Kent, WA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)
Key Facts
- Local authority
- KCC 3.21.010(D), citing RCW 9.46.295
- Zoning conformity
- Required under KCC Title 15
- State license
- WA State Gambling Commission license required
- Social card game tax rate
- 11% of gross revenue (since 1/1/2017)
- Prior rate
- 7% of gross revenue, 7/1/13-12/31/16
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to 90 days jail and/or $250 fine
- Filing threshold for monthly returns
- Gambling tax over $50,000/year
Summary
Kent permits house-banked card rooms as commercial stimulant businesses under KCC 3.21.010(D), pursuant to RCW 9.46.295, provided the operator holds a state Gambling Commission license and the site conforms to KCC Title 15 zoning. Gross card-game revenue is taxed by the city.
House-banked card rooms. Pursuant to RCW 9.46.295 and to the city's police power and legislative authority, the operation or conduct of house-banked card rooms by any person, association, or organization as a commercial stimulant, as defined in Chapter 9.46 RCW, is allowed within the city of Kent pursuant to KCC Title 15. It is further provided that bona fide charitable or nonprofit organizations, as defined in Chapter 9.46 RCW, may operate or conduct social card games if said social card games have been duly licensed by the Washington State Gambling Commission and if they are otherwise operated or conducted in compliance with the provisions of this chapter. A violation of this section shall not be subject to KCC 1.01.140.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4542, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
295. 46 RCW. Bona fide charitable or nonprofit organizations may separately run licensed social card games under the same subsection, so long as they comply with the rest of the chapter. 010(A)(4) taxes social card games (not the house-banked operations barred by subsection D) at 11 percent of gross revenue as of January 1, 2017, after a temporary 7 percent rate that ran from July 1, 2013. 040). 020). 050).
Violations & Fines
Failing or refusing to pay the gambling tax, or willfully disobeying a city council rule adopted under this chapter, is a misdemeanor under KCC 3.21.060, punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $250, or both, on top of the tax owed. Officers, directors and managers of the operating organization are jointly and severally liable for both the tax and any fine. Notably, KCC 3.21.010(D) states that a violation of the card-room authorization subsection itself is not subject to the general civil-penalty provision at KCC 1.01.140, so card-room-specific violations are enforced through this misdemeanor track and through the state Gambling Commission's own licensing authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kent allow house-banked card rooms?
What tax applies to card games in Kent?
What happens if a card room operator does not pay Kent's gambling tax?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
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Card Room Licensing in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle card room licensing.