Groves council discusses ban, zoning or tighter limits on gaming machines; action item set for Oct. 27

The Groves City Council dedicated extensive discussion on Oct. 13 to possible changes to Chapter 21, Article 30 (game rooms and gaming machines), weighing three principal options: a complete ban of amusement redemption and gambling devices, a targeted ban on ‘‘8-liners’’ (machines the city and counsel described as gambling devices), or continued allowance under tighter zoning and machine limits.

City Attorney (Ms. Rook) summarized legal constraints, noting a Fort Worth case that called ‘‘8-liners’’ unconstitutional and that the Texas Supreme Court declined review. Counsel warned of a conflict between recent case law and existing state statute and cautioned that some local restrictions (for example, extending statutory 300-foot buffers) risk preemption. The attorney said existing limited-duration permits would come under any newly adopted restrictions and would not be automatically grandfathered.

Councilmembers discussed practical regulation tools: zoning to confine locations, limits on machine counts tied to occupancy, and whether distance restrictions from schools or churches are preempted by state law. Several members urged more information before adopting a permanent ban and discussed technical data collection options to track user residency (for example, driver’s-license readers or card swipes) to help the council assess who uses the machines.

No final ordinance or vote was taken. Council directed staff to gather additional information and placed the item as an action item for the Oct. 27 meeting (with the option to table again if needed); members noted the current moratorium expires Nov. 18. City staff reported five active locations at the time of discussion.