§ 4.04.160. Cardrooms—License

It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in, or carry on, or maintain or conduct, or cause to be engaged in, carried on, maintained or conducted, any cardroom or tables which are used by the public for the playing of cards, and at which money or anything of value is wagered or for the use of which a fee or compensation is charged players, without first obtaining a license from the city.

The total number of card tables permitted within the city shall not be greater than 100 card tables, the current maximum number of card tables permitted to be approved by the city council for the two licensed cardrooms existing and in business on the date that the Code becomes effective. The maximum number of card tables permitted in each licensed cardroom shall be governed by the provision of 4.04.210, but may not, under any circumstances exceed 50 tables for each licensed cardroom.

In addition, no cardroom license shall be granted by the city council when the number of cardroom licenses in the city exceeds the ratio of one cardroom for every 300 population of the city according to the last preceding federal census or special census conducted under the supervision of the department of finance of the state at the time of the application; provided that this population limitation shall not prevent the continuance of any cardroom existing and operating at the time of the passage of this chapter.

Notwithstanding any other ordinance of the city in effect upon the date that this section becomes effective, no new cardroom license shall be issued by the city Council until the city council is authorized to do so under the provisions of the Gambling Control Act and this ordinance has been amended to expressly provide procedures under which additional cardroom licenses will be approved by the city council, it being the intent of the city council to place a temporary moratorium upon the issuance of new cardroom licenses within the city until such new procedures are considered by and enacted by the city council in conformance with the requirements of the Gambling Control Act.