Inglewood City Council okays plan to make Intuit Dome the first and only venue in California allowed to serve alcohol after 2am
Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, is the first and only venue in California allowed to serve alcohol after 2am.
Sometime soon, customers at a private club inside the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, will be able to legally buy and drink alcohol until 4am. Everywhere else in California the last call for alcohol is at 2am.
The Intuit Dome is in Inglewood, where the City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a zoning amendment that allows alcohol sales at the arena from 2am to 4am. The vote follows last year’s passage of a state law that paves the way for an after-hours alcohol pilot program at Intuit Dome only.
The Late-Night Exception: Legal Framework
Under the new state rules, alcohol can be served only at a private club inside the arena, with no more than a hundred customers allowed. The extended early morning sales can only take place following a basketball game or other major event at Intuit.
State Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, who represents the Inglewood area, says the longer hours for liquor sales will be good for the local economy, but some critics believe the pilot program sets a dangerous precedent.
“Extending to 4 a.m. is a fatal step in the wrong direction” said Cruz Avila, Executive Director of an industry watchdog group called Alcohol Justice. “Years of peer-reviewed research has proven that maintaining existing last call times is a key policy for reducing the harms from reckless drinking and from alcohol-related motor crashes” according to Avila.
Governor Gavin Newsom has directed the California Highway Patrol to monitor DUI related crashes in the area, and Intuit will have to submit annual reports evaluating public safety impacts.
Criticisms and Pilot Program Details
Some critics also complain the alcohol sales plan smacks of elitism. They point out that only members of an exclusive club will be allowed to enjoy the after-hours liquor service. In addition, Intuit, the only venue allowed to participate in the program, is owned by Steve Ballmer whose wife was a big Newsom donor. Newsom signed the state law allowing the last call extension.
Councilmember Gloria Gray said the plan has been carefully reviewed to “make sure we balance the concerns of the public.” The pilot program ends automatically in 2030 unless it is extended by the legislature.
CaliforniaToday.com reached out to Intuit Dome’s team to find out when the after-hours liquor sales will start, and we have not heard back.
Jennifer Olney
