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Dickinson council adopts ordinance banning gambling devices after bar owner warns of business impacts
Summary
The Dickinson City Council approved a second-reading ordinance prohibiting gambling devices that award prizes by chance, citing a Texas Supreme Court ruling and the need for a clear local rule. A long-time bar owner told council the ban could harm small businesses and create uneven competition with neighboring cities.
The Dickinson City Council on second reading approved an ordinance to add a city code section prohibiting gambling devices that award prizes based on chance.
The ordinance, approved by voice vote, responds to recent judicial rulings and the state constitutional language directing the legislature to prohibit lotteries, staff and council said. City legal staff explained the "fuzzy animal" statutory exception — a historical carve-out that treated low-value toy prizes differently — was effectively undone by court decisions, leaving cities without a clear local prohibition. "That is the purpose of the ordinance," a council member said during discussion, describing the measure as bringing the city into compliance and creating a bright-line rule for enforcement.
Business owner Ann Mirsky of the Blue Room Bar, who said she has operated on Highway 3 for 42 years, opposed the ban on economic grounds. "I'm here because I want to address the proposed ban on 8 liners," Mirsky told the council, adding that gaming machines, pool tournaments and music were part of how her business earns income and that a local ban could push customers to neighboring cities.
Council members asked staff and legal counsel to clarify the ordinance’s scope; staff said it targets gambling machines (including types such as video poker and video blackjack) rather than amusement machines like pinball or standard pool tables. After discussion the motion carried by voice vote.
Next steps: the ordinance will be codified following the second-reading approval and staff indicated enforcement will focus on machines that award prizes based on chance.
