“In speaking with the authorities here in Dallas, it does sound like there's a little bit of a gambling issue, or illegal gambling issue in Dallas. A game that you see on ESPN, you know, five nights a week.”Ĭrow says there are many games operating underground in Dallas and around the state, but he says his poker rooms have actually caused the number to go down. And so, we feel that one of the biggest things that we offer is a safe place to play poker. You either have to drive to Louisiana, or you have to drive to Oklahoma or you got to fly out to Vegas. Players haven't had a lot of options when it comes to playing in legal places. And done in the right atmosphere, it can be for everyone. We're trying to take the stigma out of poker. And so we're trying to bring poker in the limelight. And when things get pushed underground, good things don't happen. Because poker has been in Texas, it never went away, it just got pushed underground. And, you know, all we're trying to do is give people a safe place to play. I mean, the game that most of these guys are playing originated here. 'Poker has been in Texas since, I mean, it's called Texas Hold'em. The only games run at Texas Card House are ones where it's player versus player, and there's no house component to it. And the third thing is everyone has to have an equal chance of winning.”Ĭrow said games such as blackjack, craps or roulette, where there's a house advantage, are illegal. We do operate in a manner that we essentially charge by the hour to be within the facility. The second thing is you can't have an economic benefit from the gambling itself, so we don't take a rake. You have to play in a private setting, so we run as a private club. 'And ultimately there's three things you have to do. But in the penal code, there’s a way to run a private club that gives you a defense against prosecution for illegal gambling,” said Texas Card House CEO Ryan Crow.

'In Texas, most forms of gambling are illegal. Many people will say poker rooms that are “legal” are able to operate due to a “loophole” in Chapter 47 of the Texas Penal Code.

The legality of poker rooms is up in the air, depending on who you talk to. “Perhaps, there's a better place for, if it's even legal, which I think is in question.” For the city, I think we need to look at entertainment districts and ways that we could encourage people to be able to get together in a safe and legal way, not sure that this business model fits that definition though,” Mendelsohn said. 'Poker rooms are not going to be welcomed in communities where they back up the single family housing.

Made a fortune playing online poker