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Supervisor Breed’s office seeks overhaul of arcade rules; proposes staff permits for small bar arcades
Summary
A representative from Supervisor London Breed’s office presented File 140,776 to update a 1982 police-code section on mechanical amusement devices: non-bars could have up to 10 games without permit, bars would be subject to a three-tier permit system (1 game exempt; 2–10 staff-level permit; 11+ commission permit).
Connor, a representative from Supervisor London Breed’s office, briefed the Entertainment Commission on file 140,776, a proposed update to a section of the San Francisco Police Code that regulates mechanical amusement devices and arcades.
Connor told commissioners the existing code dates to 1982 and contains provisions that appear outdated and ill-suited to today’s businesses (for example, earlier prohibitions tied to school hours). He described a compromise developed with the Police Department, city staff and the supervisor’s office: restaurants and non-bar businesses could have up to 10 devices before a permit is required; bars would be treated differently to preserve the commission’s role — a bar with one game would be exempt from commission permitting; a bar with two to ten games would obtain a staff-level (director) permit; and any establishment with 11 or more devices would require a full Entertainment Commission permit.
Connor said the change purposefully separates minor uses (for example, a restaurant with an occasional game) from larger arcade operations and creates a staff-level path for modest bar arcades while reserving commission oversight for larger collections of machines. He also told commissioners the office proposed waiving an up-front application fee as part of the compromise while maintaining an annual license fee to recover enforcement costs.
Commissioners asked for clarity on how to define a bar (Connor referenced ABC license types and planning definitions), whether occupancy or square footage limitations should apply (staff noted those issues are addressed in planning and building codes), and how the commission would retain enforcement authority for suspensions and revocations. Connor said police would retain authority over gambling devices and that modified devices intended for gambling would be explicitly excluded from the mechanical-amusement category and treated as illegal gambling devices subject to seizure.
Connor apologized that the board office had not been able to bring the proposal to the commission before it moved to the Board of Supervisors for first reading; he said the legislation passed first reading unanimously and was scheduled for a second reading in early September.
