Alhambra, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- City Council, after Police Chief investigation
- Allowed hours
- 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. only
- Minimum age
- 21 years to enter or play
- Alcohol
- Prohibited on cardroom premises
- Transferability
- Permits are nontransferable
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under § 1.12.010
Summary
Alhambra requires a city permit before anyone may operate a card room, and the Chief of Police can deny it for bad moral character or a felony conviction. Approved rooms run only 4 p.m. to midnight, bar alcohol, music and dancing, and exclude anyone under 21.
It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain, operate, conduct or carry on, directly or indirectly, any cardroom without a permit therefor having been issued in accordance with the provisions of this section. No permit issued shall authorize the conduct of any card game which is prohibited by the Cal. Penal Code or Title 9 of this code or by any other ordinance or law of this city, and any permit issued in violation of such state code or ordinance or law shall be void. Any person who knowingly plays cards for money in a premises which does not have a valid license and permit issued by the city, in accordance with the provisions hereof, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. ... No cardroom shall be opened for the playing of cards therein and no cards shall be played therein except between the hours of 4 p.m. and 12 a.m. No music or dancing shall be permitted in any cardroom. No alcoholic beverages shall be possessed sold, or consumed on the premises. No person under the age of 21 years shall be present in or play in any cardroom.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 4851, passed 10-27-25).
Full Breakdown
020, and voids any permit that would authorize a game barred by the California Penal Code or Title 9 of the city code. 030, disclosing ownership above 10%, the games and number of tables, prior arrests or convictions, hours of operation, and management details, plus three sets of fingerprints for the Chief of Police. 050 sets application, permit, and quarterly-plus-per-table fees by City Council resolution, all nonrefundable once the permit issues. 070 for bad moral character or a felony conviction. 080 makes permits nontransferable: a change of ownership automatically revokes the permit, and a change of location voids it.
through midnight, bar music, dancing, and alcohol on the premises (including any room connected by a door to a bar), exclude anyone under 21, limit equipment to card tables, cards, and scoring devices, and require a posted fee schedule. 100 lets the city revoke a permit for any chapter violation, denial grounds, or public nuisance.
Violations & Fines
Operating a cardroom without a permit, or playing cards for money in an unpermitted room, is a misdemeanor under Section 5.54.020, punishable per the general penalty at Section 1.12.010. Breaking the operating rules in Section 5.54.090, such as serving alcohol, allowing a minor inside, or running past midnight, is also a misdemeanor and separately grounds for permit revocation under Section 5.54.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a card room in Alhambra without a city permit?
What hours can an Alhambra card room stay open?
Does Alhambra let card rooms serve alcohol?
Who can be denied an Alhambra card room permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alhambra
California rules heatmap·Compare Alhambra to another location·View the California gambling & gaming overview
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