San Diego County, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- County Code §§ 37.101–37.104
- Rule
- All for-stakes card games banned
- Exceptions
- Licensed nonprofit bingo, casino parties only
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
- Landlord liability
- Leasing property for gambling is also unlawful
Summary
Card rooms and other for-stakes card games are banned across unincorporated San Diego County. County policy prohibits all gambling except licensed bingo and casino parties run by qualified nonprofits, so no ordinance authorizes a commercial card room anywhere outside the 18 incorporated cities.
SEC. 37.101. PURPOSE. State law prohibits most forms of gambling in the State of California. State law also allows a local entity to authorize or prohibit certain forms of gambling not illegal under State law. Other than bingo and casino parties conducted by qualified nonprofit corporations pursuant to this code, the County public policy is to prohibit all other gambling. ... SEC. 37.102. GAMBLING PROHIBITED. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person in the unincorporated area of the County to play, deal, conduct, carry on or participate in any game, event, operation or transaction in which anything of value is wagered on the outcome. (b) This section does not prohibit bingo or casino parties for which a permit has been issued pursuant to this code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-141: Administrative: Current through Ord. No. 11007 (N.S.), effective 7-10-26 | Regulatory: Current through Ord. No. 11008 (N.S.), effective 7-24-26).
Full Breakdown
101 states the county's purpose plainly: state law prohibits most forms of gambling, and while state law lets a local entity authorize certain forms not otherwise illegal, "the County public policy is to prohibit all other gambling" beyond bingo and casino parties run by qualified nonprofit corporations under the county's own code. 102 turns that policy into a flat ban: it is unlawful for any person in the unincorporated area to play, deal, conduct, carry on, or participate in any game, event, operation, or transaction in which anything of value is wagered on the outcome, which sweeps in poker rooms and other card games played for money.
The section carves out only permitted bingo and casino parties, and it does not attempt to regulate activity that state law already governs, such as tribal gaming. The ban reaches beyond the gaming table itself. 104 separately bars using or allowing another person to use any property for that prohibited activity. Together the three sections mean an operator cannot simply rent space for a card room and claim distance from the play itself: the landlord and the operator both face liability. operates under that city's own separate gambling ordinance and is unaffected by this ban.
Violations & Fines
Operating, dealing, or participating in an unlicensed card game under Section 37.102, or leasing property for one under Section 37.103, is a violation of the County Code enforced as a misdemeanor under Section 11.116, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in County Jail, or both. Property owners face liability under Section 37.103 even if they never touch the cards themselves, since the section reaches anyone who knowingly leases or sells property for prohibited gambling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a card room in unincorporated San Diego County?
What if I just rent out a building and don't run the games myself?
Does this ban apply inside the City of San Diego too?
Are casino night fundraisers ever allowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Diego County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Diego County to another location·View the California gambling & gaming overview
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