San Antonio could be the next Texas city to ban eight-liner machines, following the lead of nearly a dozen other municipalities that have already prohibited the devices after a 2022 court ruling. The Texas appeals court ruling deemed eight-liners as unconstitutional illegal lotteries.

With the Texas Supreme Court declining to review the appeal in 2024, the ruling stands, allowing cities across the state to enforce local bans on these machines and the game rooms housing them.

Councilwoman Teri Castillo from District 5 filed a Council Consideration Request on September 4 to implement a citywide ban on eight-liner operations. The request also calls for increased enforcement, more frequent inspections, enhanced community education, and additional reporting channels for residents to report illegal gambling activities.

Eight-liners currently operate in Texas under the “fuzzy animal exception,” which permits games involving an element of skill to award non-cash prizes worth less than $5 or no more than 10 times the cost to play.

In March, Bexar County deputies arrested two individuals during an investigation into illegal gambling at a residence, where approximately 50 eight-liner machines and a safe containing a large amount of cash were found.

The proposal by Castillo moves to the City Council’s Governance Committee for further discussion and decision. A date for the discussion has not yet been set.