Staff of The Lodge Card Membership had been knowledgeable through an electronic mail on Tuesday that they have been laid off two weeks following a raid of the favored Texas poker site.
The poker site within the Austin space has remained closed for the reason that Texas Alcoholic Beverage Fee (TABC) performed a raid of the enterprise on March 10, which included seizing proof and freezing belongings. Nobody has been arrested or charged with any crime but, however the card room co-owned by Doug Polk has an unsure future that grew to become much more questionable following an electronic mail despatched to staff by one of many three majority house owners, Jason Levin.
After we began this journey, there have been no ensures—solely perception, grit, and a shared dedication to construct one thing significant. By way of the early challenges, we discovered our footing collectively. We constructed relationships, earned belief, and created a spot that was greater than only a enterprise. It grew to become a group—due to you.
Every of you performed a job in bringing that imaginative and prescient to life. From the entrance desk to the porters, sellers, managers, and manufacturing workforce—each element, each interplay, each lengthy day and late evening added as much as one thing actually particular. You made this place what it was. Not the constructing, not the model—you.
That’s why it’s so painful to say that The Lodge Spherical Rock location might want to shut its doorways for the foreseeable future. Whereas no fees have been introduced, and we keep that the membership has all the time operated with the utmost integrity and throughout the legal guidelines of Texas, the Williamson County District Lawyer’s workplace has made clear to our attorneys that they imagine The Lodge’s present enterprise mannequin doesn’t adjust to Texas regulation. For that reason, we can not re-open. Doing so would run the chance that authorities would possibly as soon as once more raid The Lodge, seize extra cash and belongings, and doubtlessly make arrests. As a result of we’ve not been given any indication of when the investigation will conclude, we’ve no different viable path ahead presently. Because of this, we’re pressured to make the extremely tough choice to let our whole employees go. We hope you understand simply how valued every of you might be, and as we hope for a good consequence, ought to we have the ability to as soon as once more open our doorways, our plan can be to welcome you again with open arms.
There aren’t any phrases that totally seize how a lot this hurts—not simply as a enterprise choice, however on a human degree. I’m deeply grateful for all the things you’ve given, and I’ll carry that with me all the time. You didn’t simply present as much as work—you constructed one thing that mattered.
As we now flip to the tough process of figuring out what comes subsequent, please know that every of you has my respect, my appreciation, and my honest thanks. I hope you’re taking satisfaction in what we created collectively, as a result of it was actual, and it was particular.
I’ll miss all of you greater than I can say.
With a heavy coronary heart,
Jason Levin
Is It Actually Personal? The Authorized Grey Space That Led to The Lodge Raid
What’s Happening at The Lodge?
The Lodge, because the letter states, will proceed to stay closed “for the foreseeable future,” however no timeline has been set for reopening or saying a everlasting closure. The corporate’s sister property in San Antonio stays open, nevertheless.
Levin indicated to his staff that the Williamson County District Lawyer’s workplace doesn’t imagine The Lodge, a 68-table membership membership with an connected bar and restaurant, operates throughout the letter of the regulation.
Playing in Texas is unlawful, however the often-debated Texas Penal Code 47.04 does go away open the chance for poker video games to function as long as the host is not taking rake. In Texas, rooms similar to The Lodge cost membership and seat charges instead of rake. However the TABC, in a 22-page search and seizure warrant affidavit launched to PokerNews final week, revealed they’re investigating the Texas poker membership for allegations of cash laundering and unlawful playing.
PokerNews will proceed to observe developments concerning The Lodge and report them if and after they occur. Within the meantime, get caught up with what occurred with the preliminary raid on this episode of the PokerNews Podcast:
