Some Dallas Council Members Support Poker Clubs

On Wednesday, several members of the Dallas city council came out in support of poker clubs, despite the fact that they approved additional money for lawyers who fought to close them.

Three clubs openly operate in Dallas despite Texas anti-gambling laws.

The owners of Texas Card House on Harry Hines Boulevard near I-635 LBJ invited NBC 5 inside in 2021 to see it only sell memberships, snacks and soft drinks, hire dealers and other workers, and be very popular.

On Wednesday, council member Chad West led a discussion on the issue.

“If you close the legal card houses, we will go back to the days of the illegal ones that are not regulated,” West said. “We could kill the industry that provides jobs and income for the city.”

West spoke out in favor of paying legal fees for work already done by outside lawyers hired because of conflicting city attorney positions.

But West also wanted the city to come up with rules that would allow poker clubs to operate away from residential areas if the courts and new laws allowed it. All three clubs in Dallas are located in commercial areas, some distance from the houses.

“This is Dallas. We must be a business-oriented and business-friendly city. This proposal, if passed by the board, will turn the script around here,” West said.

Two speakers at the meeting said that poker clubs should be closed.

“These establishments cannot be regulated. You can’t regulate what’s illegal,” said Tom Dupree of the North Dallas Neighborhood Alliance.

Another proposed poker club slated to open in 2021, at a former Three Forks restaurant on the Dallas North toll road, has been stopped by residents of the Dupree Bent-Three North neighborhood.

This part of far North Dallas is also in Collin County. The Collin County District Attorney said the poker rooms are illegal. The City of Dallas denied a request for a permit to use the site.

Poker club operators claim they have a loophole in Texas law. They claim to be private clubs and not gambling establishments as they do not profit from card games.

The Dallas City Attorney initially agreed with this position. Texas Card House and another club, Shuffle 214 on the East-Northwest Highway, received commissioning certificates from the city of Dallas.

The city later sued their recall, deciding that the original position was a mistake.

“I do not agree with how this process went or how we did it. I strongly believe that we are suing ourselves and wasting taxpayer money,” said council member Omar Narvaez.

Amid this poker debate, other legal issues and an expected review of his work, City Attorney Chris Caso announced his resignation on January 19.

“Our city attorney has worked diligently to rectify the situation and should be applauded for that,” Dupree said.

Assistant City Attorney Tammy Palomino was named acting Dallas City Attorney Wednesday. She appeared at the meeting in the city attorney’s chair and explained the city’s current position on club permits.

“These were illegal operations, and by order they are required to cancel them,” Palomino said.

According to Palomino, a third poker club, Poker House Dallas on Regal Row, previously operated as a cabaret and turned into a poker club without a new title deed.

The judge ruled that the other two clubs were illegal, but they remain open pending appeals.

“It’s never a good strategy for our body to be the moral police, and we’re on that path,” council member Adam Bazaldua said.

While several Dallas council members have said they would like the clubs to remain open, the courts or state legislators will have the final say.

This year, supporters are pushing for changes to gambling or casino laws in the Texas Legislature.

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