Wheat Ridge staff to seek repeal of 1977 amusement-machine licensing rule

Wheat Ridge staff told the City Council on Jan. 5 that the city will move to repeal a 1977 ordinance that requires licenses for amusement arcades and individual amusement devices.

Deputy City Manager Mary Anne Schilling said the ordinance was originally aimed at preventing gambling and now contains provisions that staff consider out of date. She told the council the police department “has no issue with removing this ordinance,” and that the city currently licenses about “50 to 60” devices across eight locations. The ordinance imposes a $60-per-machine annual fee that staff said would be an unnecessary burden on businesses when enforcement problems are not present.

City Attorney Mr. Dahl highlighted specific code language that reads like liquor licensing rules, including a provision requiring that an applicant or manager not have been convicted of a felony in the past 10 years and a 1,000-foot proximity limit to schools. Dahl said those provisions could lead to unintended denials for businesses that are operating entertainment devices rather than gambling operations.

Councilors asked practical questions: Councilor Larson confirmed the city does not regulate state lottery vending machines, which remain subject to state law, and asked about the forthcoming Dave & Buster’s at Clear Creek Crossing. Schilling said the operator had not disclosed exact machine counts but estimated the venue could have “somewhere 50, [to] 100” machines. After brief discussion, the council gave consensus direction for staff to bring a repeal ordinance forward for council consideration.

The council did not take a formal recorded vote at the study session; staff will draft the ordinance and present it for a future meeting where the council may consider first reading and formal action.