Yuba card room blues

Keith Hoang says that trying to run a gambling business in Yuba County is difficult, and state regulations are not making it any easier.

For the last week, he’s sat in his empty card room, Golden State Casino on Lindhurst Avenue, hoping for business to walk through the door.

“It is frustrating,” he said. “Right now, I’m in the negative. I don’t know why. If I would be open 24 hours, hopefully I’d break even.”

Hoang said he has asked county officials to allow him to be open for 24 hours, as well as increase the number of card tables, which he hopes will attract customers.

Golden State Casino is open 17 hours a day, from 1 p.m. to 6 a.m., with four tables to play Texas Hold ’Em poker.

“I don’t want to break up a game that’s going on (in order) to close,” he said. “As far as I know, card rooms in Sacramento and the one in Marysville are 24 hours. To me, (Marysville) is a tiny little city with six tables and this is a big county and I only have four tables. It doesn’t make sense. I don’t feel it gives me the ability to compete.”

County spokesman Russ Brown said that, due to state law, Hoang must choose to either extend his business hours or increase the number of tables. He cannot do both.

Brown said the state law provides a formula for card room owners to increase their number of tables or the hours of operation by no more than 25 percent, with a small-business clause allowing up to two additional tables.

“Basically, increasing tables by 24.99 percent would not allow him to increase one full table, so the clause allows for smaller card rooms to increase the 24.99 percent or two tables, whichever is more,” Brown said. “(Hoang) decided to take the longer hours to help his business.”

The county is revisiting its own ordinance at Hoang’s request. The revisions, including the 25 percent increase rule, are being considered for approval Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting.

“County counsel re-evaluated the ordinance and found we need to update some aspects,” Brown said. “It is a technical update. We’ve had an ordinance for some time, but there are changes in the state, and we have to make sure we are in compliance.”

The update comes as a result of Hoang’s requests to be in operation 24 hours. He began asking for extended hours back in January, when his business opened.

Hoang’s only other option is to go to the voters for approval to operate 24 hours, which is an expense of at least $50,000 - money Hoang’s small business doesn’t have.

“(The county) puts so much restriction on a business owner, there’s no room to breathe,” Hoang said. “I wonder how this county is going to grow with so much restriction.”

Appeal-Democrat reporter Andrea Koskey can be reached at 749-4709 or at akoskey@appealdemocrat.com