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Orange council adopts ordinance banning game rooms and redemption machines; businesses given short compliance window
Summary
Following public comment from business owners, the City Council adopted an ordinance prohibiting amusement‑redemption machines and game rooms citywide and directed code enforcement to notify affected establishments with a compliance deadline and enforcement to follow.
The Orange City Council on Oct. 28 adopted an ordinance prohibiting amusement redemption machines and game rooms across the city, after public comment from business owners who said their operations were legal under state law.
Fahim Khwaja, speaking on behalf of affected business owners, told council that local establishments are licensed at the state level and asked the city not to move forward with a ban. “The city is moving forward towards banning the gaming sites,” Khwaja said, “...we would request you all to grant us enough time, at least 90 days, as it was proposed in the last meetings so that we can make arrangements and prepare for the catastrophe that is going to be over our businesses.”
At first reading on several related ordinances, city staff and Planning & Zoning materials described coordinated changes to the code of ordinances (chapter 4.17) and to planning and zoning definitions to add definitions for “amusement redemption machines,” “gambling device,” and “game rooms,” and to prohibit them in all zoning districts, including MUZD (mixed‑use zoning) districts. Planning & Zoning previously recommended approval.
Mister Knopf summarized the ordinance by saying, “This ordinance prohibits game rooms and amusement redemption machines everywhere in the city.” After a motion and second, council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance.
City staff told council they will deliver letters to businesses already operating game rooms and said code enforcement will provide notice with a specified compliance deadline. Mister Knoll stated that letters will be delivered and that businesses would have until 08:00 a.m. the following Monday to remove machines; enforcement by the police department would commence after that deadline.
Council members did not attach a separate exemption or extended grace period in the adopted ordinance during the meeting. Business owners in public comment emphasized state licensing and asked for 90 days; the council record shows staff instead set a near‑term compliance timeline for affected premises.
