Gambling: City of Ventura.

Existing law, the Gambling Control Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of various legalized gambling activities and establishments by the California Gambling Control Commission and the investigation and enforcement of those activities and establishments by the Department of Justice. Under the Gambling Control Act, a city, county, or city and county, may authorize controlled gambling consistent with state law, as provided. However, until January 1, 2020, existing law prohibits the governing body and the electors of a city, county, or city and county from authorizing or expanding any legal gaming beyond that permitted on January 1, 1996. Additionally, until January 1, 2020, existing law prohibits the commission from issuing a gambling license for a gambling establishment that was not licensed to operate on December 31, 1999, except as specified. Existing law defines "expansion of gambling" for these purposes as, when compared to gambling authorized on January 1, 1996, or under an ordinance adopted pursuant to specified provisions of law, whichever is the lesser number, a change that results in, among other things, an increase of 25% or more in the hours of operation of a gambling establishment in the city, county, or city and county. This bill would, notwithstanding any other law, including, but not limited to the moratorium described above, authorize the City of Ventura to determine the hours of operation of any gambling establishment located in the City of Ventura that was operating prior to January 1, 2016. The bill would specify that any additional hours of operation authorized by the City of Ventura that are in addition to those hours that a gambling establishment operated prior to January 1, 2016, shall not constitute an expansion of gambling for the purposes described above. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the City of Ventura.