(1) A member of the commission, the commission representative, or the referee may order a promoter to surrender to the commission any purse or other funds payable to a participant, or to withhold the share of any manager, if it appears that:

(a) The participant is not competing honestly, or is intentionally not competing to the best of her or his ability and skill, in a match represented to be a contest; or

(b) The participant, her or his manager, or any of the participant’s seconds has violated this chapter.

(2) Any purse so withheld shall be delivered by the promoter to the commission upon demand. Within 10 days after the match, the person from whom the sum was withheld may submit a petition for a hearing to the commission pursuant to s. 120.569. Upon receipt of the petition, the commission shall hold a hearing pursuant to ss. 120.569 and 120.57. If no petition for a hearing is filed, the commission shall meet and determine the disposition of the withheld purse. If the commission finds the charges sufficient, it may declare all or part of the funds forfeited. If the commission finds the charges insufficient, it shall immediately distribute the withheld funds to the appropriate persons.

(3) If a contestant’s purse is forfeited, the commission may include any payments or advances as part of the forfeiture, and if the contestant does not forward such amount to the commission, such payments and advances may be recovered in the same manner as a debt due the state.

History.—ss. 2, 4, ch. 84-246; s. 13, ch. 88-365; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 772, ch. 97-103; s. 128, ch. 99-251; s. 11, ch. 2014-128.