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After first approving poker rooms in the Dallas area, officials suddenly changed their minds
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Owners claim they are not running a gambling venue per their business model
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The Board of Adjustment ruled unanimously Texas Card House can stay open
Texas Card House in Dallas can remain open after city officials revoked their licenses. That's after the popular poker venue won its appeal with the Board of Adjustment.
City attorneys has claimed that Texas Card House’s business model violated the state constitution’s prohibition on gambling, This was shortly after their licenses were approved.
Owners argued that they operated a private club where people can legally play poker if they pay a membership fee. The difference is that members get to keep all of their winnings as a result of the membership fee. In other words, the owners did not take a rake. As such, this is not a "gambling house" per se.
“Absolutely, and we’re operating in multiple cities throughout the state,” said owner Ryan Crow in an interview with the local Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA.
The business has been open for nearly a year and enjoys a massive draw, 650 customers a day playing upwards of five hours on average.
And the ruling by the Board of Adjustment it turns out was unanimous, 5-0.
“It seems like the opinion was changed either by political reasons or possibly public backlash," Kathleen Frankford, a board member, said during the meeting. “There was never a good case made from the city.”
But it may not be over.
“My hunch right now is that we’re going to be OK in Dallas," Crow told Axios last week. The BOA meeting isn’t the end-all-be-all, but I think it gives us some ammunition.”
- Ace King, Gambling911.com
