Further information has emerged following the surprise raid on Austin’s The Lodge Card Club on Tuesday morning. According to the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC), the club is under investigation for possible illegal gambling and money laundering.
In a statement to media outlets on Thursday, TABC Director of Communications Chris Porter said, “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.”
Poker players and staff alike were caught off guard Tuesday morning, when law enforcement raided the premises mere hours after the end of the Lodge Championship Series. Players were required to show ID to agents before they could leave and those in the middle of cash games were told to take their chips home. No arrests were made.
Doug Polk, a co-owner of The Lodge Card Club with fellow poker players and influencers Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme, said that he would make an in-depth statement on what he calls a “witch hunt,” but he has yet to do so.
The club itself, though, sent an e-mail to its members, saying, “Our attorneys are working to understand the reasons behind the search but at this time, the situation has not been explained to us.”
The statement added that management believes it has been acting in accordance with the law, “using all best practices,” and hopes to reopen soon.
Both the club and Polk have said that all player funds are safe.
The World Poker Tour was scheduled to run the Lodge Wildcard: Wacky Weekend of Poker at The Lodge Card Club from March 13 to March 15, but announced earlier this week that it had to postpone the event because of “circumstances outside of WPT’s control that impact event operations.”
Image credit: The Lodge Card Club
