For purposes of this chapter:
"Amusement" means: (1) any exhibition, performance, presentation or show for entertainment purposes, including, but not limited to, any theatrical, dramatic, musical or spectacular performance, promotional show, motion picture show, flower, poultry or animal show, animal act, circus, rodeo, athletic contest, sport, game or similar exhibition such as boxing, wrestling, skating, dancing, swimming, racing, or riding on animals or vehicles, baseball, basketball, softball, football, tennis, golf, hockey, track and field games, bowling or billiard or pool games; (2) any entertainment or recreational activity offered for public participation or on a membership or other basis including, but not limited to, carnivals, amusement park rides and games, bowling, billiards and pool games, dancing, tennis, racquetball, swimming, weightlifting, bodybuilding or similar activities; or (3) any paid television programming, whether transmitted by wire, cable, fiber optics, laser, microwave, radio, satellite or similar means. "Amusement" does not include lawful gambling at a casino, as that term is defined in 230 ILCS 10/4.
"Arcade" means a place of amusement that includes four or more automatic amusement devices; provided, however, that when calculating the number of automatic amusement devices, jukeboxes shall not be counted.
"Charges paid" means the gross amount of consideration paid for the privilege to enter, to witness, to view or to participate in an amusement, valued in money, whether received in money or otherwise, including cash, credits, property and services, determined without any deduction for costs or expenses whatsoever. The term "charges paid" includes any and all charges that the patron pays incidental to obtaining the privilege to enter, to witness, to view or to participate in an amusement, including but not limited to any and all related markups, service fees, convenience fees, facilitation fees, cancellation fees and other such charges, regardless of terminology. The term "charges paid" does not include charges that are added on account of the tax imposed by this chapter or on account of any other tax imposed on the charge.
"Legal voter" means a person who has registered to vote and whose name appears on a poll sheet from the last preceding election regardless of whether primary, general or special.
"License" means a ticket or other license granting the privilege to enter, to witness, to view or to participate in an amusement, or the opportunity to obtain the privilege to enter, to witness, to view or to participate in an amusement, and includes but is not limited to a permanent seat license.
"Live theatrical, live musical or other live cultural performance" means a live performance in any of the disciplines which are commonly regarded as part of the fine arts, such as live theater, music, opera, drama, comedy, ballet, modern or traditional dance, and book or poetry readings. The term does not include such amusements as athletic events, races or performances conducted at adult entertainment cabarets (as defined in Chapter 16-16 of this Code).
"Maximum capacity", for the sole purposes of the exemption and lower rate provided in Section 4-156-020, means the number of persons that an auditorium, theater or other space may accommodate as determined by the Building Commissioner pursuant to Section 14A-8-802 of this Code or by any other appropriate government official; provided, however, that "maximum capacity" shall not exceed the maximum number of tickets or admissions that may be made available for sale to a performance as stated in any binding written agreement relating to that performance. If the number of tickets or admissions actually sold to a performance exceeds the legally permissible limit, for purposes of determining the applicable tax, "maximum capacity" shall mean such greater number.
"Operator" means any person who sells or resells a ticket or other license to an amusement for consideration or who, directly through an agreement or arrangement with another party, collects the charges paid for the sale or resale of a ticket or other license to an amusement. The term includes, but is not limited to, persons engaged in the business of selling or reselling tickets or other licenses to amusements, whether on-line, in person or otherwise. The term also includes persons engaged in the business of facilitating the sale or resale of tickets or other licenses to amusements, whether on- line, in person or otherwise. The term does not include banks, credit card companies, payment processors or other persons whose involvement is limited to performing functions similar to those performed by such entities.
"Owner" means: (1) with respect to the owner of a place where an amusement is being held, any person with an ownership or leasehold interest in a building, structure, vehicle, boat, area or other place who presents, conducts or operates an amusement in such place or who allows, by agreement or otherwise, another person to present, conduct or operate an amusement in such place; (2) with respect to the owner of an amusement, any person which has an ownership or leasehold interest in such amusement or any person who has a proprietary interest in the amusement so as to entitle such person to all or a portion of the proceeds, after payment of reasonable expenses, from the operation, conduct or presentation of such amusement, excluding proceeds from nonamusement services and from sales of tangible personal property; (3) with any person operating a community antenna television system or wireless cable television system, or any person receiving consideration from the patron for furnishing, transmitting, or otherwise providing access to paid television programming.
"Paid television" means programming that can be viewed on a television or other screen, and is transmitted by cable, fiber optics, laser, microwave, radio, satellite or similar means to members of the public for consideration.
"Patron" means a person who acquires the privilege to enter, to witness, to view or to participate in an amusement.
"Person" means any natural individual, firm, society, foundation, institution, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint stock company, joint venture, public or private corporation, receiver, executor, trustee or other representative appointed by the order of any court, or any other entity recognized by law.
"Resale" means the resale of a ticket or other license to an amusement after the ticket or other license has been sold by the owner, manager or operator of the amusement, or by the owner, manager or operator of the place where the amusement is being held, to an independent and unrelated third party.
"Reseller" means a person who resells a ticket or other license to an amusement for consideration. The term includes but is not limited to ticket brokers, and applies whether the ticket is resold by bidding, consignment or otherwise, and whether the ticket is resold in person, at a site on the Internet or otherwise.
"Special seating area" means an enclosed or substantially enclosed apartment-style room containing or making available amenities for the exclusive use of the patrons thereof whether denominated as luxury or super suites or skyboxes or by other similar terms. Such amenities may include, but are not necessarily limited to, television (including closed-circuit capacity), bathroom, refrigerator, telephone service, storage sink, living room or lounge furniture, special spectator seating, food, heat, air conditioning and parking.
"Ticket" means the privilege to enter, to witness, to view or to participate in an amusement, whether or not expressed in a tangible form.
(Added Coun. J. 5-22-91, p. 335; Coun. J. 12-9-92, p. 25465; Amend Coun. J. 11-17-93, p. 42192; Amend Coun. J. 11-15-95, p. 11995; Amend Coun. J. 7-2-97, p. 48017; Amend Coun. J, 11-12-98, p. 81835; Amend Coun. J. 4-21-99, p. 91750; Amend Coun. J. 3-5-03, p. 104990, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 11-30-05, p. 62481, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 5-24-06, p. 76269, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-13-07, p. 14999, Art. II, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-13-07, p. 15814, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-12-07, p. 16789, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 48243, Art. I, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-11-09, p. 54733, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-14, p. 98063, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 2-10-16, p. 18766, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61858, Art. II, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 4-10-19, p. 100029, Art. II, § 33; Amend Coun. J. 5-25-22, p. 48413, § 6)