Santa Clarita, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- SCMC Chapter 11.20
- Card/betting game rule
- § 11.20.030, dealing/playing banned
- Hosting premises
- Misdemeanor under § 11.20.050
- Enforcement
- L.A. County Sheriff (city contract)
- Nuisance abatement
- City Attorney, § 11.20.100
Summary
Santa Clarita bans card rooms and poker games outright: Municipal Code Section 11.20.030 makes it unlawful for anyone to "deal, play, carry on, or conduct" a game where players bet money against each other or any game of chance for money, so no local card-room license exists.
A person shall not deal, play, carry on, or conduct: A. Any game where players bet or wager money, checks, credits or other things of value against each other; or B. Any game of chance for money, checks, credits or other things of value.
Full Breakdown
) would otherwise let a city enact. 030 bars a person from dealing, playing, carrying on, or conducting either "any game where players bet or wager money, checks, credits or other things of value against each other" or "any game of chance for money, checks, credits or other things of value," language that squarely covers a poker or card room operating on a player-versus-player basis. 050 makes it unlawful to knowingly permit prohibited gambling on premises a person owns, rents, or controls, reaching landlords and business operators who host a card game.
060 also bars attending or being present at any house, room or other place in the city where gambling occurs. 20 runs the opposite direction. 080 to deposit any money seized in enforcement into the city's general fund once a conviction or guilty plea becomes final. 100.
Violations & Fines
Every violation of Chapter 11.20, including dealing or playing a banked or player-versus-player betting game, wagering on a game, knowingly permitting gambling on one's premises, or merely attending a location where gambling occurs, is a misdemeanor under Section 11.20.110. A premises used for gambling can also be abated by the City Attorney as a public nuisance under Section 11.20.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are card rooms legal in Santa Clarita?
Can I be cited just for watching a card game in Santa Clarita?
What happens to a landlord who lets a card game run on their property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clarita
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Card Room Licensing in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle card room licensing.