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

050 of the Franklin County Code states the Board of Commissioners authorizes bona fide charitable and nonprofit organizations to run bingo, raffles and amusement games, and separately authorizes punch boards, pull tabs, pull tab dispensers, card rooms and card games, but only when the operator holds a license issued under the Washington State Gambling Commission's rules. 020 defines a 'public card room' as an area of a profit-seeking retail business set aside and approved by the commission for public card play as a commercial stimulant to that business, distinct from a 'social card room' reserved for members of a nonprofit organization and their guests.

060 levies the county tax: card rooms pay 20 percent of gross revenue, while bingo, raffles and amusement games pay 7 percent of net receipts with a $400 quarterly exemption, and punch boards and pull tabs pay 3 percent of gross receipts. Card room operators in Connell, Mesa, Kahlotus and the unincorporated county pay the tax at the county auditor's office on a quarterly schedule, due April 30, July 31, October 30 and January 30. A $25 late fee applies for each day the tax goes unpaid.

Half the revenue collected from a license operating inside Connell, Mesa or Kahlotus goes to that town; revenue from licenses in the unincorporated area goes entirely to Franklin County. Peace officers, law enforcement agencies and the county auditor are charged with investigating and enforcing this chapter. 08 took effect April 15, 1975, and remains the operative local authorization for card rooms outside Pasco, Connell, Mesa and Kahlotus city limits, each of which sets its own rules within its borders.