TITLE 43 PROFESSIONS AND BUSINESSES

4B. Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, 43-4B-1 through 43-4B-55.

ARTICLE 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS

43-4B-1. Definitions.

As used in this chapter, the term:

1. "Amateur," when applied to a person engaged in boxing, wrestling, or a martial art, means a person who receives no compensation and engages in a match, contest, or exhibition of boxing, wrestling, or a martial art that is governed or authorized by:
   1. U.S.A. Boxing;
   2. The Georgia High School Athletic Association;
   3. The National Collegiate Athletic Association;
   4. Amateur Athletic Union;
   5. Golden Gloves;
   6. Team Georgia Amateur Wrestling;
   7. USA Wrestling;
   8. National High School Coaches Association;
   9. North American Sport Karate Association;
   10. International Sport Kick Boxing/Karate Association;
   11. World Kick Boxing Association;
   12. United States Kick Boxing Association;
   13. International Sport Combat Federation;
   14. Professional Karate Commission;
   15. International Kick Boxing Federation; or
   16. The local affiliate of any organization listed in this paragraph.
2. "Boxing match" means a contest between two individuals in which contestants score points in rounds of two or three minutes by striking with padded fists the head and upper torso of the opponent or by knocking the opponent down and rendering the opponent unconscious or incapable of continuing the contest by such blows, which contest is held in a square ring supervised by a referee and scored by three judges.
3. "Boxing registry" means a registry created or designated pursuant to subsection (j) of Code Section 43-4B-4.

   (3.1) "Charitable organization" means an entity described by:

   1. Section 501(c)(3), Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. Section 501(c)(3)); or
   2. Section 170(c), Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. Section 170(c)).
4. "Commission" means the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission.
5. "Exhibition" means a contest where the participants engage in the use of boxing, wrestling, or martial arts skills and techniques and where the objective is to display such skills and techniques without striving to win.
6. "Face value" means the dollar value of a ticket or order, which value shall reflect the dollar amount that the customer is required to pay or, for complimentary tickets, would have been required to pay to purchase a ticket with equivalent seating priority in order to view the match, contest, exhibition, or entertainment event. A complimentary ticket shall not have a face value of $0.00. A complimentary ticket shall not have a face value of less than that of the least expensive ticket available for sale to the general public. Face value shall include any charges or fees, such as dinner, gratuity, parking, surcharges, or any other charges or fees which are charged to and must be paid by the customer in order to view the match, contest, exhibition, or entertainment event. It shall exclude any portion paid by the customer for federal, state, or local taxes.
7. "Gross proceeds" means the total revenue received solely from the sale of tickets used or intended to be used by the audience physically attending any event required to be licensed under this chapter.
8. "Gross receipts" means:
   1. The gross price charged for the sale or lease of broadcasting, television, pay per view, closed circuit, or motion picture rights without any deductions for commissions, brokerage fees, distribution fees, production fees, advertising, or other expenses or charges;
   2. The face value of all tickets sold and complimentary tickets issued, provided, or given; and
   3. The face value of any seats issued, provided, or given in exchange for advertising, sponsorships, or anything of value to the promotion of an event.
9. "Local tax" means any occupation tax or other tax owed to a county or municipality in order to hold a match, contest, or exhibition or to carry on a business as a ticket broker within such county or municipality.

   (9.1) "Kickboxing" means unarmed combat involving the use of striking techniques delivered with the upper and lower body and in which the competitors remain standing while striking.

10. "Manager" means a person who under contract, agreement, or other arrangement with a boxer, undertakes to control or administer, directly or indirectly, a matter related to boxing on behalf of a boxer. Such term includes, but is not limited to, a person who functions as a booking agent, adviser, or consultant.

    (10.1) "Martial art" means any form of unarmed combative sport or unarmed combative entertainment that allows contact striking, except boxing or wrestling.

    (10.2) "Matchmaker" means a person who is employed by or associated with a promoter in the capacity of booking and arranging professional matches, contests, or exhibitions between opponents or who proposes professional matches, contests, or exhibitions and selects and arranges for the participants in such events and for whose activities in this regard the promoter is legally responsible.

11. "Mixed martial arts" means unarmed combat involving the use of a combination of techniques from different disciplines of the martial arts, including but not limited to grappling, submission holds, and strikes with the upper and lower body.

    (11.1) "Original purchaser for personal use" means a person who buys one or more tickets with the intention of using the ticket or tickets solely for the use of the purchaser or the purchaser's invitees, employees, and agents. An original purchaser who resells more than six tickets to the same athletic contest or entertainment event and who resells tickets to an athletic contest or entertainment event for more than 105 percent of their face value shall be rebuttably presumed to be engaging in the business of a ticket broker in any criminal prosecution or civil action, order, or penalty by the commission.

    (11.2) "Patron boxing," "patron wrestling," or "patron martial arts" means boxing, wrestling, or martial arts that is not:

    1. Governed or authorized by any organization listed in paragraph (1) of this Code section;
    2. Governed or authorized by an organization licensed by the commission in accordance with this chapter;
    3. Governed or authorized by an organization exempted from licensure by the commission in accordance with this chapter; and
    4. Licensed by the commission in accordance with Article 2 of this chapter.

    (11.3) "Pay per view" means a telecast for which a fee is required in addition to any other fee paid by the viewer for any other services of the telecaster.

12. "Person" means any individual, partnership, firm, association, corporation, or combination of individuals of whatever form or character.
13. "Physician" means a doctor of medicine or other medical professional legally authorized by any state to practice medicine.
14. "Professional" means a person who is participating or has participated in a match, contest, or exhibition which is not governed or authorized by one or more of the organizations listed in paragraph (1) of this Code section and:
    1. Has received or competed for or is receiving or competing for any cash as a salary, purse, or prize for participating in any match, contest, or exhibition;
    2. Is participating or has participated in any match, contest, or exhibition to which admission is granted upon payment of any ticket for admission or other evidence of the right of entry;
    3. Is participating or has participated in any match, contest, or exhibition which is or was filmed, broadcast, or transmitted for viewing; or
    4. Is participating or has participated in any match, contest, or exhibition which provides a commercial advantage by attracting persons to a particular place or promoting a commercial product or enterprise.
15. "Professional match, contest, or exhibition" means a match, contest, or exhibition which is not governed or authorized by one or more of the organizations listed in paragraph (1) of this Code section and:
    1. Rewards a participant with cash as a salary, purse, or prize for such participation;
    2. Requires for admission payment of a ticket for admission or other evidence of the right of entry;
    3. Is filmed, broadcast, or transmitted for viewing; or
    4. Provides a commercial advantage by attracting persons to a particular place or promoting a commercial product or enterprise.
16. "Promoter" means the person primarily responsible for organizing, promoting, and producing a professional match, contest, or exhibition and who is legally responsible for the lawful conduct of such professional match, contest, or exhibition.

    (16.1) "Promotion of unarmed combat" means the organization, promotion, production, publicizing, or arranging of, or provision of a venue for, a competition of unarmed combat by a person who receives some compensation or commercial benefit from such competition.

17. "Purse" or "ring earnings" means the financial guarantee or any other remuneration, or part thereof, for which professional boxers or wrestlers are participating in a match, contest, or exhibition and includes the boxer's or wrestler's share of any payment received for radio broadcasting, television, or motion picture rights.

    (17.1) "Shidokan" means unarmed combat involving three separate, segregated rounds in which karate rules and techniques are exclusively used in one round, kickboxing rules and techniques are exclusively used in one round, and grappling rules and techniques are exclusively used in one round.

18. "State" means any of the 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and any territory or possession of the United States.
19. "Ticket broker" means:
    1. Any person who is involved in the business of reselling tickets of admission to athletic contests, concerts, theater performances, amusements, exhibitions, or other entertainment events held in this state to which the general public is admitted and who charges a premium in excess of the price of the ticket; or
    2. Any person who has a permanent office or place of business in this state who is involved in the business of reselling tickets of admission to athletic contests, concerts, theater performances, amusements, exhibitions, or other entertainment events held inside or outside this state to which the general public is admitted and who charges a premium in excess of the price of the ticket.

       The term ticket broker shall not include the owner, operator, lessee, or tenant of the property in which an athletic contest or entertainment event is being held or the sponsor of such a contest or event or the authorized ticket agent of such persons.

20. 1. "Unarmed combat" means any form of competition between human beings or one or more human beings and one or more animals in which:
       1. One or more blows are struck which may reasonably be expected to inflict injury on a human being; and
       2. There is some compensation or commercial benefit arising from such competition, whether in the form of cash or noncash payment to the competitors or the person arranging the competition; the sale of the right to film, broadcast, transmit, or view the competition; or the use of the competition to attract persons to a particular location for some commercial advantage or to promote a commercial product or commercial enterprise.

       Such term also means any amateur kickboxing match in which the competitors are not wearing protective gear.

    2. Unarmed combat shall include but shall not be limited to: tough man fights, bad man fights, nude boxing, nude wrestling, patron boxing, patron martial arts, and patron wrestling.
    3. Unarmed combat shall not include:
       1. Professional boxing licensed in accordance with this chapter;
       2. Professional wrestling governed or authorized by an organization licensed or exempted from licensure in accordance with this chapter;
       3. Amateur boxing governed or authorized by an organization listed in paragraph (1) of this Code section;
       4. Amateur wrestling governed or authorized by an organization listed in paragraph (1) of this Code section;
       5. Any competition displaying the skills of a single form of an Oriental system of unarmed combative sports or unarmed combative entertainment, including, but not limited to, kickboxing, karate, or full-contact karate, that is held pursuant to the rules of that form and governed or authorized by an organization licensed by the commission in accordance with Article 4 of this chapter;
       6. Shidokan when the competition is governed or authorized by an organization licensed by the commission in accordance with Article 4 of this chapter;
       7. Mixed martial arts fighting when the competition is governed or authorized by an organization licensed by the commission in accordance with Article 4 of this chapter; or
       8. Other martial arts competitions, when governed or authorized by an organization licensed by the commission in accordance with Article 4 of this chapter.
21. "Wrestling" means:
    1. A staged performance of fighting and gymnastic skills and techniques by two or more human beings who are not required to use their best efforts in order to win and for which the winner may have been selected before the performance commences; or
    2. A performance of fighting and gymnastic skills and techniques by two or more human beings.

(Code 1981, §43-4B-1, enacted by Ga. L. 2001, p. 752, § 2; Ga. L. 2003, p. 774, §§ 23, 24; Ga. L. 2005, p. 984, § 1/SB 224; Ga. L. 2011, p. 752, § 43/HB 142.)