King County Executive Ron Sims today announced he will propose a ban on all new card rooms in unincorporated King County.
"Keeping our neighborhoods safe and our communities livable is one of my top priorities," said Sims. "Card rooms in other areas have led to crime, reduced property values and businesses leaving the neighborhoods. This is not the type of environment we want to encourage in King County."
A 1997 state law allows businesses to offer up to 15 tables for house-banked social card games, such as poker, blackjack, professional dealers, and bets up to $100. As a result, ten businesses in King County have been licensed by the state to offer the house-banked social card games and 27 additional license applications have been filed. One of the licensed establishments and one of the applications are in unincorporated King County.
"We've had other forms of legal gambling in Washington for a number of years, such as tables for card games and pull tabs. But these new house banked card rooms are, in effect, casinos," Sims said.
"Because these local casinos are relatively new, we don't have a lot of information about the impacts they bring to communities. Based on impacts documented throughout the country, I don't think the public wants to wait to find out."
The impacts documented nationally include increases in crime; diversion of dollars from existing businesses; increases in social welfare costs and in disincentives for new business investment.
King County collects a gambling tax of 11 percent of the gross receipts from these casinos. Some of the cities in King County have reported annual revenue of over a million dollars from casinos in their jurisdictions.
To open a card room, a state license is required in a regional business and community zone in King County. Sims said he intends to propose prohibiting card rooms in these zones.
The public will have a chance to comment on the Executive's draft ordinance before he transmits it to the King County Council. A public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 3rd, at Highline High School, 225 S. 152nd in Burien, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Sims has also established a special e-mail address where citizens can send their comments until February 5:
Letters can also be sent to Lori Grant, King County Courthouse, 516 Third Ave., Seattle, WA 98104.
