Laredo, TX Gambling & Gaming: Game Room Regulations (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual license fee
- $1,050 per machine
- Distance requirement
- 300 ft from church, school, home, hospital
- Allowed zoning
- B-4, M-1, M-2, MXD only
- Weekend closing time
- Midnight, Fri-Sun
- Minimum age to enter
- 18
Summary
Laredo licenses amusement redemption machine establishments, better known as game rooms, at $1,050 per machine annually. They're confined to B-4, M-1, M-2, or mixed-use zoning, must sit at least 300 feet from any church, school, residential district, or hospital, keep hours no later than midnight, and bar entry to anyone under 18.
License required. No person shall maintain, display for patronage, or otherwise keep for operation by the patrons any amusement redemption machines without first obtaining a license from the city.(b)Fee. An owner, operator, or lessee of premises on which an amusement redemption machine is made available to others shall be required to secure a license by paying to the city an annual inspection and license fee of one-thousand fifty dollars, ($1,050.00) per amusement redemption machine in full at the time of license issuance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 3 | Land Development Code: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 18-2.1 defines an amusement redemption machine as any device that awards prizes based partly or wholly on chance for consideration, up to ten times the play cost or $5, whichever is less; skill-based claw machines and games like skee-ball are excluded. Section 18-2.2 requires a license from the city's building development services department at an annual inspection and license fee of $1,050 per machine, expiring on the license's issuance anniversary; the city can seal an unlicensed machine and charge $1,050 to release it. Section 18-2.4 imposes the operating rules: establishments are limited to existing B-4 (highway commercial), M-1, M-2, or MXD zoning districts; must sit at least 300 feet from any church, school, residential district, hospital, or other game room, measured along street fronts and door to door; only one per lot or tenant space in a strip center; hours capped at 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to midnight Friday through Sunday; and no one under 18 may enter the premises, which must post a sign saying so along with a problem-gambling hotline. Machines must stay fully visible through windows and doors, and membership requirements or check-in procedures are prohibited outright under section 18-2.4(h). Section 18-2.5 lets the city deny a license to anyone convicted in the last three years of a gambling, forgery, or Chapter 34 Penal Code offense, and section 18-2.6 authorizes suspension for up to 30 days or automatic revocation for repeat violations or allowing controlled substances on-site.
Violations & Fines
Operating an unlicensed amusement redemption machine lets the city seal the machine and charge $1,050 to release it. A licensee found in violation of the article can have the license suspended for up to 30 days by the city manager or revoked outright for a repeat violation within twelve months, false statements on the application, or knowingly allowing controlled substances on the premises, per sections 18-2.5 and 18-2.6.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How far must a Laredo game room be from a school or church?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Laredo
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