A recent raid by Texas authorities has forced the Lodge Card Club to lay off staff, with the business expected to remain shut for an extended period of time.
There has been no official word from The Lodge but former employees have shared the news on social media.
A post from Alisa Maria, a former dealer at Austin-area room, pointed at a Tuesday morning announcement to employees.
"Well, management has officially announced that the Williamson County DA office has made clear to their attorneys that The Lodge's current business model does not comply with Texas law. No charges have been brought, and they still remain confident that the club always operated with integrity and within Texas law. Regardless, reopening the club while investigations take place would run the risk of assets being seized again and possible arrests being made.
So, with a heavy heart, they have announced officially that The Lodge will remain closed for the foreseeable future and that it must let all of their employees go."
Lodge closed indefinitely, jobs lost
The Lodge shut down on Tuesday, March 10, after a raid by the Texas Alcoholic Beverages Commission. A planned WPT festival for the following weekend was also canceled, and it appeared that doors would stay closed for an extended period of time while the investigation was ongoing.
The TABC shared that the raid was part of an investigation into money laundering and illegal gambling on the premises, with an assist coming from the Internal Revenue Service and other Texas agencies. Search warrant details popped up later with a look at an undercover investigation that took place over two years.
As the investigation plays out, it appears that state authorities may be preparing to argue that illegal gambling was happening at The Lodge, despite a private club exception that would make poker legal. The search warrant points to instances of direct public access to the premises by investigators, which would contradict the premise of a 'private club.' The long-term legal ramifications for the club's owners are unknown, but all of the employees are now out of a job in the meantime.
Doug Polk, the figurehead of a group of owners that includes Levin, Andrew Neeme, Brad Owen, and several others, called the investigation a witch hunt in its early days but pledged to make players whole. He later issued a statement that denied all knowledge of possible money laundering and other illegal activity at The Lodge.
It now appears that The Lodge is gone for a long time while the investigation takes its course, and hundreds of jobs are now dust. Meanwhile, the extended closure of the state's largest poker room will cast a long shadow over the once-booming poker state.
