Beaumont votes to ban gaming sites and gaming machines after months of debate

The Beaumont Planning and Zoning Commission, meeting jointly with the Beaumont City Council on May 19, voted to amend the city's zoning code to ban gaming sites and gaming machines within city limits.

Planning staff reviewed the history of the city's gaming regulations and described three policy options: (1) ban gaming machines and sites citywide, which staff said would require existing operators to cease operations; (2) restrict gaming to industrial zoning districts, which would grandfather existing valid permits but restrict new locations; or (3) make no change. Staff reported there are 66 permitted gaming sites operating a total of 453 gaming machines in the city and said all current game-room owners were notified of the proposal.

Staff and the police department presented differing factual emphasis. Tim Oknachek, chief of police, said the department compiled calls for service near gaming locations and found a broad range of call volumes across sites, from none to a site with more than 1,200 calls, but said the department could not reliably draw a causal link between those calls and the gaming machines. Assistant Chief Jason Plunken said enforcement operations have found some locations out of compliance in the past and that tying individual crimes to the machines requires detailed area-level analyses.

During public comment, attorney Scott Renick, representing several small-business owners, told the council the majority of affected sites are small convenience stores operating accessory gaming (five or fewer machines) and argued that the machines provide revenue streams that help stores remain open and employ local residents. Store owner Afar Kashat said the machines "pay off employee wage" in his store. Opponents including Frances Graham and Wilma Adelow urged the city to ban the machines, saying they harm neighborhoods and contribute to crime and predatory practices.

After extended discussion and clarification about the legal implications of recent court decisions (staff cited the Fort Worth v. Riley line of cases), a commissioner moved to approve the city-initiated amendment to remove gaming sites and gaming machines from the permitted-use table (policy option 1). The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Planning staff advised that if the city bans gaming sites, currently permitted sites would not remain grandfathered and operators would need to cease operations or otherwise come into compliance with the new ordinance; staff also said any revocations or lapses in permits can cause grandfathered status to be lost under current rules.

The vote does not itself implement enforcement actions; it amends the zoning code to prohibit game rooms and gaming machines, and subsequent administrative steps will be required to effect closures, enforcement, and notifications to permit-holders. The issue drew substantial public attendance and contrasting testimony from law enforcement, city staff, business representatives and neighborhood residents.