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Redwood City, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
City Code § 21.2
What's banned
Cards, dice, or games for money
Local card-room ordinance
None adopted
Default penalty
Up to $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail (§ 1.7A)
State law cross-reference
Penal Code §§ 330-337h

Summary

Redwood City's own Municipal Code, not just state law, declares it unlawful for anyone in the city to play or engage in any card, dice, or other game for money or anything redeemable in money. With no local ordinance authorizing card rooms, Section 21.2 operates as a citywide gambling-for-money ban.

It is hereby declared unlawful for any person in the City to play or engage in any game with cards, dice or any other devices for money or for any checks, credit or representative of value which is redeemable in money.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Zoning Code: Supplement 29 | City Code: Supplement 61 Update 1).

Full Breakdown

" This sits alongside, and separately from, the state law reference to Penal Code Sections 330 through 337h that the Code cites beneath it. 2 instead flatly bans playing cards or dice for money anywhere in the city. 00, imprisonment for up to six months, or both. 19) show the same drafting pattern the City uses when a use is neither permitted nor addressed: it is treated as prohibited by omission, which is the same posture Redwood City takes toward card rooms given the absence of any licensing ordinance.

Violations & Fines

Playing or engaging in cards, dice, or any other game for money, checks, or credit redeemable in money anywhere in Redwood City violates Section 21.2. With no specific penalty listed for the section, the City Code's general penalty clause, Section 1.7(A), applies: a fine of up to $1,000.00, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are card rooms legal in Redwood City?
No. Redwood City's own Municipal Code, Section 21.2, independently makes it unlawful to play cards, dice or any similar game for money in the city, and the City has never adopted an ordinance authorizing licensed card rooms as state law would otherwise allow.
What is the penalty for illegal gambling in Redwood City?
Since Section 21.2 doesn't set its own penalty, the general penalty clause of Section 1.7(A) applies: a fine of up to $1,000.00, imprisonment for up to six months, or both, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.
Does Redwood City rely only on state gambling law?
No. Section 21.2 is a locally-enacted prohibition that exists independently of the Penal Code Section 330 through 337h reference cited beneath it, meaning Redwood City has chosen to codify its own citywide ban rather than defer entirely to state enforcement.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Redwood City

Parking Rules: Overnight ParkingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: RV & Boat ParkingSignificant RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor SoundSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant Restrictions

All Redwood City rules

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