Raid on Texas Poker Room: Four Arrested

Officials raided another poker room in Houston on Thursday. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said the raid was the start of a major operation against rooms in the area.

Four people were arrested in connection with the raid, and all of them were charged with participating in organized criminal activity. A official from the Harris County Sheriff's Office said additional charges could follow later in the process, and that these could include money laundering.

Katy Poker, located in Katy, is a small room with eight tables. Low and mid-limit games are played there. According to police, the business was not operating within the legal framework, and it is alleged that a commission was taken from the pot in cash games.

Section 47 of the Texas Penal Code allows poker rooms to operate legally as long as no commission is taken. Legal rooms collect membership and table fees instead of a commission. Teare clearly stated that membership-based clubs are legal and that authorities are not targeting these businesses.

Officials claimed that illegal rooms harm legally operating rooms and that criminals wait in these venues to rob players. 101 Richmond, the second room in Katy, was also shut down in a similar operation last month. That room reopened in less than 24 hours, but $118,000 in cash was seized in this raid. No players were arrested in either raid.