- A private club in Dallas can offer legal poker in Texas after being approved by the Board of Adjustment.
- The poker club doesn’t collect a rake; instead, it charges a membership fee to get around Texas state law.
- Champions Social Club had their certificate of occupancy denied in 2021, approved in April of 2024, revoked just two weeks later, and is now reinstated once again.
DALLAS – A Dallas poker room found a loophole that allows them to offer legal poker in Texas. Champions Social Club charges a membership fee for their club, which is different enough from collecting rake that the Dallas Board of Adjustment (BOA) reinstated the club’s certificate of occupancy.
Texas is one of the harshest states with poker when it comes to home games, but the rules are clear. Poker in a private setting must be conducted where all players share equal risk and no person collects a cut of the winnings for hosting (rake).
Champions Social Club may have started a trend to with their successful work around focusing on a membership fee. Previous attempts have failed for not following the rules to play poker in Texas, but a social club with a membership fee has success for now.
Dallas Poker Room Faces Backlash From Local Community
The Dallas Board of Adjustment Panel A voted 4-1 in favor of the club. With residents in the neighborhood voicing their disapproval of the poker club, the BOA included a key amendment to alleviate the stress on the community.
- The Champions Social Club must build an 8-foot fence surrounding the property that would block out any vehicle or pedestrian traffic from entering or exiting from Briargrove Drive.
The one vote against the poker club came from BOA member Michael Hopkvitz, who later said that "To say that the city was grossly incompetent in how it handled this situation would be an understatement." He also questioned the legality of the operation, but the social club stands for the time being.