Livermore, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)
Key Facts
- Citywide table cap
- 32 tables maximum (§ 5.20.150)
- Standard cardroom limit
- 10 tables per license
- Expanded cardroom limit
- 16 tables with CUP and dev. agreement
- Maximum bet
- $20 standard, $1,000 expanded services
- Minimum age
- 21 years, no exceptions
- License term
- 1 year, renewable, max 2 per person
- Enforcing agency
- Livermore Chief of Police
Summary
Livermore caps card-club gambling under LMC Chapter 5.20: no cardroom may open without a City cardroom license layered on top of state Gambling Control Act registration from the Division of Gambling Control. The city limits the total number of tables citywide to 32, restricts games to a short approved list, bars anyone under 21, and lets the Chief of Police deny, suspend or revoke a license for crime problems or unfitness.
A cardroom use may not be established by right. It is unlawful for any person, for himself, herself, or for any other person, to establish, own, or operate a cardroom in the city, unless the person first obtains the following: A. A valid cardroom license from the City in compliance with this chapter; B. All valid licenses required by the California Department of Justice, Division of Gambling Control and the California Gambling Control Commission pursuant to the Gambling Control Act (California Business and Professions Code Section 19800 et seq., as it may be amended from time to time) for the cardroom, each person who has a financial interest in the cardroom, and for all key employees as that term may be defined by the Gambling Control Act and both Division 18, Title 4 and Division 3, Title 11 of the California Code of Regulations; and C. All necessary land use entitlements and building permits in conformance with the provisions of the Livermore Municipal Code and the Livermore Development Code.
Full Breakdown
To operate a cardroom, LMC § 5.20.030 requires a City cardroom license plus all state licenses the Gambling Control Act (Business and Professions Code § 19800 et seq.) requires for the operator, every financially interested person, and key employees, plus the land-use entitlements and parking the Livermore Development Code demands. Applicants file with the Chief of Police, submit fingerprints, a photograph and a 3-year employment history, and pay a filing fee set by City Council resolution (§ 5.20.040). A person may hold no more than two cardroom licenses, and no license is assignable (§ 5.20.050).
Citywide, § 5.20.150 caps the total number of tables at 32: a standard-services cardroom is limited to 10 tables and an expanded-services cardroom, which requires a conditional use permit and development agreement, can reach 16. Operating rules in § 5.20.160 restrict play to lowball, draw poker without variations, pinochle, panguingue, rummy, bridge and Texas hold 'em; cap the standard bet at $20 a hand ($1,000 for expanded-services tables); bar anyone under 21 from the tables or the room; require 25 percent of the floor visible from the front door; and set hours of 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily except a continuous Friday-to-Monday session, subject to reduction by the Chief of Police for excessive calls for service.
Section 5.20.170 requires a uniformed security guard whenever the cardroom is open. The Chief of Police must deny an application that would aggravate crime problems in the area or where the applicant is unfit, and may revoke or suspend a license for cause after notice and a hearing under § 5.20.140.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a City cardroom license, exceeding the 32-table citywide cap, allowing an unlisted game, seating a player under 21, or extending credit to a patron are each violations of Chapter 5.20 enforceable by license revocation or suspension. The Chief of Police must give written notice of intent to revoke; the operator has 10 days to request a hearing with the City Manager, and a further appeal to the City Council must be filed within 10 days of that decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cardrooms can operate in Livermore?
What games can a Livermore cardroom offer?
What is the maximum bet allowed at a Livermore cardroom?
Can a minor enter a Livermore cardroom?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Livermore
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