Santa Cruz County, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)
Key Facts
- Max cardrooms allowed countywide
- one (SS 5.16.180)
- New license eligibility
- only 1998 licensee or successor (SS 5.16.030)
- Table cap
- 8 tables; 10 players + 1 dealer each
- Wagering limit
- $200 aggregate per hand (SS 5.16.140)
- Siting buffer
- 600 feet from schools, hospitals, parks, libraries
- Overnight entry restriction
- closed to public 2 a.m.-6 a.m. without guard
- Penalty
- misdemeanor, up to $500 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Santa Cruz County caps unincorporated cardrooms at one and reserves eligibility for whoever already held the county license as of January 1, 1998, or their successor in interest. Owners need both a State Attorney General gambling permit and a county cardroom license under SCCC Section 5.16.020, with tight siting, table, and wagering limits attached.
Any person or entity must receive a permit from the Attorney General of California prior to owning or operating a cardroom within the unincorporated area of the County of Santa Cruz. In addition, no person shall establish, maintain or operate any cardroom or permit or suffer any cardroom to be established, maintained or operated ... unless such cardroom is maintained and operated pursuant to a valid, unexpired and unrevoked cardroom license issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. ... A maximum of one cardroom shall be permitted to operate within the unincorporated area of the County of Santa Cruz.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5004302; v11 updated 2026-05-19; through 05-19-2026).
Full Breakdown
16 regulates cardrooms concurrently with the state Gambling Control Act, Business and Professions Code Section 19800 et seq. 010). 020 requires both a State Attorney General permit and a valid county cardroom license before anyone may own or operate a cardroom in the unincorporated area, and every employee must separately hold a Sheriff-issued registration permit. 030 limits who can even apply: only a person or entity that operated a county-licensed cardroom as of January 1, 1998, or that operation's successor in interest, is eligible, which effectively freezes the pool of licensees.
040). 130 bars cardrooms from any residentially zoned parcel and from any parcel within 600 feet of a K-12 school, a hospital, medical clinic, or drug/mental-health treatment facility, a public park or playground, or a public library. 140). 230). 110).
Violations & Fines
SCCC Section 5.16.260 makes any violation of Chapter 5.16 a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $500, imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, or both. Each day a violation continues is a separate, independently punishable offense. A license may also be suspended or revoked under Section 5.16.050 for allowing shills, losing the state permit, or a felony or gambling-law conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cardrooms can operate in unincorporated Santa Cruz County?
Where can a cardroom be located in the county?
What is the betting limit at a Santa Cruz County cardroom?
What happens if a cardroom violates the county's rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Cruz County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Cruz County to another location·View the California gambling & gaming overview
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