Beaumont City Council to think about ban on gaming machines

Beaumont — Next Tuesday, the Beaumont City Council is about to vote on whether or not to ban gaming machines.

If council members outlaw these video games of likelihood, the town lawyer says retailer homeowners will likely be given a 90 to 120 day grace interval.

A ban would impression 66 shops in Beaumont.

One of these retailer homeowners, together with the lawyer representing them, is telling their facet of the story to KFDM.

Shawn Nizamani is barely 32 years previous, however the enterprise proprietor is a veteran of the comfort retailer trade, having labored in it since Nizamani was simply an adolescent.

He owns 4 shops, three in Houston and one in Beaumont–the West End Food Mart.

But these sport machines inside are placing Nizamani’s retailer and 65 different shops with the same machines in monetary jeopardy.

That’s as a result of the Beaumont City Council is contemplating banning them.

“A lot of these small business owners, they’re not going to be able to survive,” mentioned Nizamani. “It provides a small supplemental income that helps us state afloat.”

Scott Renick is the lawyer representing the 66 shops that may be negatively impacted if the town bans the sport machines. He says not solely will the small enterprise homeowners undergo, so will Beaumont’s financial system.

“What is the need to remove approximately $600,000 in tax revenue from Beaumont?” requested Renick. “There’s no answer that is given by the city. We’ve repeatedly asked and no one will explain.”

Renick says the shop homeowners by way of their funding within the metropolis simply 18 month in the past have proven their dedication to following the foundations and have met the town’s demand to reinforce safety and security.

“Per store front, this costs each business $20,000 to $40,000,” mentioned Renick. “These businesses complied with, these provide the salary of one or two clerks a year. This is not the backbone, but an important revenue stream for each business.”

Nizamani says he has to leap by way of extra hoops in Beaumont, together with paying greater charges, than he has to together with his shops in Houston, additionally being compelled to deal with necessities that he is already met for his state license.

“I have all my state licenses. I get them issued every year. The State of Texas doesn’t have an issue with it. I have all the way back to 2020. They’re still issuing out permits, they’re still issuing out state decals. They don’t have an issue with it. City of Beaumont sent me a letter about banning it. They didn’t give us an explanation why.”

Renick additionally says there’s actually no public outcry towards the machines from residents, however banning them doubtless will upset folks.

Paula Lara is one in every of them. She’s a daily sport machine participant at Nizamani’s retailer.

“Every day I come over here to play these machines, and I want to keep them up and running,” mentioned Lara. “I don’t see there’s any issue. I’m one of the voters to keep them up and going.”

Some council members have raised issues in regards to the machines attracting felony exercise. They desire a full shutdown.

“They bring things that aren’t good and we’re trying to better this community,” mentioned At-Large Councilman Mike Williams. “We want to be a safe place. We want Beaumont to be a place where you don’t come here to break the law.”

Whether there is a direct connection is a query that Beaumont Police Chief Tim Ocnaschek is requested about quite a bit.

“Our opinion has been asked, like you asked,” mentioned Chief Ocnaschek. “Can we attribute these crime stats directly to these game rooms? We’ve answered that as best we can.”

Chief Ocnaschek says making a correlation is tough. He says calls vary from a whole bunch at some areas to none at others.

“Whether I can say for sure that it’s happening, I can’t take the stats like that. Not with an unreasonable amount of man-hours. I think the indications are there that it happens.”

Texas’ Second Court of Appeals dominated that gaming machines are unconstitutional, and that call is what appears to be driving Beaumont City Council to wish to ban them right here.

Renick disagrees with their assumption.

“It has no binding in what happens in Beaumont, Texas,” mentioned Renick. “The Texas Supreme Court did not hear that case and the voters of Texas have not voted on whether to ban these games. It has no binding authority. Beaumont doesn’t have to do anything because of something that happened in Fort Worth.”

Nizamani says he has plans to develop his enterprise, however he fears a Beaumont ban will drive away funding plans.

“We’re not going to stay in Beaumont,” mentioned Nizamani. “It’s just going to take money out of the city.”

“These are people that live here,” mentioned Renick. “They are part of this community and they are investing in the city. The State of Texas may be open for business, but I’m not sure the City of Beaumont is.”

Vidor City Council has voted to ban gaming machines.

In Orange, Mayor Larry Spears says council had thought of a ban however determined to carry again.

Mayor Spears says so long as the State of Texas continues to be issuing permits, it did not appear proper to ban the machines domestically.