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The poker world was shocked earlier this week when The Lodge Card Club outside of Austin, Texas was raided by state police and agents from the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC). Details of exactly why the popular poker room was disrupted were unknown at the time, but now, media reports indicate that the TABC is investigating alleged illegal gambling and money laundering at the venue.
No charges have yet been filed against the business.”
Aside from listing the above two reasons for the search and seizure warrant, TABC Director of Communications Chris Porter told media outlets: “The business holds a TABC mixed beverage permit. Approximately 20 TABC agents were involved with the operation along with officers from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and the IRS. No arrests were made as part of Tuesday’s operation, and the investigation remains ongoing. No charges have yet been filed against the business.”
Doug Polk, who co-owners The Lodge Card Club with Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen, called the raid a “witch hunt” on social media and assured players that their money is safe. The poker room has yet to reopen.
The Lodge Card Club issued a statement to members over e-mail, which read, in part: “Our attorneys are working to understand the reasons behind the search but at this time, the situation has not been explained to us.”
“….in our view, we are operating with integrity, using all best practices, and for many years have been doing business in absolute accordance with Texas law.”
During the Tuesday raid, law enforcement officers told cash game players to take their chips home. Players were required to produce identification before they could leave. But as the TABC said, nobody was arrested.
Shortly after the news of the raid broke, the World Poker Tour announced that it has postponed its Lodge Wildcard: Wacky Weekend of Poker at The Lodge Card Club, slated for this weekend. It plans to reschedule and will let players know when it has finalized the dates.
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