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Lodge Poker Room - Austin Texas - Raided this morning by TABC (7 Viewers)

Year over year it seems the conversation of legalizing gambling in Texas continues to build momentum. Better to control it here than seeing that money continue to be funneled into Louisiana and Oklahoma. Yes it’s not going to happen quickly but I think it’ll happen eventually
 
I wonder if it’s the high roller games where they are focused on possible money laundering. wouldn’t think the 1/2 or 1/3 games since the buyin amounts are so small. You’d need a small army of people going often to make any true impact.
 
toothpic said:
Year over year it seems the conversation of legalizing gambling in Texas continues to build momentum. Better to control it here than seeing that money continue to be funneled into Louisiana and Oklahoma. Yes it’s not going to happen quickly but I think it’ll happen eventually
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And obviously the interests inside Oklahoma and Louisiana are pouring money into politicians to maintain the status quo
 
toothpic said:
I wonder if it’s the high roller games where they are focused on possible money laundering. wouldn’t think the 1/2 or 1/3 games since the buyin amounts are so small. You’d need a small army of people going often to make any true impact.
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Could be there are some people who've been on high stakes livestreams under investigation rather than the owners
 
It is a big deal to have bank accounts and assets frozen, the business forced closed. Strip away "innocent until proven guilty" while awaiting trial and realize the seizure, freeze and closure is effectively a corporate death. No wages paid, no rent paid, no utilities ---> no staff and no premises. It is not clear that the Lodge could reopen even if the authorities relented tomorrow. Secondarily, anyone who is a creditor including people with chips in hand and/or money being held by the Lodge is at risk of a partial or total loss.

The Lodge in San Antonio remains open. Maybe the two venues aren't related? I guess there is some reason to think the legal problems at the Lodge in Austin might not be a "poker" problem. Even so, it is hard to imagine the legal problems in Austin stay local.

No trial needed, the Lodge in Austin is dead unless the administrative holds on the business end ASAP. As for Poker in Texas? Let's call it cautiously optimistic -=- DrStrange
 
merkong said:
Oof.
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Well, it could have been customers engaging in money laundering, but if it occurred at the Lodge and involved Lodge chips, then the Lodge could still bear responsibility.

Also, if the membership fees are found to be a sham or a workaround to facilitate gambling activity, that could strengthen a money-laundering argument.

These laws and charges are not always as straightforward as they appear. In many cases, it comes down to interpretation, perspective, and how aggressively someone wants to pursue the issue.
 
https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/03/the-lodge-poker-club-raid-search-warrant-poker-50836.htm

The affidavit has revealed the following five accounts that are alleged to be in violation of the laws of the State of Texas:

  • Texas Penal Code 71.02(a) - ENGAGING IN ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
  • Texas Penal Code 34.02 - MONEY LAUNDERING
  • Texas Penal Code 47.03 - PROMOTION OF GAMBLING
  • Texas Penal Code 47.04 - KEEPING A GAMBLING PLACE
  • Texas Penal Code 47.06 - POSSESSION OF GAMBLING DEVICE, EQUIPMENT OR PARAPHERNALIA
 
buzzmonkey said:
https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/03/the-lodge-poker-club-raid-search-warrant-poker-50836.htm

The affidavit has revealed the following five accounts that are alleged to be in violation of the laws of the State of Texas:

  • Texas Penal Code 71.02(a) - ENGAGING IN ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
  • Texas Penal Code 34.02 - MONEY LAUNDERING
  • Texas Penal Code 47.03 - PROMOTION OF GAMBLING
  • Texas Penal Code 47.04 - KEEPING A GAMBLING PLACE
  • Texas Penal Code 47.06 - POSSESSION OF GAMBLING DEVICE, EQUIPMENT OR PARAPHERNALIA
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Damn… RIP The Lodge
 
buzzmonkey said:
https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/03/the-lodge-poker-club-raid-search-warrant-poker-50836.htm

The affidavit has revealed the following five accounts that are alleged to be in violation of the laws of the State of Texas:

  • Texas Penal Code 71.02(a) - ENGAGING IN ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
  • Texas Penal Code 34.02 - MONEY LAUNDERING
  • Texas Penal Code 47.03 - PROMOTION OF GAMBLING
  • Texas Penal Code 47.04 - KEEPING A GAMBLING PLACE
  • Texas Penal Code 47.06 - POSSESSION OF GAMBLING DEVICE, EQUIPMENT OR PARAPHERNALIA
Click to expand...
Wow, I didn’t see the full affidavit but the PokerNews article makes it seem like they are just straight up focused on these card clubs being illegal. Doesn’t seem to be anything nefarious alleged beyond that based on the summary. Calls into question the longevity of the “membership” model.
 
buzzmonkey said:
https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/03/the-lodge-poker-club-raid-search-warrant-poker-50836.htm

The affidavit has revealed the following five accounts that are alleged to be in violation of the laws of the State of Texas:

  • Texas Penal Code 71.02(a) - ENGAGING IN ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
  • Texas Penal Code 34.02 - MONEY LAUNDERING
  • Texas Penal Code 47.03 - PROMOTION OF GAMBLING
  • Texas Penal Code 47.04 - KEEPING A GAMBLING PLACE
  • Texas Penal Code 47.06 - POSSESSION OF GAMBLING DEVICE, EQUIPMENT OR PARAPHERNALIA
Click to expand...
The “money laundering” appears to just be them operating a business account for what state agents are now treating as an illegal card clubs being.
 
Yea there's not much in the article that just points to and screams illegal other than how they interpret card rooms. One quote from the article says one agent wasn't asked about membership, however that's what you're paying at the front desk before you can even play. You pay for a membership either week or month and prepay some seat charges before you get chips and sit on the table.

Instead of taking rake, these rooms charge membership and seat fees. But The Lodge Card Club, along with money laundering suspicion, is also under investigation for illegal gambling. The undercover agents made note of the membership process required to play at The Lodge.

Agent Teague, upon leaving the club, informed other TABC agents that "he was never asked about providing proof of, or the need to purchase a membership while inside the club," the affidavit reads. However, it was also noted that other agents were informed they must purchase a membership when they entered a game.
 
The notes of the deposits seem to be players just wiring money up front to later be given chips to play? Would they have been ok with someone coming in with 200k in cash instead? Not sure how they linked that illegal money laundering. Unless they are still basing it on no validation or proof of membership prior to accepting and exchanging the money for chips?

I was expecting to read that they were doing some other type of gambling in the back rooms or something. I've never seen that happening, but I haven't gone in looking for anything else but a good poker game.
 
Agent Teague, upon leaving the club, informed other TABC agents that "he was never asked about providing proof of, or the need to purchase a membership while inside the club," the affidavit reads. However, it was also noted that other agents were informed they must purchase a membership when they entered a game.
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This is one of the issues I see with how these clubs are setup. Gambling is illegal unless it's held in a private place not accessible to the general public.

But the vast majority of clubs you can just waltz right in and wander around and go wherever you want, without any system in place to stop you and verify a membership.

That may destroy the "not accessible to the public" clause required under the law.

Looking at the new TCH location, a family with children could just waltz right in and go sit in the dining area with the massive multi-screen tv, adjacent to the poker floor, and never get questioned about their memberships.

You need to have a closed off entrance that verifies memberships before patrons enter the gaming floor imo
 
Yeah, they're fucked. Someone probably saw on a live stream money being exchanged for chips between players. That's a no no.
 
Anthony Martino said:
This is one of the issues I see with how these clubs are setup. Gambling is illegal unless it's held in a private place not accessible to the general public.

But the vast majority of clubs you can just waltz right in and wander around and go wherever you want, without any system in place to stop you and verify a membership.

That may destroy the "not accessible to the public" clause required under the law.

Looking at the new TCH location, a family with children could just waltz right in and go sit in the dining area with the massive multi-screen tv, adjacent to the poker floor, and never get questioned about their memberships.

You need to have a closed off entrance that verifies memberships before patrons enter the gaming floor imo
Click to expand...
I mean, even Costco seems to have this figured out.
 
1773761963018.webp
 
Curious how TCH is going to fare with this now. Were they under a similar undercover investigation in the same timeframe? Are / were they more stringent on these membership requirements than the Lodge was in the past and now?

Honestly with the Lodge being nuked like this I'm sure that other affidavits and warrants for other card halls can't be far behind.
 
Anytime I've played at TCH, having your players card was necessary. They scanned it when you checked in at the front to get a table assignment and the dealer at the table asks for it to scan and get your profile loaded into your seat. If you didn't have your card on you, they would look you up via your license and then print you a new card to use.

Like Anthony is saying though, you aren't stopped from walking into the playing or bar area if you don't show your card. Players tend to take short breaks and go outside for things like smoke breaks before returning to the table so people are going in and out often. I think forcing everyone to scan their card before reentering would make sense and then alleviate some of the concerns of memberships not being forced/verified.
 
toothpic said:
Anytime I've played at TCH, having your players card was necessary. They scanned it when you checked in at the front to get a table assignment and the dealer at the table asks for it to scan and get your profile loaded into your seat. If you didn't have your card on you, they would look you up via your license and then print you a new card to use.

Like Anthony is saying though, you aren't stopped from walking into the playing or bar area if you don't show your card. Players tend to take short breaks and go outside for things like smoke breaks before returning to the table so people are going in and out often. I think forcing everyone to scan their card before reentering would make sense and then alleviate some of the concerns of memberships not being forced/verified.
Click to expand...

I could just hand my card to a non member and they could still scan through. You'd need someone verifying the perdon using the card is the actual member.

Then the feds use twins to circumvent that lol
 
Anthony Martino said:
I could just hand my card to a non member and they could still scan through. You'd need someone verifying the perdon using the card is the actual member.

Then the feds use twins to circumvent that lol
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stop thinking like a criminal!

I was going to say a kiosk which pulls up the person's picture but your usage of twins already circumvented my vetting workflow.. lol
 
toothpic said:
stop thinking like a criminal!

I was going to say a kiosk which pulls up the person's picture but your usage of twins already circumvented my vetting workflow.. lol
Click to expand...

I worked in Logistics for 15+ years, always dialing down to the details
 
Anthony Martino said:
I could just hand my card to a non member and they could still scan through. You'd need someone verifying the perdon using the card is the actual member.

Then the feds use twins to circumvent that lol
Click to expand...
I don’t think this is a legitimate challenge to the private/public. I can think of many private access controlled places I had membership privileges that did not also require photo ID. HOA pool/gym. Apartment complex parking garage. Office building. Just a card scanner is common.

The lax access control which is primarily only enforced at poker varies place to place but is a bigger issue. TCH Dallas is great about it. Everyone checked at front. TCH Las Colinas the desk it’s more interior so risk. Could be improved.
 
Frogzilla said:
I don’t think this is a legitimate challenge to the private/public. I can think of many private access controlled places I had membership privileges that did not also require photo ID. HOA pool/gym. Apartment complex parking garage. Office building. Just a card scanner is common.

The lax access control which is primarily only enforced at poker varies place to place but is a bigger issue. TCH Dallas is great about it. Everyone checked at front. TCH Las Colinas the desk it’s more interior so risk. Could be improved.
Click to expand...

An HOA pool/gym isn't providing a service that is otherwise illegal if it's not kept private though.

Comparing apples to oranges.

It may be the sweeps account being comingled with the poker clubs being a concern the money is being moved around to hide/launder
 

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