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Elk Grove, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

License cap
1 cardroom per 75,000 residents
Residency requirement
2 years (owner) before applying
Cardrooms per license
1 max, 1 per structure
Must be operating within
90 days of issuance
Excluded from "gaming"
Bingo, lottery, home card games

Summary

Elk Grove permits cardrooms only under a special business license capped at one for every 75,000 residents. Owners must have two years of City residency or local business operation before applying, and a licensed cardroom must open within 90 days or the Chief of Police can revoke it.

No person shall operate or conduct a cardroom in the City unless under and by authority of a valid, unexpired, and unrevoked special business license authorizing a cardroom issued pursuant to the provisions of EGMC Chapter 4.10 and this chapter. ... The number of licenses issued shall be limited to one (1) for each seventy-five thousand (75,000) residents, or fraction thereof, of the City, as determined by the last Federal census or as determined by the latest population estimate of the Department of Finance of the State of California.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4937385; v2 updated 2026-05-13; through 05-13-2026).

Full Breakdown

Elk Grove permits cardrooms but tightly rations them. 025(C) limits any single licensee to one cardroom and one license, with no more than one cardroom per structure or location. 020(A)). 020(B)). 010(B)).

Violations & Fines

Operating a cardroom without the special business license required by EGMC Section 4.20.015 is enforceable as a misdemeanor after written notice, since that section is on the misdemeanor list in EGMC Section 4.02.140. A license can be revoked for failing to place the cardroom into actual operation within 90 days, exceeding the one-cardroom-per-license cap, or violating the Gaming Registration Act screening standards in EGMC Section 4.20.020.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cardrooms can operate in Elk Grove?
EGMC Section 4.20.025(A) caps cardroom licenses at one for every 75,000 residents, or fraction thereof, measured against the latest federal census or California Department of Finance population estimate. Once all available licenses are issued, new applications are not accepted until the City's population growth or a license surrender opens another slot, and applicants are then served in the order they filed.
Do I need to live in Elk Grove to open a cardroom there?
If you're applying as a sole proprietor, yes: EGMC Section 4.20.020(A) requires two years of City residency immediately before filing. A partnership or corporation instead needs two years of continuous business operation within Elk Grove. Both must also already satisfy the State Department of Justice's screening under the Gaming Registration Act, Business and Professions Code Section 19800 and following, before applying.
Are home poker games illegal in Elk Grove?
No. EGMC Section 4.20.010(B)(4) excludes "games played with cards in private homes or residences in which no person makes money for operating the game, except as a player" from the definition of regulated gaming, so a friendly home game with no house cut or rake falls outside the cardroom licensing chapter entirely.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Elk Grove

Fence Regulations: Height LimitsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic ZoningSignificant RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Pet Groomer RulesSome Restrictions

All Elk Grove rules

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