Authorities are Investigating The Lodge Card Club for Alleged Money Laundering
A raid targeting The Lodge Card Club in Texas was over suspected money laundering and illegal gambling, a statement to PokerNews from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) confirms.
The poker room co-owned by high-profile pros Doug Polk, Andrew Neeme, and Brad Owen remains closed, and no timetable has been set for a reopening. Authorities from the TABC entered the Austin-area building on Tuesday to investigate an undisclosed matter that had, until now, been withheld from the public.
Many speculated, given that the agency investigating handles liquor-related issues, that the property search was over a liquor license or serving alcohol to minors. It appears those assumptions were incorrect.
TABC Issues Statement
Chris Porter, TABC Director of Communications, gave PokerNews some general information as to why his organization is investigating the largest poker room in Texas. He explained that "Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission’s Financial Crimes Unit, along with members of the Special Investigations Unit and Operations Bureau, executed a search and seizure warrant at Lodge Card Club in conjunction with an ongoing investigation into suspected money laundering and illegal gambling."
Approximately 20 TABC agents were involved with the operation along with officers from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and the IRS. Porter said no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed against the business. The investigation remains ongoing, and as such, could not provide further details.
The Lodge issued a statement Thursday morning to club members sharing brief information about the situation.
"Our attorneys are working to understand the reasons behind the search, but at this time, the situation has not been explained to us," the statement read.
