Texas Alcohol Commission Shuts Down The Lodge Poker Club

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) raided The Lodge poker club in Round Rock, Texas on Tuesday morning, shutting it down. The Lodge poker club is co-owned by several poker pros, including Doug Polk, Andrew Neeme, and Brad Owen. The TABC regulates the sale and distribution of alcohol in Texas, and the property’s website says the cardroom sells alcohol, including beer and cocktails.

The Lodge welcomes players aged 18 and above, while the state’s legal drinking age is 21. The TABC website lists the property as receiving a liquor license in 2022, but that expired on Sept. 15, 2024. It’s unclear if the property later received a license under a different name.

The World Poker Tour was set to host a “Wacky Weekend Wildcard” event at the property but that has been canceled. The TABC generally prohibits illegal gambling at locations licensed to sell alcohol. Texas bans gambling if any person receives any “economic benefit” other than personal winnings. Professor I. Nelson Rose is a gaming legal expert and operates the Gambling and the Law blog.