Ventura, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SBMC § 10.750.130
- General rule
- card room operation is a misdemeanor
- Narrow exception
- annexed, legal-nonconforming card rooms (§ 10.750.210)
- Table cap
- 22 tables (§ 10.750.430)
- Terminates on
- unapproved ownership transfer or repeated violations (§ 10.750.220)
- Employees need
- chief-of-police work permit (§ 10.750.510)
Summary
Operating or maintaining a card room in the City of Ventura is a misdemeanor under San Buenaventura Municipal Code Section 10.750.130, except for the narrow categories the rest of Chapter 10.750 allows, mainly a card room that legally operated in unincorporated Ventura County before an island annexation brought it into the city.
Except as specified by this chapter, any person operating or maintaining a card room within the city is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
750, any person operating or maintaining a card room within the city is guilty of a misdemeanor. 120 as a business establishment featuring games of chance consisting of poker or other card games lawfully conducted under California law. 220 immediately terminates that nonconforming status if the card room transfers ownership without city council approval or if the council finds, after notice and a hearing, that the operation repeatedly or continuously violated federal, state or local law. 480. 510. 130 forecloses licensing a wholly new card room.
Violations & Fines
Operating or maintaining a card room in the City of Ventura outside the narrow annexed-card-room exception is a misdemeanor under Section 10.750.130. Operating outside council-set hours is separately a misdemeanor punishable under Chapter 1.150, per Section 10.750.420, and acting as a card room employee without a work permit issued under Section 10.750.510 is unlawful in its own right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are card rooms legal in the City of Ventura?
How did any card room end up operating in Ventura at all?
How many tables can a Ventura card room have?
What happens if a Ventura card room changes owners?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura 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 Ventura County handle card room licensing.