The Lodge Remains Closed as Texas Investigation Continues

The fallout from last week raid on The Lodge Card Club is now hitting players, staff, and recent tournament winners. With company assets and bank accounts frozen, the Round Rock poker room said it cannot cash out chips or complete some tournament payouts while the investigation continues.

Good to Know

• The Lodge said no one was arrested and no charges have been filed against management or ownership
• Player funds and tournament payouts are affected because assets and bank accounts were frozen
• Doug Polk denied any money laundering and said players will be made whole

The Lodge Says Frozen Funds Are Delaying Payouts

The most immediate problem is money. In a statement posted on X on Sunday, The Lodge said the club remains closed and cannot currently pay out some players because the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission froze company assets and bank accounts.

That issue may affect recent tournament payouts as well. Just one day before the raid, Wayne Harmon won the $1,700 Lodge Championship Series main event for nearly $204,000. If that payout was meant to go by check or wire transfer, the club may still owe the full amount.

The club also said authorities have not provided a timeline for when those players might be paid. Management said it is “cooperating fully so that any concerns can be addressed.”

The Lodge also tried to calm speculation around the case. According to the club, the commission did not arrest anyone during the raid, and no charges have been filed against club management or ownership.

“As much as we would like to provide a detailed update, we are unable to do so at this time because, despite our legal team best efforts to obtain additional information from the authorities, very little information has been made available,” a message from the club said.

“The Lodge has always taken its obligation to operate lawfully very seriously. The leadership team is committed to ensuring that The Lodge operates transparently, responsibly, and in good faith within Texas law by emphasizing strengthened oversight and continued improvement of operations.”

Polk Pushes Back as Investigation Continues

I did not participate in, and still have no knowledge of, any money laundering in the operation of the Lodge.

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I understand that some people assume that because there was a search warrant, a crime must have been committed, but that’s not really how the process works. A search…

— Doug Polk (Code Doug) (@DougPolkVids) March 16, 2026

Doug Polk addressed the case on Monday morning. The high stakes poker player and co-owner of the club said he did not launder money through The Lodge and had no knowledge of anyone else connected to the club doing so.

“I want to reiterate that these members will be made whole,” said Polk.

“I did not participate in, and still have no knowledge of, any money laundering in the operation of the Lodge.”

The original raid involved the TABC, the Williamson County Sheriff Office, and the IRS. In the immediate aftermath, the TABC said the action was tied to a money laundering investigation.

Texas has no commercial casinos and no state gaming regulator, but the TABC often investigates suspected criminal activity at venues holding alcohol licenses. So far, there have been no reports of similar raids at other poker rooms in the state. The Lodge location in San Antonio remains open.

The longer shutdown now raises a bigger question about the future of the club itself. In a later post, The Lodge said it does not know when it will be allowed to operate again and warned that a long closure could damage the business and affect around 200 staff members, along with vendors, partners, and others tied to the room.

“Unfortunately, we do not know how long this process will take or when we will be allowed to operate again,” the club posted on X. “We obviously believe that the longer our doors remain closed, the greater the impact becomes – not just on the business itself, but on the hundreds of staff members, vendors, partners, and community members who rely on The Lodge every day.

“We are upset and frustrated by the disruption this has caused and remain hopeful that we will be able to work constructively and with the authorities in a very timely manner so that we can move forward and reopen our doors. All we can do at the moment is to promise to share more information as soon as we are able.”

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