Bothell, WA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)

Bothell Municipal Code Chapter 5.20 sets the City of Bothell's gambling rules. Section 5.20.020 first recognizes that a license issued under state law to engage in legal activities is legal authority to engage in those gambling activities throughout the city. It then carves out an exception: in accordance with RCW 9.46.295, the city prohibits the conduct or operation of social card games in nonprofit organizations, cardrooms, and businesses primarily engaged in selling food or drink for consumption on the premises as a commercial stimulant. In practice, a Washington Gambling Commission license does not open a card room or social card game in Bothell.

Section 5.20.030 adds that conducting gambling activities prohibited by the city is an unlawful practice, on top of the offenses in the state laws adopted by reference. Section 5.20.050 declares the conduct of any prohibited gambling activity a common nuisance subject to abatement by injunction. Gambling devices in such cases are common nuisances subject to immediate seizure on detection and to confiscation and destruction by order of a superior or district court, and no property right in them is recognized except the possessory right of enforcing officers.

The activities Bothell does allow are taxed. Bingo and raffles are taxed at five percent of gross revenue after prizes, amusement games at two percent after prizes, pull-tabs and punch boards as a commercial stimulant at five percent of gross revenue, and pull-tabs or punch boards run by bona fide charitable or nonprofit organizations at 10 percent after prizes (5.20.060). Revenue is used primarily for enforcement of the chapter by the city police department. Operators of permitted activities file a sworn declaration of intent with the license officer and a copy of the state license (5.20.080), pay quarterly on or before the last day of April, July, October and January (5.20.090), and the city council reviews the chapter annually (5.20.100).

Separately, BMC 5.24.020 makes it unlawful to conduct or operate an amusement center in the city.