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Home » Regulation & Enforcement » Gambling Bans

Gambling Bans

Cities and counties may prohibit any or all gambling activities, but may not change the scope of activities allowed by a gambling license.

Since house-banked card rooms were introduced in 1997, approximately 70 jurisdictions have banned card rooms. Local governments can specify which type of card room (house-banked, poker and/or charitable/non-profit) they want to ban in their local ordinance.

Authority to zone card rooms in certain areas, and allow existing card rooms but prohibit new ones (grandfathering) has been the subject of much debate and several lawsuits. There have also been several public votes about whether card rooms should be allowed in particular cities.

The Commission’s interpretation of the law is that local governments can only “absolutely prohibit” gambling activities; therefore, zoning, partial bans, and some of the other partial approaches are not allowed.  

For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of cities and counties where some or all gambling activities are prohibited. For the most up-to-date information on ordinances, please contact jurisdictions directly.

Cities Prohibiting Gambling Activities

City

Code

 Restriction/Information Type

Algona

1701

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Almira

2201

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Arlington

3101

Zoning Restrictions: Card Rooms

Auburn

1702

New Commercial Cardrooms, effective 07/05/99: Grandfathered 06/07/1999

Battle Ground

0601

Commercials cardrooms; Nonprofit cardrooms that charge fees. 11/02/1987

Beaux Arts

1703

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Bellevue

1704

Commercial Card Rooms 01/14/1993

Bingen

2001

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Blaine

3702

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Bonney Lake

2701

Commercial Card Rooms 05/19/1999

Bothell

1706

Zoning Restriction for Bingo: Commercials & Nonprofit Card Rooms effective 2000; similar in working to 1984 version

Bridgeport

901

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Brier

3102

Punchboards and Pull-Tabs; Commercial & Nonprofit Card Rooms

Buckley

2702

Zoning Restrictions for Amusement Games

Burien

1734

Commercial Card Rooms, effective 06/21/99, by specifically prohibiting in all zones; Social card games are specifically prohibited in all zones.

Burlington

2902

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Camas

0602

Commercial Card Rooms, 1975

Carnation

1707

Commercial Card Rooms, 1999

Cashmere

401

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Chelan

0402

Commercial Card Rooms, 2000

Clyde Hill

1708

Commercial & Nonprofit Card Rooms, 1974: Zoning Restrictions all other activities

Cosmopolis

1402

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Covington

1712

Commercial Card Rooms, 10/1998

Dayton

701

Zoning Restrictions: None of the zones within the City of Dayton code allow gambling as either a permitted,
accessory, nor conditional use. While not prohibited, it is currently not allowed by the zoning code.

Des Moines

1709

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Dupont

2704

Commercial & Nonprofit Card Rooms, 1999: Zoning Restrictions all other activities

Duvall

1710

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

East Wenatchee

902

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Edgewood

2720

NO Commercial Card Rooms, 02/11/2003

Edmonds

3104

Commercial Card Rooms, 09/29/2000

Ellensburg

1902

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Entiat

403

Zoning Restrictions on Commercial & Nonprofit Card Rooms

Enumclaw

1711

Commercial & Nonprofit Card Rooms, 02/03/1999

Ephrata

1303

NO gambling in pool halls. EMC 5.24.040

Everett

3105

NEW Card Rooms in Everett Station, 04/09/2003: NO "mini" Casino; Grandfathered existing; Zoning restrictions for
NEW cardrooms, 09/26/2003

Everson

3703

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Federal Way

1732

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Fife

2706

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Fircrest

2707

NO NEW Card Rooms 11/01/2001; Grandfathered, existing

Forks

501

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Gig Harbor

2708

Commercial Card Rooms, 07/18/1999: Zoning Restrictions all other activities

Grandview

3901

House-Banked Card Room; Commercial Bingo; Unlicensed Bingo less than $5,000 Grandfathered: Zoning
Restrictions: All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Granite Falls

3107

NO GAMBLING: City code Chapter 19.03

Hoquiam

1404

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Ilwaco

2501

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Issaquah

1714

Commercial Card Rooms, Amusement games, 1977; (crane Amusement Grandfathered, 05/21/2012

Kelso

803

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Kenmore

1738

Commercial Card Rooms, 12/29/2005

Kent

4257

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Kirkland

1716

Commercial Card Rooms, 1999; Zoning Restrictions all other activities

La Center

0603

Parking lot development must be onsite, 07/21/1999

Lacey

3402

NEW cardrooms, 12/02/1999; (18-24 months allowed for one to build and open)

Lake Forest Park

1717

Punch board and Pull-Tabs, Commercial & Nonprofit Card Rooms and Fund Raising Events; Bingo for which a
license is required, 06/27/2000; Re-affirmed 06/27/2000, when 60-day moratorium expired without changing 1995
ordinance

Lake Stevens

3106

House-Banked Card Room, 10/12/1999: Commercial Card Rooms, LSMC# 4.60.010, Ord# 812 effective 10/12/09.
WSGC notified of prohibition on 11/03/10 by email. Ordinance modified 02/28/11 to prohibit House-Banked card
rooms only.

Lakewood

2721

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Leavenworth

404

Conduct or operation of social card games as commercial stimulants by profit seeking organizations, as defined in
WAC 230-04-203, license type card games, Class E and Class F, as the same now exists or may hereafter be
amended

Liberty Lake

3212

NO Casino's: Zoning Restrictions all other activities

Long Beach

2502

NO Casino's: Zoning Restrictions all other activities

Longview

804

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Lynden

3705

Punch board and Pull-Tabs, Commercial & Nonprofit Card Rooms; for profit Amusement games, 02/18/1975

Lynnwood

3110

Commercial Card Rooms, 1998

McCleary

1405

No amusement devices located on the premises shall be used as a gambling device. The playing of extra games shall
not be deemed gambling, but it is unlawful to exchange or transfer such free games for any money or other
consideration

Maple Valley

1720

Commercial Card Games, 12/09/2012

Mercer Island

1719

Punch board and Pull-Tabs, Commercial Card Rooms, 1991

Mill Creek

3119

Commercial cardrooms, 01/01/1998

Milton

2709

Commercial & Nonprofit Card Rooms 09/14/1999

Monroe

3112

Commercial Card Rooms, 07/06/2008

Moses Lake

1309

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Mountlake Terrace

3113

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Mount Vernon

2907

Zoning Retractions for Commercial and Nonprofit Card Room

Moxee

3905

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Mukilteo

3114

Commercial & Nonprofit Card Rooms 05/10/1999

Newcastle

1736

Commercial & Nonprofit Card Rooms; Commercial Punch board and Pull-Tabs, 05/04/1999

Newport

2605

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Nooksack

3706

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Normandy Park

1721

ALL GAMBLING: Exceptions, (1) Commercial Punch board and Pull-Tabs, or (2) Nonprofit activities

North Bend

1722

Commercial & Nonprofit Card Rooms, 05/06/2008

Oak Harbor

1074

Zoning Restrictions; Gambling Prohibited at Amusement Arcades

Oroville

2408

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Pateros

2409

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Port Angeles

502

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Port Orchard

1802

Commercial House-Banked Card Rooms, 08/13/2001

Port Townsend

1601

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Poulsbo

1803

ALL GAMBLING PROHIBITED

Prescott

3602

ALL GAMBLING PROHIBITED

Prosser

303

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Pullman

3812

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Puyallup

2711

Commercial Card Rooms, 06/30/1999

Quincy

1310

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Rainier

3404

Commercial Punchboards and Pull-Tabs and Commercial Card Rooms (RMC# 9.28.030, Ord#480), effective
09/27/02

Redmond

1724

NO Punch boards; Commercial Card Rooms, 05/15/1999

Renton

1725

Zoning Restrictions for Card Rooms, 12/10/1997

Richland

0304

Zoning Restrictions; House-Banked Card Room Moratorium (Ord#3-02), from 03/05/02. Zoning criteria
(RMC#23.06.305, 23.70.025, Ord#22-02), from 08/12/02: 500 ft. from residential zones, any public/private K-12
school, public playground/park existing at time of application.

Ridgefield

0604

Commercial Public Card Rooms, 1987

Rock Island

904

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Sammamish

1739

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

SeaTac

1733

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Seattle

1726

Commercial Card Rooms, 10/02/1974

Snohomish

3115

Commercial House-Banked Card Rooms, effective September 2014. Commercial Amusement Games, except for occasional community- wide annual event, effective 2013.

Bingo/Raffles, if over City’s number of sessions or dollar limits. Raffle, if over $1 per ticket.

Snoqualmie

1728

Commercial Card Rooms (SMC#5.24.010, Ord#415), effective 1974

Soap Lake

1312

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Stanwood

3116

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Stevenson

3002

Zoning Restrictions; Criminal Code went through a detailed update in 2013 and adopts be reference many
provisions from RCW Titles 9 and 9A. Neither RCW 9.46 nor 9.47 are locally adopted.

Sultan

3117

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Sumas

3707

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Sumner

2716

Commercial Card Rooms and Commercial Amusement Games (SMC#5.41 & 5.42), effective 04/12/2000. Exempts
members-only nonprofit activity from prohibition, per RCW 9.46.0311

Sunnyside

3908

Prior moratorium on new or expanded Card Rooms, from 06/03-/2002. House-Banked Commercial Card Rooms
(SMC#5.16.020, Ord#2047), effective 11/30/2002 [type 67]

Tacoma

2717

Commercial Card Rooms (TMC#8.36, Ord#26515), effective 10/051999. Card Rooms operating before 04/06/1999
moratorium may continue to 01/01/2006. Grandfathered to 01/01/06, then prohibited.

Tonasket

2411

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Tukwila

1729

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Tumwater

3406

Commercial House-Banked Card Rooms (TMC#3.04.015, Ord#2000-014), effective 06/06/2000

Union Gap

3911

Zoning Restrictions: 17.09.130 - Special requirements for social gambling establishments. No "social gambling
establishment" shall be permitted within five hundred (500) feet of any public school, private school (meeting the
requirements of private schools under Title 28A RCW), church or public park as measured according to RCW
66.24.010(9) or as the same may be hereafter amended.

University Place

2719

Commercial and Nonprofit Card Rooms (UPMC#9.40.010, Ord#245), effective 1999

Vancouver

0605

Commercial Card Rooms (VMC#5.58.020, Ord#2366), took effect 01/01/1985

Waitsburg

3603

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Walla Walla

3604

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Washougal

0606

Commercial Card Rooms (Ord#818), effective 1983. [type 65 & 67]

Wenatchee

0405

House-Banked Card Rooms (Ord#2001-26), passed 09/2001. [type 67]

Westport

1408

Zoning Restrictions: Commercial Bingo and Raffles; House-Banked card games

West Richland

305

Commercial Card Rooms

Woodinville

1735

Commercial and Nonprofit Card Rooms (WMC#5.06.080, Ord#12), effective 03/31/1993

Yacolt

0607

Commercial and Nonprofit Card Rooms (only exception is that non-house-banked Class D card rooms are allowed);
Fund-Raising Events; (Ord#451), effective 06/04/2007.

Yakima

3913

Zoning Restrictions. Commercial Card Rooms not permitted within 500 ft. of public/private schools, churches, parks
(YMC Title 15, see 15.02.020, Ord#2002-53), effective 12-1-02. Plus, City's Class 3 Review for zoning, effective 1-12-
03.

Yelm

3407

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Zillah

3914

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

 

Counties Prohibiting Gambling Activities

County Code Prohibited Gambling Activities

Clark

0600

Public Cardrooms: See table of cities for individuals prohibitions

Grant

1300

Zoning code does not currently have provisions to allow card rooms or casinos, or other similar uses. If one was
proposed, they would have to issue an administrative interpretation to determine if the use would be consistent
with other uses in the zone in which the site is located. However, they are foreshadowing another code
amendment on the horizon.

Kitsap

1800

Zoning Restrictions All gambling activity MUST be within the commercial zone of the city

Mason

2300

Social Card Games Prohibited (Ord. 147A-02-1(part), 2002).

Pierce

2700

New Commercial Cardrooms, voted on 07/13/1999: Grandfathered until 08/15/2002: Commercial Card Game ban,
as of 10/15/2002

Skamania

3000

Commercial Cardrooms, except within establishments licensed by WSGC to sell Pull-Tabs

Thurston

3400

Prior moratorium 11/29/1999 Commercial Cardrooms, effective 05/22/2000

Walla Walla

3600

Zoning Restrictions; however, NO gambling-specific or card room specific regulations; Land uses that are not listed
in the code are subject to a director’s interpretation utilizing the criteria under County Code 17.16.013; so certain
types of uses may still not be allowed in certain zones.