Sacramento, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)
Key Facts
- License cap
- 1 per 100,000 residents, max 4 citywide
- License required
- City manager issues under § 5.32.020
- Employee permit
- Police work permit + DOJ fingerprint check
- Unlicensed operation
- Misdemeanor under § 5.32.220(B)
- Inactivity revocation
- Automatic after 90 consecutive closed days
- Appeal window
- 10 days to city clerk
Summary
Sacramento limits commercial cardrooms to one license per 100,000 residents, capped at four citywide, under City Code § 5.32.070. Operators need a city-manager-issued license under § 5.32.020, employees need a separate police-issued work permit with a DOJ background check, and running an unlicensed cardroom is a misdemeanor.
No cardroom license shall be granted when the number of cardroom licensees in the city exceeds the ratio of one cardroom for every one hundred thousand (100,000) population of the city according to the latest population figures from the California Department of Finance; provided, however, that the maximum number of cardroom licenses which may be issued shall not exceed four.
Full Breakdown
070(A) bars the city manager from granting a cardroom license once the number of licensees hits one for every 100,000 residents (using the state Department of Finance's latest population figures), with an absolute ceiling of four licenses citywide no matter how the city grows. 020 violation a misdemeanor rather than a mere infraction; most other chapter violations default to an infraction with daily fines assessed under Government Code § 36900(b). 080; applicants submit fingerprints for a DOJ background check, and the chief must deny the permit if the applicant has a felony, a moral-turpitude or narcotics conviction, a gambling-law conviction, or would be disqualified from a state gambling license under Business & Professions Code § 19859.
110(B) automatically revokes a license if the cardroom stops operating for 90 consecutive days, though that clock tolls up to 18 months while a license-transfer application is pending or a catastrophic event (fire, flood, earthquake) has shut the room down. 090 requires the city manager to advertise the opening and run a public lottery among interested applicants rather than award it directly. 120.
Violations & Fines
Operating a cardroom without the license required by § 5.32.020 is a misdemeanor under § 5.32.220(B), as are violations of the employee-conduct rules in § 5.32.150 and the cardroom regulations in § 5.32.180. All other chapter violations are infractions carrying a per-day fine under Government Code § 36900(b), and the city attorney may also seek an injunction or other civil remedy under § 5.32.220(C).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cardroom licenses can Sacramento issue?
Is running an unlicensed cardroom a crime in Sacramento?
Do cardroom dealers and floor staff need their own permit?
What happens if a licensed cardroom stops operating?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento to another location·View the California gambling & gaming overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Card Room Licensing in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle card room licensing.