VIDEO LOTTERY TERMINALS.

(a) Video lottery terminals allowed by this article may be placed only in licensed limited video lottery locations approved by the commission: Provided, That prior to the approval of the placement of a video lottery terminal operated pursuant to a permit issued after December 31, 2017, the commission shall hold one or more public hearings at which interested persons may express their views on the proposed video lottery locations pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Public Hearing.

(1) Notice of public hearing. – Notice of the public hearing or hearings shall be published as a Class II legal advertisement at the expense of the permittee, in a form acceptable to the commission, and accordance with the requirements of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code. The published notice shall include, at a minimum:

(A) The date, time, place and purpose of the public hearing or hearings; and

(B) The proposed location of a video lottery terminal.

(c) All video lottery terminals in approved locations shall be physically located as follows:

(1) The video lottery terminals shall be continuously monitored through the use of a closed circuit television system capable of identifying players and terminal faces and of recording activity for a continuous twenty-four hour period. All video tapes or other recording medium approved in writing by the commission shall be retained for a period of at least sixty days and be available for viewing by an authorized representative of the commission or the commissioner of alcohol beverage control. The cost of monitoring shall be paid by the limited video lottery retailer;

(2) Access to video lottery terminal locations shall be restricted to persons legally entitled by age to play video lottery games;

(3) The permittee shall submit for commission approval a floor plan of the area or areas where video lottery terminals are to be operated showing terminal locations and security camera mount location; and

(4) No video lottery terminal or video lottery camera may be relocated without prior written approval from the commission.

(d) Personnel of the limited video lottery retailer shall be present during all hours of operation at each video lottery terminal location. These personnel shall make periodic inspections of the restricted access adult-only facility in order to provide for the safe and approved operation of the video lottery terminals and the safety and well-being of the players.

(e) Security personnel of the commission and investigators of the Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner shall have unrestricted access to video lottery terminal locations.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article to the contrary, the commission may not approve the placement of a video lottery terminal in a state park.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article to the contrary, during any bidding pursuant to section 1107 of this article occurring after June 30, 2021, the commission shall reduce the number of licensed limited video lottery locations to a number less than one thousand two hundred and fifty.