to give you a free demo of our Food & Beverage and Ticket Management system. By partnering with us, your Organization can thrive in difficult times.

 

Paul Jubas

Vice President
814-244-8115
pauljubas@myersintsystems.com
Myers Integrated Systems, LLC

PA SGOC Myers Integrated Systems, LLC approved by State for second year in a row!

Although we have not yet received the official letter and we are not yet listed on the PA Department of Revenue's website, we have been told by the PA Department of the Revenue that we have been APPROVED for the 2nd year in a row to file 2014 SGOC Activity electronically on behalf of our customers.  We are the ONLY system that has EVER been approved to file Small Games of Chance Activity electronically.

All 70 plus users of the Sienna Database SGOC System will NOT have to Key 2014 SGOC Activity summarized by business week activity for each SGOC game into the PA Department of Revenue’s website.

Beginning January 2, 2015 (until January 31, 2015)

All PA Small Games Of Chance licensed organizations with net proceeds exceeding $20,000 for 2014 MUST enter the following into the States SGOC website – Unless they are using our Sienna Database SGOC System.  Myers Integrated Systems, LLC will file on your behalf so you will not need to enter your activity into the States website.

All of the organizations Small Games of Chance activity must be grouped by Game and by each of the organizations business week(s) for 2014.  Each of the Games Gross Revenue, Total Expenses, Total Prizes and finally Net proceeds for each business week must be tallied and summed and subsequently entered into the States website as required by law.

Example;  Pull-tab Games activity must be grouped by 52 business weeks in 2014 and all of the Gross revenue, Total Expenses, Total Prizes and Net proceeds for each business week for all pull-tab games that was taken out of play during the specific business week must be summed and entered into the States website.

The Drawing activity and the additional 6 Game activities will also need to be grouped/summarized as described above and entered as well.  If you did not have activity for any of the 8 Games for a business week you will not have to enter activity for that week in the States website.

Additionally, Organization(s) must then enter every Donation they made during 2014 including the date of the donation, the recipient of the donation and the amount. 

All Club Expenses for the year will need to be tallied and entered. 

Finally, if you are saving club expense money that was not used and is available (from the 40% in 2014) for a project in 2015 or beyond you will need to enter specific information regarding the project including the expected cost, the expected date of completion and the amount you are saving for the project.

Of course the Sienna Database Small Games of Chance System© is very easy to use will track and report to the PA Department of Revenue and will also produce ALL PA BLCE Schedules....and Much Much More!  Let the State and the BLCE know that you are serious about being accountable for your SGOC Activity by using the ONLY system Approved by the State.  Stay compliant and protect yourself with our easy to use comprehensive Game Tracking/Food and Beverage system...

The Sienna Database System© POS/SGOC Complete System

"Think Out of the Jar" with Myers Integrated Systems, LLC
www.myersintsystems.com
814.408.2158