The case that could put game rooms on the ballot is the City of Fort Worth and David Cooke, in his Official Capacity as Fort Worth City Manager v. Llano and Blanco counties both have ordinances, while Burnet and San Saba counties do not. So far, only one person has applied, but the building proposed did not meet requirements, according to Interim City Manager Peggy Smith.ĭistrict Attorney Sonny McAfee told his goal is to have all four of the counties in the 33rd and 424th Judicial Districts put ordinances in place to regulate game rooms. The city of Granite Shoals also enacted a game room ordinance this year, asking for a $25 annual permit fee. “We had four locations, including the one denied, that voluntarily reduced the number of games to less than six so they wouldn’t require a permit,” said Rick Sniktin, the game room administrator for Llano County. Four were granted and one was denied because the owner filed after the grace period in the new ordinance had passed.

1, five game rooms have applied for permits. Until then, regulation can only come from the local level with limited power.Įarlier this year, the Llano County Commissioners Court voted to regulate game rooms, requiring owners to pay $1,000 a year for a permit. The next step in the case would be to go before the Texas Supreme Court and then voters, who approved charitable bingo in 1981 and the state-run lottery in 1991. The Court of Appeals Second District of Texas at Fort Worth recently denied a motion to reconsider its decision declaring eight-liner machines illegal.

If outlawed by voters, game rooms in the Highland Lakes, including Marble Falls, Burnet, Kingsland, Buchanan Dam, and Llano, would most likely have to shut down. Whether or not game rooms are legal operations may well end up before voters in a few years based on a recent court ruling involving the city of Fort Worth.

Texas sweepstakes gaming laws