Fresno, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)
Key Facts
- Citywide table cap
- 51 card tables total
- Per-room table range
- 10 to 51 tables
- Temporary/tournament tables
- not permitted
- Percentage games
- prohibited
- Required approvals
- card room permit + operations certificate
Summary
Fresno permits card rooms only under the City of Fresno Card Room Ordinance, capping the city at no more than 51 card tables total and requiring 10 to 51 tables per room, with a card room permit plus a separate operations certificate before any legal gaming can begin, per FMC Sec. 9-2102.
...said ordinance shall permit not more than 51 card tables within the City. No card room shall have less than ten card tables per card room or more than 51 card tables per card room. No temporary gaming tables will be permitted in a cardroom for any purpose including, but not limited to, instruction, special events or tournaments.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 5. Sec. 9-2102's findings, as last amended by Ord. 2021-004, set a citywide ceiling of no more than 51 card tables, require every permitted card room to run between 10 and 51 tables, bar any temporary gaming tables for instruction, special events, or tournaments, and confine card rooms to zoning districts identified in Chapter 15, the Citywide Development Code. Sec. & Prof. Code Sec. ) and independently bans percentage games, meaning no fee charged to patrons may be tied to bet size, pot size, or winnings.
Sec. 9-2108 makes it unlawful to operate any card game for a fee, commission, or compensation without first obtaining both a card room permit and a card room operations certificate for the specific premises, and places the burden of proving all qualifications on the applicant. Exempt organizations may host card tables for members' exclusive use without a card room permit under Sec. 9-2109, but only after filing a sworn Declaration of Exemption with proof of tax-exempt status, and no charge may be made for table use; no two exempt organizations may run legal gaming in the same building or lot in the same calendar week.
Card room permits and pointholder/key-management-employee permits carry no vested right and can be amended, suspended, or repealed by the City at any time (Sec. 9-2106), and confidential background information gathered under the article may never be disclosed (Sec. 9-2107).
Violations & Fines
Operating a card game for compensation without both a card room permit and an operations certificate violates Sec. 9-2108. Disclosing confidential applicant information in violation of Sec. 9-2107 is separately unlawful. Because permits create no vested right, the City may amend, suspend, or repeal any card room's authorization by Council resolution at any time under Sec. 9-2106.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many card tables can a single Fresno card room operate?
What approvals does a Fresno card room need before opening?
Are percentage-based card games allowed in Fresno card rooms?
Can a private club run card games in Fresno without a card room permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fresno
California rules heatmap·Compare Fresno to another location·View the California gambling & gaming overview
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Card Room Licensing in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fresno County handle card room licensing.