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EAGLE LAKE — Hoping to prevent dedicated game rooms from opening while tightening oversight of existing gaming machines, the Eagle Lake City Council began discussing an ordinance Tuesday, July 14 that would regulate where and how the machines may operate within the city.
City Manager Tink Jackson said he has been approached by multiple people interested in opening game rooms that operate 8-liner slot machines, mainly in buildings that are currently vacant.
“We have neighboring cities that have gaming available. If people are going to go play the game machines, then we need an ordinance in place here that gives the city the right to inspect and keep businesses from operating illegally,” Jackson said.
The ordinance could:
• prohibit standalone game room businesses;
• limit existing businesses to a maximum number of gaming machines (council discussed anywhere from two to five machines); • establ ish licensing and per-machine fees; • allow city inspections; and
• require surveillance cameras. “We need to do something before these businesses start coming in,” Jackson said.
Chief of Police Donald Chaney advised council to make the installation of live surveillance cameras mandatory for businesses with game machines in use. “You’ll always have that criminal element coming in,” Chief Chaney said.
The city currently has no ordinance governing gaming machines. Council’s discussion last week comes more than seven years after a 2018 multi-agency investigation resulted in illegal gambling-related arrests at three businesses in Eagle Lake and two in Garwood.
Jackson said one business in the city currently operates four or five gaming machines. Under a proposed ordinance, the city could establish licensing fees and a per-machine fee while also setting a maximum number of machines allowed at each business.
Revenue generated through licensing and machine fees would go to the city.
Alderman Billy Sosa said many Eagle Lake residents already travel to neighboring communities to play gaming machines.
“We might as well have the money here and make some profit,” Sosa said. He added that any business wanting to install gaming machines would be required to follow the city’s regulations. “We’ll do it our way, not their way, if they want the machines,” he said.
Council members indicated they favored strict regulations, including limiting the number of gaming machines allowed at existing businesses whi le discouraging dedicated game rooms from locating in Eagle Lake. No action was taken on the proposed ordinance.
