Houston, TX Gambling & Gaming: Game Room Regulations (2026)
Key Facts
- License trigger
- 6+ amusement redemption machines
- Licensing agency
- Dept. of Administration & Regulatory Affairs
- County permit
- Also required for Harris County locations
- License term
- 1 year, renewable 60 days before expiry
- Signage rule
- "GAME ROOM" sign, 4-inch letters, visible 25 ft
- Window rule
- Transparent walls on 2 sides, 4-8 ft high
- Unlicensed penalty
- Daily fine under Sec. 1-6
Summary
Houston requires a city game room license before anyone opens a game room, defined as six or more amusement redemption machines, or any room where people pay to play dominoes, cards or similar games. The director of Administration and Regulatory Affairs issues the license, and locations in Harris County also need a separate county game room permit.
(a)It shall be unlawful for an owner or operator of a game room to operate, use, or maintain a game room without first obtaining city game room license and if required under this article, a county game room permit.(b)It shall be unlawful to operate, use or maintain any room or place in the city where persons are permitted to play at any game of dominoes, cards or other games, and for the use of which, or privilege of playing therein or thereat, any money or its equivalent, or any check or counter in lieu of money shall be paid or received, or where memberships are sold for anything of value for the privilege of playing therein or thereat, without first securing a license therefor.
Full Breakdown
00, whichever is less; a building with six or more of those machines is a game room. Owners must file a license application with a certificate of occupancy, proof of any assumed-name registration filed with the Harris, Fort Bend or Montgomery county clerk, and the non-refundable license fee set in the city fee schedule. The director investigates whether the applicant was convicted of an offense listed in Sec. 1-10 and applies the denial and hearing procedures of Sec. 1-9 before issuing, renewing, suspending or revoking a license.
Each city license runs for one year from issuance and can be renewed starting 60 days before expiration. Game rooms located in Harris County must also carry a Harris County game room permit under county regulations, and the combined city-county application fee is listed in the fee schedule. Once licensed, a game room must display its license in plain view, post a sign reading "GAME ROOM" in letters at least four inches tall that is legible from 25 feet, keep egress doors openable without a key during business hours, and give any law enforcement officer immediate, unrestricted access to the premises and every machine.
Rooms with random generator machines need at least two sides of transparent, unobstructed window or wall between four and eight feet off the ground so the machines are visible from outside.
Violations & Fines
Operating, using or maintaining a game room without a current city license, or continuing after a license is revoked, is punished under Sec. 1-6 by a fine for every day the room stays open. Covering required windows, skipping the "GAME ROOM" sign, locking egress doors during business hours, or refusing a police officer entry are each separate violations of Article VI that can support license suspension or revocation under Secs. 5-163 through 5-176, on top of any criminal fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many machines make a location a "game room" under Houston law?
Does the city license replace the Harris County game room permit?
Can a game room cover its windows for privacy?
What happens if a game room operates without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Houston
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Houston to another location·View the Texas gambling & gaming overview
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