Redwood City Municipal Code § 4.6 Unlawful Acts

For the purposes of this Article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this Section:

MECHANICAL AMUSEMENT DEVICE: Shall mean any machine or device which, upon the insertion of a coin, plug or token in any slot or receptacle attached to the machine or connected therewith, operates or which may be operated for use as a game, contest, amusement, or to supply music or which may be used for any such game, contest, amusement or to supply music and which does not contain a pay-off device for the return of slugs, money, coins, checks, tokens or merchandise.

OWNER or OPERATOR OF A MECHANICAL AMUSEMENT DEVICE: Shall mean any owner of such mechanical amusement device who operates or permits the same to be played or operated in his place of business or in any place under his control or who installs or maintains the same in any place where the same can be played or operated by persons in or about the place, or any person in whose place of business any such mechanical amusement device is placed for the use, amusement, patronage or recreation of the public or of persons in or about the place.

(Ord. No. 624, § 1)

It shall be unlawful for any person to install, operate or maintain to be operated any mechanical amusement device in the City without first having obtained a permit in writing to do so from the City.

(Ord. No. 624, § 2)

Application for a permit to install, operate or maintain to be operated any mechanical amusement device shall be made to the Tax Collector upon a form, furnished by the City and shall contain the following information and statements in addition to whatever additional information is deemed necessary:

A. Name of the applicant.

B. Place where the mechanical amusement device is to be placed, maintained or operated; and, if the mechanical amusement device or devices are to be placed, maintained or operated in connection with any other business or calling, the character of the business or calling.

C. The name of the owner of place where device is to be placed, maintained or operated.

D. A complete description of the type of mechanical amusement device and the manner in which it is to be placed, maintained or operated.

E. Statement whether device is wired for electricity.

F. The total number of mechanical amusement devices to be placed, maintained or operated at the location for which the permit is required.

G. A statement that the mechanical play device for which a permit is sought is not intended to be, and will not be permitted to be used for any gambling purpose whatsoever.

(Ord. No. 624, § 3)

All applications for permits to install, operate or maintain to be operated any mechanical amusement device shall within five (5) days be forwarded to the Chief of Police and the Fire Chief for their action. They shall determine whether the ordinances of the City, and the rules and regulations of their respective departments, are complied with; and after such investigation they shall either approve or disapprove the application and return same to the Tax Collector within five (5) days after their receipt, with their approval or disapproval.

(Ord. No. 624, § 4)

If the Chief of Police and the Fire Chief shall approve the granting of the application filed pursuant to Section 4.3, the Tax Collector shall issue a license to the applicant, which license shall be serially numbered, and shall show the name of the owner, the place at which the device or devices are to be maintained or operated, the number of devices to be maintained or operated at this location, the amount of license fee paid, and the expiration date of the license.

(Ord. No. 624, § 6)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 2374, § 4, adopted Jan. 9, 2012, deleted § 4.5, which pertained to applications for permit, appeal of disapproval and final hearing and derived from Ord. No. 624, § 5.

No award, pay off or delivery of anything of value, or representing, or exchangeable, or redeemable for any thing of value, shall be made in any contest, tournament, league or individual play on any mechanical amusement device; and it shall be unlawful for any owner or operator of a mechanical amusement device to cause, permit or allow same.

(Ord. No. 624, § 11)

Nothing in this Article shall be construed to permit the licensing, maintenance or operation of any mechanical device or apparatus, which is contrary to any of the laws of the State, or the City, nor to permit the operation of any mechanical play device licensed under this Article in such a manner as to be contrary to any of the laws or ordinances.

(Ord. No. 624, § 11)

Any mechanical play device operated in violation of the terms of this Article may be seized and held by the Police Department.

(Ord. No. 624, § 13)