Gambling: local moratorium.

Existing law, the Gambling Control Act, establishes the California Gambling Control Commission, which is responsible for licensing and regulating various gambling activities and establishments. Existing law requires the Department of Justice to investigate any violations of, and to enforce, the act. Under the act, a city, county, or city and county may authorize controlled gambling consistent with state law. Existing law, however, prohibits an ordinance that would result in an expansion of gambling in the city, county, or city and county from being valid unless the amendment is approved by a majority of the voters. Existing law requires an amendment to a city or county ordinance relating to a gambling establishment or the act to be submitted to the department for review and comment before the ordinance is adopted by the city or county. Existing law prohibits, until January 1, 2023, an ordinance in effect on January 1, 1996, that authorizes legal gaming within a city, county, or city and county from being amended to expand gaming in that jurisdiction beyond that permitted on January 1, 1996. Existing law contains specified exceptions to that prohibition to authorize a city, county, or city and county to amend its ordinance to expand the number of gambling tables that may be operated in a gambling establishment. This bill would create an additional exception to that prohibition by authorizing a city, county, or city and county, commencing January 1, 2022, to amend its ordinance to increase the number of gambling tables that may be operated in a gambling establishment by up to 2 tables each calendar year, up to a maximum total of 10 additional tables, above the number of tables authorized in the ordinance in effect on January 1, 2022. The bill would authorize a city, county, or city and county's jurisdictional limit to be expanded to accommodate the increase of gaming tables authorized by the bill. The bill would extend until January 1, 2028, the prohibition against a city, county, or city and county amending an ordinance to expand gaming in that jurisdiction beyond that permitted on January 1, 1996. Existing law prohibits, until January 1, 2023, the governing body and the electors of a city, county, or city and county that has not authorized legal gaming within its boundaries prior to January 1, 1996, from authorizing legal gaming. This bill would extend that prohibition until January 1, 2028. Existing law also prohibits, until January 1, 2023, the commission from issuing a gambling license for a gambling establishment that was not licensed to operate on December 31, 1999, except as specified. This bill would also extend that prohibition until January 1, 2028.