Irving, TX Gambling & Gaming: Game Room Regulations (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $7.50/machine/year, non-prorated
- Replacement license fee
- $2.00
- Floor space per machine
- 15 sq. ft. minimum
- Residential-buffer hours
- 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun-Thu within 500 ft
- General closing hours
- 12:01 a.m.-7:30 a.m. daily
- Penalty
- $1-$500 fine per day
Summary
Irving licenses every coin-operated amusement machine business through the chief of police, splitting locations into amusement centers or amusement stores by machine density and capping hours, machine spacing, and operator age under Chapter 44.
No person shall operate an amusement center in the City of Irving without first obtaining a license from the chief of police. No person shall operate an amusement store without first obtaining a permit from the chief of police.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4988517; v32 updated 2026-07-30).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 44 defines an amusement center as a business where coin-operated amusement machines cover more than 5% of the public floor area, and an amusement store as one where they cover 5% or less (§ 44-1). No person may operate an amusement center without a license, or an amusement store without a permit, both issued by the chief of police (§ 44-2). The application must disclose every owner of a 10%-plus interest, every operator and proof each is at least 18, and any conviction within five years for drug, gambling, prostitution, obscenity, weapons, robbery, rape, sexual abuse, alcohol, or public-indecency offenses under Penal Code chapters 21, 22 and 48, plus whether any prior license was revoked within two years (§ 44-3).
00 replacement fee; no refunds are given (§ 44-4). A center within 500 feet of a single-family residential zoning district under Zoning Ordinance No. m. daily (§ 44-10). on an Irving ISD school day (§§ 44-10(4), 44-11(1)(e)). Every business must provide at least 15 square feet of floor space per machine (§ 44-13), and alcohol possession or consumption on an amusement center's premises is a separate offense requiring a posted warning sign (§ 44-12).
Violations & Fines
Violating the chapter is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $1 to $500, with each day a separate offense (§ 44-15). The chief of police must revoke a license for a false application statement, a disqualifying conviction of the licensee or a 10%-plus owner, two convictions within a year for the hours, alcohol, or conduct provisions, operating with more machines than licensed, or operating without an operator physically present (§ 44-7). A licensee has 10 days after written notice to appeal a denial or revocation to the city manager, then 10 more days to appeal that ruling to the city council, which must hold a hearing within 30 days (§ 44-8).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Irving require a permit to run a game room?
How much does an Irving amusement machine license cost?
Are there special hours near homes?
Is alcohol allowed inside an Irving game room?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Irving
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Game Room Regulations in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle game room regulations.