"Cardroom"
means any space, room or enclosure, furnished or equipped with a table used or intended to be used as a card table for the lawful playing of cards and similar games, and the use of which is available to the public or to any portion thereof.
"Cardroom employees"
means any dealer, overseer or other person directly connected with the operation and supervision of card tables, excluding waitresses, bartenders, culinary workers and others not connected with such operation and supervision.
"Financially interested"
means all persons who share in the income of the business on the basis of gross or net revenue.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
A. 
It is unlawful for any person to engage in, carry on, maintain or conduct, or to cause to be engaged in, carried on, maintained or conducted, any cardroom in the city without first obtaining a license from the city to do so in accordance with the provisions of these regulations.
B. 
Any nonprofit society, club, fraternal, labor or other organization having adopted by-laws, duly elected directors and members which have card tables for the exclusive use of its members, and where no charge is made for any of the facilities, shall be exempt from the provisions of the license fee requirement contained in these regulations.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
A. 
Application for a cardroom license shall be made to the director of finance on the appropriate application form, and shall be accompanied by the following information:
1. 
Names and addresses of all persons financially interested in the business proposing to operate a cardroom;
2. 
Previous criminal records, if any, of the applicant and of all persons financially interested in the business.
B. 
Such application shall be certified as to its correctness by the applicant under penalty of perjury.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
The application for a cardroom license shall deposit the license fee with the application. If the application is granted, the entire fee shall be retained by the city. If the application is denied, the city shall retain an amount necessary to cover administrative costs associated with the processing of the application, the balance to be refunded to the applicant. Both the amount of the license fee and the amount to be retained by the city in the event of denial of the application shall be established by city council resolution, and will be subject to review each year during the annual budget process.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
A license for the operation of a cardroom shall be valid until the end of the calendar year in which such license is issued, unless revoked or suspended prior thereto as provided herein, and must be renewed on January 1st of each year.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
Each applicant for a cardroom license shall meet the following minimum qualifications:
A. 
Be eighteen years of age or older;
B. 
Shall not have been convicted of any illegal gambling or narcotics violation, or of any felony involving theft.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
Each application for a cardroom license shall be referred by the director of finance to the chief of police for investigation, report of findings, and recommendations. If the recommendation is for disapproval, then the chief of police shall state the reasons therefor, and in such event the director of finance shall notify the applicant of the disapproval of the application and furnish the reasons therefor.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
A. 
No person shall be granted more than one license to conduct a cardroom.
B. 
No license shall be transferable or assignable.
C. 
The city council may, by resolution, and after a public hearing, limit the number of card-room licenses issued by the city if it determines that such limitation is in the best public interest.
D. 
Cardrooms may only be established in those areas of the city wherein the zoning designation permits such establishments.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
A. 
Cardroom employees as defined herein shall obtain a work permit in accordance with the provisions of these regulations.
B. 
Applications for a work permit shall be made to the chief of police upon such form as he or she may prescribe and shall include such information as the chief of police deems necessary. Such application shall be certified as to its correctness by the applicant under penalty of perjury.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
The applicant for a work permit shall submit, along with the application, a nonrefundable fee in an amount determined by resolution of the city council.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
Each applicant for a work permit shall meet the following minimum qualifications:
A. 
Be eighteen years or older; except where impacted by ABC regulations;
B. 
Shall not have been convicted of any illegal gambling or narcotics violation, or any felony involving theft.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
Each application for an employee work permit shall be subject to an investigation, report of findings and recommendation by the chief of police. If the recommendation by the chief of police is for denial of the work permit, then the applicant shall be informed in writing and the reason for the denial stated therein.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
Each employee work permit shall be valid until the end of the calendar year in which such permit is issued, unless revoked or suspended prior thereto as provided herein, and must be renewed on January 1st of each year.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
The chief of police and/or code enforcement officer of the city may take whatever action they deem necessary in the event of a violation of any of the provisions of these regulations, or upon receipt of a citizen complaint; however, notice of any violation shall be given to the owner(s) and/or employees of the cardroom to enable them to correct such violation. If, within a period of thirty days from the date of notice of the violation, no corrective measures have been taken, then the director of finance and/or chief of police shall revoke or deny the cardroom license and/or work permit.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
Any person aggrieved by any decision or determination made pursuant to the provisions of these regulations shall appeal to the city council in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.12.060 of this code or to the city's planning commission regarding zoning matters.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
It is unlawful to operate a cardroom in violation of any of the following rules and regulations:
A. 
Location. Not more than one cardroom shall be located at any one address and shall conform with all applicable zoning regulations.
B. 
Minors. No person under the age of eighteen years shall be permitted at any card table, nor shall participate in any game played thereat.
C. 
Police Inspection. All cardrooms shall be open to police inspection during all hours of operation, or at any other time which, in the judgment of the chief of police, is necessary to inspect for violation of these regulations or for illegal methods of playing.
D. 
Doors to be Unlocked. During the hours of operation, doors shall be unlocked and accessible to the general public.
E. 
Windows. Where windows are present in a cardroom, such windows shall be clear and not blacked out or covered completely.
F. 
Exhibition of Permits. Operators and employees shall present their licenses and/or permits on demand of any law enforcement officer or code enforcement official.
G. 
Employees. The operators of the cardroom shall supply the chief of police with a list of the names and addresses of all employees of the cardroom.
H. 
Number of Tables. The operators of the cardroom shall not permit the operation of more card tables than those for which such operators have been licensed.
I. 
Signs. There shall be posted in the card table area, in letters plainly visible, signs stating that no games except low-ball, draw poker (without variations as defined by Hoyle), pinochle and pangini, shall be played in the cardroom. These signs shall also contain such other information relating to these regulations contained herein as the chief of police may require.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
The city council declares that it is not the intention of these regulations to permit the licensing of any cardroom for the playing of any game prohibited by the laws of the state of California, including but not limited to those games enumerated in Section 330 of the Penal Code.
(Ord. 583, 1982)
Before it shall be allowed to operate, each cardroom shall adopt a schedule of the hours of operation, after the schedule has been approved by the director of finance. Such approved schedule of hours shall be clearly posted at the cardroom so as to give law enforcement and patrons adequate notice of the hours of operation. Unless otherwise restricted, a cardroom may be allowed to operator twenty-four hours each day.
(Ord. 680 § 5, 1999)
Each cardroom licensee shall be responsible and liable for its patrons' safety and security in and around the cardroom. Before it shall be allowed to operate, each cardroom shall adopt a plan to provide for the safety and security of patrons, after the plan has been approved by the director of finance.
(Ord. 680 § 5, 1999)
No cardroom may be located in any zone which has not been specifically approved for such a business and none may be located near any of the unsuitable areas, as specified in Business and Professions Code Section 19852(a)(3).
(Ord. 680 § 5, 1999)
Before it shall be allowed to operate, each cardroom shall adopt rules for wagering limits in each game, after the rules have been approved by the director of finance. During hours of operation, such rules shall be clearly posted at the gambling tables where the games are offered, to provide patrons adequate notice of those rules.
(Ord. 680 § 5, 1999)
No more than four gambling tables shall be allowed to operate in this jurisdiction, and no more than two gambling tables shall be allowed to operate in any cardroom.
(Ord. 680 § 5, 1999)
Each applicant for a work permit shall submit fingerprints for identification and be subject to a background investigation sufficient to determine if said applicant would be disqualified by state law. In addition to any other restrictions provided by law, no work permit shall be issued to anyone who is disqualified from holding a state gambling license for any of the reasons specified in the Business and Professions Code Section 19850A as may be from time to time amended. Any application for a work permit shall be subject to objection by the state division. If the division objects to the issuance of a work permit it shall be denied. Such a denial may be reviewed in accordance with the Gambling Control Act (Business and Professions Code Section 19801 et seq.)
(Ord. 680 § 5, 1999)