The Williamson County District Attorney's office told the Lodge Card Club's lawyers that the room's business model did not comply with Texas law. Co-owner Jason Levin confirmed the news in an email to staff on Tuesday, March 24, laying off every employee and closing the 68-table Round Rock facility for the foreseeable future.
No charges had been filed. But the DA's position removed any realistic path to reopening while the investigation continued. Levin warned that opening the doors would risk another raid, further asset seizures, and possible arrests.
The closure capped two weeks of escalating developments since the raid that shut down Texas's largest poker room. The Lodge's San Antonio sister property remained open and was unaffected.
Update (September 28, 2026): The Round Rock room stayed shut until May 26. The state dropped the money laundering allegation in its April 8 civil forfeiture filing, and a Williamson County grand jury declined to indict anyone on April 28. See how the case ended.
What the DA's Position Means
This was the first time a county prosecutor had explicitly stated that the membership-and-seat-fee model does not comply with Texas law. Previous enforcement actions targeted individual rooms for specific conduct. This targeted the business structure itself.
That distinction mattered well beyond Round Rock. Roughly 68 private poker clubs across Texas operate under the same model, charging membership and seat fees instead of raking pots. If Williamson County's reading had held, it would have threatened the legal foundation every Texas card room is built on.
That reading was never tested at trial: on April 28, a grand jury declined to indict anyone.
The Levin Letter
Levin's email to staff was personal and direct. He maintained the Lodge had always operated with “the utmost integrity” but acknowledged the DA's office disagrees. The letter framed the closure as the only viable option given the legal risk.
Local reports later put the number of laid-off employees at 144. Levin expressed hope of rehiring if circumstances changed, writing that the Lodge's plan would be “to welcome you back with open arms.” The Lodge reopened on May 26.
The Lodge's most prominent co-owner had not commented publicly on the closure itself at the time. His most recent statement had come on March 16, when he denied any involvement in money laundering and personally guaranteed that all player funds would be returned.
The club's bank accounts had been frozen since March 15, which meant payouts depended on Polk's personal finances.
Where the Investigation Stood
On March 17, the 22-page warrant affidavit detailing $1.35M in suspicious deposits revealed a two-year undercover operation and five criminal violations under scrutiny. At the time of the closure, the document had not been shared with the Lodge's legal team, and no charges had been filed or arrests made.
On March 25, Polk announced on Facebook that he had “finally got the green light” from his legal team to produce a video addressing the investigation. The video came out on March 31, and we covered it in our report on the April 9 forfeiture deadline.
The Texas legislature meets biennially in odd-numbered years. The next session does not start until January 2027, so no legislative clarification is on the horizon.
Want to play online too? Our guide to US-friendly poker rooms compares the options open to Texas players.
For more poker news, follow our poker news coverage.
