The Reno City Council is considering tightening rules regulating slot machines outside of casinos.

Council members have raised concerns that some taverns may be setting up separate but connected establishments that share the same kitchen so as to skirt a limit of 15 slots per business gambling license.

The focus right now is on the Sierra Gold and Sierra Junction taverns, which share a kitchen, in south Reno.

But Mayor Bob Cashell said the city should take a broader look at limiting how many more restricted gaming licenses it issues. He said giving out such licenses undercuts larger casinos, which have made a bigger financial investment in Reno.

"You cant keep putting five slot machines up and down each street ... All were doing is undermining the people we've asked to make an investment in the community," said Cashell, who has owned and operated casinos most of his life.

Councilman Dwight Dortch disagreed with the mayor, saying restrictions would only hurt smaller companies from investing.

"You start putting restrictions that limit competition and that's a bad thing," Dortch said.

The council asked its staff last week to assemble maps of the city that show existing locations of bars with restricted-gaming licenses and what spots would be available for development if they wanted to create distancing requirements.

Las Vegas has 1,500-foot distancing requirements between taverns.

Local gaming lawyer and lobbyist Michael Alonso, who worked in Clark County when those codes were written, said the distancing requirements can work, but the city should evaluate the spacing that's right for it.

"The 1,500-foot rule really was a response to the growing popularity of taverns," said Alonso, who also represents the Sierra Gold owners