Texas Drops Charges Against The Lodge Card Club

The Lodge Card Club in Round Rock is preparing to reopen after Texas dropped charges tied to illegal gambling and money laundering claims.

Good to Know

• Co-owner Doug Polk said a Williamson County grand jury refused to prosecute the case.
• The Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission raided The Lodge in March.
• Returned funds will allow players to cash chips and receive pending tournament payouts.

The Lodge Prepares To Reopen

Poker appears close to returning to one of the largest card rooms in Texas. Doug Polk, co-owner of The Lodge Card Club and a high-stakes poker player, said Tuesday that the state dropped the case after a Williamson County grand jury declined to prosecute.

Polk posted on X that he hopes The Lodge can reopen “within a few weeks.”

The update ends nearly two months of uncertainty for the Round Rock club. In March, the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission raided the property, seized funds and assets, and forced the club to close.

TABC had accused The Lodge and its owners of crimes tied to illegal gambling and money laundering. However, the agency had only been conducting an investigation and could not formally charge the club on its own.

Texas had until April 9 to file charges or release the seized funds. That deadline passed while the money stayed frozen. Later, the state removed possible money laundering allegations from the investigation.

With the funds now returned, The Lodge can start settling customer balances. Players can redeem chips for cash, and the club can process tournament payouts that remained unpaid after the raid.

Timing made the closure especially messy. The Lodge had finished a tournament series one day before the raid, including a main event that awarded more than $200,000 to the winner.