After a decade of legal battles, the City of Fort Worth has completed the process of amending its zoning and licensing rules to officially ban amusement redemption machines, also known as eight-liners or gaming machines, and game rooms. The move follows a ruling by the Texas Supreme Court earlier this year, which denied further review of the case and allowed a Second Court of Appeals order to stand, declaring that eight-liners are unconstitutional lotteries.
This legal decision clears the way for Fort Worth to implement the ban on gaming devices and game rooms containing these devices. The City had previously adopted strict regulations in 2014 in response to residents’ concerns about the growing number of game rooms in the area. These regulations required licenses for game rooms and amusement redemption machines but were challenged in court on the grounds that they were pre-empted by state law.
In October, the Fort Worth City Council approved an ordinance to repeal the licensing provisions for game rooms and amusement redemption machines. The Zoning Commission followed suit in November by recommending the approval of a text amendment to the zoning ordinance, which repealed the development standards for game rooms and clarified that they would not be allowed in any zoning district, either by right or through a conditional-use permit.
On December 10, the City Council voted to approve the final zoning text amendment, completing the legal process to fully ban game rooms and eight-liners. The ban will take effect on January 21, 2025, and any individual or business found violating these new ordinances will face fines up to $2,000 per day the devices remain on the premises. Violators could also be subject to criminal prosecution or injunction.
The City’s Development Services Department will notify business owners and operators of game rooms or those in possession of amusement redemption machines. They will have 45 days to remove the devices and cease operations before penalties are enforced.
