PokerNews has obtained the search and seizure warrant resulting in the raid of The Lodge Poker Membership in Texas, and it’s filled with monetary transactions the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Fee (TABC) deems to be suspicious.
The 22-page affidavit outlines the method the TABC took to research the most important poker site within the Lone Star State, starting in June 2024. Accusations towards The Lodge Card Membership are as follows:
The affidavit has revealed the next 5 accounts which can be alleged to be in violation of the legal guidelines of the State of Texas:
Texas Penal Code 71.02(a) – ENGAGING IN ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ACTIVITYTexas Penal Code 34.02 – MONEY LAUNDERINGTexas Penal Code 47.03 – PROMOTION OF GAMBLINGTexas Penal Code 47.04 – KEEPING A GAMBLING PLACETexas Penal Code 47.06 – POSSESSION OF GAMBLING DEVICE, EQUIPMENT OR PARAPHERNALIA
Giant Deposits Result in Cash Laundering Suspicion?
Agent Douglas Bell with the TABC, upon receiving a “confidential report of some questionable monetary exercise” related to The Lodge Card Membership, which is co-owned by high-profile poker gamers Doug Polk, Andrew Neeme, and Brad Owen, amongst many different buyers, started to research. That investigation course of began with Bell discovering the TABC had granted the enterprise a liquor license.
On June 13, Agent Bell began observing the Spherical Rock, Texas poker membership from the outside. He then, apparently primarily based on that confidential information, started requesting financial institution data of The Lodge Card Membership and its affiliated companies. Financial institution data had been acquired by the tip of August 2024, and the TABC then analyzed the varied transactions, lots of which had been introduced within the affidavit.
Investigators famous that, throughout the first two months of 2025, roughly $1.35 million was deposited from The Lodge by means of the Loomis money vault, positioned contained in the membership, right into a checking account held by Tempus Holdings, Inc., a enterprise related to The Lodge Card Membership.
“The above listed transactions are believed to be in help of, and represent proof of the criminality going down on the Lodge Card Membership,” the search warrant reads.
Polk, Jake Abdalla, and Jason Levin, the three essential stakeholders in The Lodge, are listed as signers on a sweeps enterprise checking account, which is used to maneuver cash mechanically right into a higher-interest account. Roughly $808,000 value of transfers from a Tempus Holdings account to the sweeps account had been made between January 1 and February 28, 2025.
Investigators Play Poker on Lodge Visits
On April 17, 2025, the TABC started an undercover investigation into The Lodge, which included a number of journeys with a number of brokers taking part in poker. Brokers got $600 every to play some playing cards on the primary journey. Agent Teague bought $200 value of chips, whereas Agent Alfaro purchased in for $100, each taking part in a $1/$2 no-limit maintain’em money sport.
Every spy meticulously famous the chips bought, the drinks ordered whereas taking part in, whether or not safety guards had been current, and the way a lot they gained or misplaced throughout every session. A second undercover operation occurred on Could 9, 2025.
4 extra undercover poker-playing operations occurred, the final one on Jan. 30, 2026. Throughout the last session, Agent Teague inquired with a supervisor about internet hosting a non-public poker sport at The Lodge.
Try to Show Unlawful Playing?
Playing is against the law within the Lone Star State, however Texas Penal Code 47.04 lends for the opportunity of authorized poker as long as no rake is collected. That leaves the cardboard rooms similar to The Lodge and Texas Card Home, the 2 largest poker manufacturers within the state, pressured to function in another way than conventional brick-and-mortar poker rooms present in most states.
As a substitute of taking rake, these rooms cost membership and seat charges. However The Lodge Card Membership, together with cash laundering suspicion, can be beneath investigation for unlawful playing. The undercover brokers made notice of the membership course of required to play at The Lodge.
Agent Teague, upon leaving the membership, knowledgeable different TABC brokers that “he was by no means requested about offering proof of, or the necessity to buy a membership whereas contained in the membership,” the affidavit reads. Nevertheless, it was additionally famous that different brokers had been knowledgeable they have to buy a membership once they entered a sport.
Kerstetter, Petrangelo Amongst Lodge Co-Traders
The warrant additionally revealed particulars about Tempus Holding Inc.’s shareholders, which give some perception into Polk’s investor crew that bought The Lodge again in 2022. Polk, Abdalla, and Levin are listed because the mixed majority shareholders, proudly owning 63.3% of the corporate between them.
The opposite 18 named buyers every maintain stakes beneath 7%, together with poker vloggers Owen and Neeme, who’re mostly related to The Lodge’s possession prior to now. The warrant additionally lists notable poker gamers and content material creators similar to Jamie Kerstetter, Nick Petrangelo, Ryan Payment, Jaman Burton, and Polk’s long-time editor Thomas “SrslySirius” Keeling as co-investors within the card room.
Payment and Petrangelo additionally collaborated with Polk on the poker coaching web site Upswing Poker, which was bought in August 2025 to on-line sweepstakes poker web site ClubWPT Gold for an undisclosed quantity. Not one of the minority shareholders talked about seem like a goal within the TABC’s investigation.
What’s Subsequent for The Lodge?
One week following the raid and expenses nonetheless have not been filed. It is unclear if that can change within the coming days. However one other Texas poker site, The Lodge Card Membership in Austin stays closed, and it is to be decided when or if it should reopen. The Lodge Card Membership in San Antonio, nonetheless, remains to be in operation.
Polk launched a press release on Monday. He mentioned, “I didn’t take part in, and nonetheless haven’t any data of, any cash laundering within the operation of the Lodge.”
