On Sunday, The Lodge Card Club put out a statement in regards to the ongoing situation that has seen the poker room shut its doors following a raid on the premises earlier in the week.
In the written statement below, The Lodge confirmed that all of its assets and bank accounts have been frozen as part of the current investigation, but that no charges have been filed and it remains committed to cooperating with the relevant authorities.
The Round Rock, Texas-based operation also reaffirmed its desire to provide informative updates to players in a timely manner, but stated that "very little information has been made available."
The statement comes as the latest public communication between The Lodge and its community members in the days since the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC) released its own statement on the matter.
In the TABC announcement, Director of Communications Chris Porter confirmed that the Tuesday morning raid came in conjunction with an investigation into suspected money laundering and illegal gambling.
Doug Polk, who co-owns The Lodge location in Round Rock alongside Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme, labeled the investigation as a "witch hunt" on social media last week while also promising to personally guarantee all player funds.
Timeline to reopening unclear
The Lodge also said that it has no knowledge of the timeline associated with the investigation and that the path to resumed operations remains unclear.
"Unfortunately, we do not know how long this process will take or when we will be allowed to operate again," the statement goes on. "We obviously believe that the longer our doors remain closed, the greater the impact becomes — not just on the business itself, but on the hundreds of staff members, vendors, partners, and community members who rely on The Lodge every day."
With assets frozen and doors locked indefinitely, The Lodge faces great risk – not only to its own underlying business, but also to its employees' livelihoods.
The Lodge concluded its statement by promising to share further information as soon as it's able, while encouraging its community members, employees, and players to share messages of support.
