OCEANSIDE ---- A move could be in the cards for Ocean's Eleven Casino, if a state ballot measure passes this November.

City officials and casino owners confirmed this week that they're exploring the possibility of relocating the cardroom to an as-yet-unbuilt hotel and casino closer to the beach, officials said this week.

While the relocation of the cardroom and the construction of a hotel could hinge on a potential ballot measure that would bring Ocean's Eleven 800 slot machines, officials have talked about moving the cardroom from its location on Brooks Street just east of Interstate 5.

City Manager Steve Jepsen said casino officials have told the city they're interested in moving into the downtown redevelopment area, which runs north from Wisconsin Avenue to the harbor and west from Interstate 5 to the beach.

Jepsen said casinos are currently prohibited in the redevelopment area, but the issue resurfaced at Wednesday's City Council meeting when Councilwoman Esther Sanchez criticized an agenda item that allowed the cardroom to expand its number of tables from 30 to 40.

Sanchez said she didn't like Ocean's Eleven being located in a residential neighborhood, prompting Jepsen to suggest that the city could take up the casino's offer to move it downtown. Sanchez didn't comment on the potential move.

Several council members seemed to be receptive to the idea. Ocean's Eleven Casino is not an actual casino, but a cardroom with games such as blackjack and poker. It is the only cardroom currently permitted under the city's code.

"If (we) don't like where they are, (we) can move them into the redevelopment area," Jepsen said in an interview Thursday, adding that moving the casino would require the city to change its redevelopment law to allow casinos in the downtown.

Bob Moyer, the general manager of Ocean's Eleven, said the move would depend on a state initiative that could be on this November's ballot. The initiative would allow 30,000 new slot-machines at selected racetracks and cardrooms in the state if Indian tribes refuse to give the state 25 percent of their profits.

The initiative is called the Gaming Revenue Act of 2004, and its language was certified by the state in January.

While the initiative is primarily being used as a way to get the tribes to share some of their winnings with the state government, passage of the initiative could give Ocean's Eleven the right to operate 800 slot machines.

Ocean's Eleven is the only site in San Diego County out of 16 statewide being considered to be included in the initiative for the new slots.

Greg Larsen, a spokesman for the initiative, said the measure is intended to generate more funds for public safety and education programs. He said the goal was to get the tribes to renegotiate their contracts with the state, and not to add the 30,000 slot machines to the cardrooms and racetracks. The slot machines are primarily being used as a threat.

Larsen said initiative supporters are attempting to gather the roughly 600,000 valid signatures needed to get the measure on November's ballot.

Councilman Jack Feller said he'd be open to moving the casino, but said the initiative has a long way to go before it makes the ballot. He said tribes could derail the initiative in several ways.

"I'm open to (future) suggestions," Feller said. "I'm not terribly worried about where (the casino) is right now."

Jepsen said moving the casino to the redevelopment area made sense as a way to get the cardroom out of a residential area and into an area of the city frequented more by tourists instead of families. He said moving the casino would require extensive public input.

He said the 800 slots could bring the city between $7 million and $7.5 million a year in revenue. Under the initiative, the cities and counties would each would each receive a portion of the proceeds from the slots.

Jepsen said the owners of Ocean's Eleven operate a casino-hotel in the city of Commerce in Los Angeles County, so operating one in Oceanside wouldn't be "something foreign to them." In addition, he said there are several vacant parcels in the redevelopment area.

"If (the council) wants to move them, here's an option," Jepsen said. "Moving it to a tourist area might make some sense."

Councilman Rocky Chavez said he envisioned a casino with a hotel, restaurant and entertainment.

"Having a structure with a casino, hotel and banquet rooms ---- that's not a bad thing at all," Chavez said. "I think we need to look at all the options."

Contact staff writer Rob O'Dell at (760) 901-4067 or rodell@nctimes.com.