Placer County, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)
Key Facts
- Countywide cardroom cap
- One licensed cardroom
- Table limit
- 5 gambling tables maximum
- Operating hours
- 24 hours a day allowed
- Minimum player age
- 21 years old
- Max house fee
- $5/hand (6+ players), $4/hand (fewer)
- State overlay
- Concurrent with Gambling Control Act
Summary
Placer County caps card rooms at one countywide location with no more than five gambling tables, licensed and fingerprint-investigated by the county sheriff under Code § 5.16.090. Operators need a special business license, and the county regulates concurrently with the state Gambling Control Act.
"cardroom" means any place where games of cards are played and to which the public is invited to participate in card games with or without the consideration of payment. Games played with cards, dice or any device for money and not otherwise authorized by the California Penal Code are prohibited by this section. ... There is permitted one cardroom in Placer County. No more than five gambling tables are allowed in this jurisdiction. No more than five gambling tables are allowed in a cardroom.
Full Breakdown
090 defines a 'cardroom' as any place where card games are played and to which the public is invited to participate, with or without a fee, and it bans dice or other unauthorized gaming devices for money. 060, secured before dealing. 100 sets a hard countywide cap: 'There is permitted one cardroom in Placer County,' and no cardroom may run more than five gambling tables. ) before a license issues. 150 requires the tax collector to deny a license if the proposed cardroom would be located near a school, church, playground, hospital, convalescent facility or similar area of juvenile congregation.
190 caps the maximum house fee at $5 per hand when six or more players are seated and $4 per hand for five or fewer, and that fee cannot be tied to the size of a bet or pot. No one under 21 may play or be present in the cardroom area, and a license cannot be transferred or assigned to a new owner; it also expires automatically if the licensee doesn't begin operating within one year of issuance.
Violations & Fines
Operating a cardroom without a special business license, or dealing without the individual permit required by § 5.20.060, is unlawful under § 5.16.110. The tax collector must suspend or revoke a license if the licensee violates any Article 5.16 provision, fails to pay required fees, or has its state Gambling Control Act registration suspended, with a hearing before the board of supervisors on request.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many card rooms are allowed in Placer County?
Does Placer County license individual card dealers, not just the cardroom?
What's the maximum fee a Placer County cardroom can charge per hand?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Placer County
California rules heatmap·Compare Placer County to another location·View the California gambling & gaming overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.