Social Gaming License

Social games include card games like poker, blackjack, and cribbage, as well as board games. These are games typically played at home with friends or family, provided they are not video lottery games and no one profits from hosting. With a Social Gaming License, you can legally offer these games at your business.

To host social gaming at your business, you must secure a Social Gaming License from the City of Bend and adhere to the following requirements:

1. Only players, as defined by ORS 167.117(16), can join the games.
2. No one can act as a “house player” or “house bank.”
3. All games must be fair, with no house odds.
4. The game can’t generate any income for the house.
5. If someone is visibly intoxicated, they can’t play.

We can inspect licensed social gaming locations to make sure they follow the rules. This includes annual inspections and checks during business hours. The annual inspection may also include a meeting to go over the requirements.

Comprehensive information on the rules around social gaming can be found here:

• Bend Code Chapter 7.30.005
• Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 167.108 – 167.202
• Read this opinion from the Oregon Department of Justice

1Step: Obtain a valid City of Bend Business Registration

• In order to operate a Vehicle for Hire business, you first need to apply for a Business Registration. Visit the Business Registration page for more information.

• Social Gaming Acknowledgement Form

3Step: Submit your Social Gaming License Application

• In the Online Permit Center Portal, under choose the licensing type, select “Specialty Licenses and Programs.”
• On the Classification Step, select the “Social Gaming.”
• Complete the rest of the form and submit the application.
  • Be sure to have all previously completed items from Step 2 above ready to upload to your application.

When to Renew:

Annual social gaming license renewals are required, and notifications are sent automatically from the Online Permit Center Portal 60 days prior to your operating license expiration date. The notices are sent via email or mail, depending upon the communication preference you specified when you set up your account.

You have up to 30 days after your license expires to submit your renewal application, but you will have to pay a $55 late fee. If you don’t renew your operating license before the 30 days, it will expire.

To renew your Vehicle for Hire Operating License, complete the following steps:

• Be sure you still have an ACTIVE Business Registration with the City of Bend.
• Social Gaming Acknowledgement Form

2Step: Submit your Social Gaming License Renewal Application

• Find your existing license in the Online Permit Center Portal to renew
  • Login to the Online Permit Center Portal
  • Access ‘My Items’ in the portal navigation
  • Click the ‘Expand All’ item
  • Find your Operating License and click the ‘Renew This License’ button
  • Complete the application and upload the pertinent items
• Be sure to have all previously completed items from Step 1 above ready to upload to your application.

If you need to update or change any details on your license—like add/remove tables at your business, update your mailing address, change the business name or business location—you simply need to fill out and upload the Change of Information Form to your Social Gaming License record in our Online Permit Center Portal.

1. Download and fill out the Change of Information Form [PDF].
2. Visit the Online Permit Center Portal and Access My Items.
3. Expand the My Business Registration, Licensing & Temporary Sign Applications section to locate your Social Gaming License record.
4. Click on the Reference Number to open the record.
5. Scroll down to the Upload Documents section at the bottom of the record and upload the form.

We will notify you via email when your license has been updated, or you can check the application status on the Online Permit Center Portal, under My Items.