Poker Clubs May Return In Dallas After Appeals Court RulingJudges: City Was Wrong In Revoking License To Operate |
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The battle over poker in Dallas may be coming to an end after an appeals court ruled that a card club should be allowed to stay open after having its operating certificate revoked.
Texas has seen a proliferation of social poker clubs over the last few years, including major names like Doug Polk investing in some of the establishments. However, efforts to open clubs in North Texas have been thwarted recently.
Now the 5th District Court of Appeals affirmed a March 2022 decision by the city’s board of adjustment (BOA) to allow Texas Card House to keep the business’s certificate of occupancy. The ruling overturned a district judge that determined the club’s certificate could be taken away.
“The court must not substitute its discretion for the BOA’s, even if the court concludes the overwhelming preponderance of evidence is against the BOA’s decision,” the appeals court ruling noted. “If reasonable minds could have reached the conclusion the BOA must have reached to justify its action, the trial court must uphold the BOA’s order.”
City officials and the owners of Texas Card House have been locked in a legal battle regarding the issues since 2022 and the court wrangling has cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills. This is in spite of then-city attorney Chris Caso telling city council in 2019 that the business and two other clubs were legal.
The drawn-out legal battle and new ruling looks to be leading to some changes in the city.
“Dallas is considering updating its development code to offer a path for poker businesses to operate regardless of what the state law says,” the Dallas Morning News reported. “The proposal would allow private clubs that offer games of skill, like ax throwing, darts, shuffleboard or poker, to obtain a specific use permit to operate.”
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