A new ordinance in Ely that allows up to 40 slot machines in restaurant-bars is drawing criticism from some people who say it undermines the city’s hotel industry.

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Previously, only businesses with at least 50 hotel rooms were permitted to operate 16 or more slot machines.

Under the new ordinance, which went into effect Jan. 11, businesses that want to have more than 40 slot machines must have at least 30 hotel rooms.

People visit Ely because of the city’s outdoor activities and other tourist attractions, and they stay in hotels that supplement their income through slot machines, White Pine County Assessor Burton Hilton said. If hotels lose players to restaurant-bars, it makes them less viable, he said.