It shall be unlawful to operate a card room in violation of any of the following rules or regulations:
(A) The operator and his employees shall not extend credit to a player nor shall "I.O.U.'s" be accepted. With verifiable identification, checks, credit cards and debit cards may be accepted in the card room, however it shall be unlawful to accept those checks prohibited under the California Gambling Control Act as it may be amended.
(B) Card rooms shall be located on the ground level floor and shall be so constructed and maintained that a clear and unobstructed view of the interior thereof may at all times be had from at least one entrance to such room and from at least one point outside the building in which the card room is located. No wall, partition, screen, or similar structure shall be permitted if it interferes with such unobstructed view of the interior of the card room.
(C) No minor shall be permitted at any card table or be allowed to participate in any game thereat or remain in a card room.
(D) Hours of operation shall be limited to no more than 159 hours per week, to be specified in the card room operator’s permit application and posted on the premises. The card room operator is required to provide on-site private security personnel, unless the operator can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Police Department that the card room has a security/surveillance system in place. The operator shall comply with all regulations of the Alcohol Beverage Control as they relate to the operator.
(E) All card rooms shall be open to police inspection during all hours of operation.
(F) Only table stakes shall be permitted.
(G) This chapter does not impose a wagering limit at card rooms or limit the amount of wagers on games at card rooms pursuant to Cal. Bus.& Prof. Code § 19860.
(H) Every two card tables, while any games subject to this chapter are played thereat, shall have assigned to them a person holding a valid card room work permit, whose duty it shall be to supervise the games strictly in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and the provisions of the California Penal Code. The card room permittee may act as table supervisor without having a work permit.
(I) Not more than eight tables shall be permitted in one card room.
(J) There shall be conspicuously posted in every card room in letters plainly visible from all parts thereof, a sign bearing the title “Card Room Operating Regulations,” which sign shall contain such information relating to the regulations contained in this chapter as the Chief of Police may require.
(K) No person who is in a state of intoxication shall be permitted in any card room.
(L) (1) No charge shall be made and no revenue shall be collected on account of the use of the card room facilities except on the basis of a uniform charge per player per hour, or fraction thereof, or on a predetermined fixed fee per hand assessed of all players at the table and collected prior to the playing of the hand. This fee shall not be tied to the amount of money bet, funds in play, winnings collected, or size of the pot.
(2) A schedule of such rates shall be conspicuously posted in the card room.
(M) Prior to dealing a new deck of cards, the dealer shall scramble the cards face-up.
(N) No person or entity owning, operating, or controlling a card room shall allow, suffer, or cause disorderly conduct or breach of the peace in or around the premises at which a card room is operated. Each card room and each owner, manager, and operator of a card room shall be responsible and liable for the security and safety of its patrons in and around the premises in which the card room is operating. Before it shall be allowed to operate, each card room and each owner, manager and operator of a card room shall adopt a plan to provide for the safety and security of patrons. Such plan shall be submitted to the Chief of Police for review and approval prior to the operation of each card room. Each card room, and each owner, manager and operator of a card room shall conspicuously post inside the premises in which a card room is operating the approved patron security and safety plan, in order to give law enforcement officials and patrons adequate notice of such plan.
('63 Code, § 6-5.15) (Ord. 2853, passed 12-6-60; Am. Ord. 13-C.S., passed 3-17-64; Am. Ord. 298-C.S., passed 10-17-78; Am. Ord. 547-C.S., passed 7-7-92; Am. Ord. 634-C.S., passed 11-10-99; Am. Ord. 647-C.S., passed 9-4-01; Am. Ord. 718-C.S., passed 12-20-07; Am. Ord. 735-C.S., passed 1-6-09; Am. Ord. 740-C.S., passed 4-7-09) Penalty, see § 10.99