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

Lacey's own code does not license card rooms; it taxes them. LMC § 3.06.010 levies the tax on persons, associations and organizations duly licensed by the Washington State Gambling Commission under Chapter 9.46. Subsection D covers anyone who conducts or operates a social card game: 9.17 percent of the gross revenue received from the game or games, reduced to 8.33 percent effective January 1, 2015 and again to 7.50 percent effective January 1, 2016. The same section taxes other licensed gambling at separate rates: raffles at five percent of gross receipts less prizes, bingo at four percent, amusement games at two percent, punchboards and pull-tabs run by a commercial stimulant operator at four percent, and punchboards and pull-tabs run by a charitable or nonprofit organization at eight percent less prizes.

The code's heading for Chapter 5.06 still reads Social Card Games Prohibited, and the chapter is marked Repealed by Ord. 1699, so the City of Lacey no longer carries a local prohibition in that chapter.

Operators have paperwork duties. Under § 3.06.030, anyone intending to conduct an activity authorized by Chapter 9.46 RCW must, before starting, file a sworn declaration of intent with the city clerk together with a copy of the state license. After that, a sworn statement on a city form goes to the finance director on or before the thirtieth day of the month following the end of each quarterly period in which the tax accrued. Section 3.06.020 has the finance director collect the tax, unless the city contracts with Thurston County, in which case the Thurston County treasurer collects it and receives the quarterly statement and payment. The city manager adopts rules and forms under § 3.06.060. Officers, directors and managers of any organization conducting gambling activities must give access to financial records to the city manager, an authorized representative or law enforcement officers under § 3.06.070.