Local News in Brief : Limit Doubled for Gambling Tables
- Share via
The Gardena City Council unanimously approved an urgency ordinance Tuesday that doubles the limit of gambling tables allowed at each of the city’s three card clubs from 40 to 80.
The owners of the Eldorado Club, the Horseshoe Club and the Normandie Casino had requested the table increase to fight competition from clubs in other cities. The other clubs have 100 tables or more and are able to attract the overflow of customers from the Gardena clubs, which have been operating to capacity on weekends, said Edmond J. Russ, an attorney who represented the three clubs.
Only the Normandie Casino has space to increase its number of tables immediately, adding 10 tables to its present 42, Russ said. Renovations may be needed at the other two clubs before tables can be added, he said. The ordinance requires the clubs to get approval from the city manager for incremental increases in the number of tables up to the 80-table limit.
City Councilman Mas Fukai questioned the need for urgency, and Russ argued that the ordinance was needed right away because the casinos were losing customers and revenue to larger clubs elsewhere in the county.
The city-licensed clubs generated $3.5 million in tax revenues last year.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
