Four people are in custody after investigators raided an illegal gambling operation at a poker room in Katy, and the Harris County District Attorney says the crackdown is far from over.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office led the raid at Katy Poker in the 24000 block of the Katy Freeway. Harris County Sheriff’s Office Captain Mike Santos and District Attorney Sean Teare were both on scene.
Investigators say the business was operating illegally by taking a “rake,” keeping a percentage of players’ winnings from each hand. Under Texas law, poker rooms can legally operate only if all players at the table have the same odds of winning. That means operators cannot take a cut of each pot.
“The players are cheated in that they are losing a percentage of their take when they win a hand,” Teare explained. “Whereas in a place that rents a seat or just charges for drinks and food, what you win is what you win, which is the way that Texas gambling laws are written.”
By contrast, legal establishments in Texas make money by charging for seat rentals, food and beverages, not by taking winnings from players.
Investigators say the four people arrested were not random customers, they were already on investigators’ radar.
“Most of the people that we arrested were already part of the investigation. So we knew who they were. They’re operating here in a variety of different ways, the doorman allowing entry, the dealer, the money room,” Santos said. “Once we identify someone that works here, they’re on our list.”
Customers who were inside playing are not accused of any wrongdoing and were escorted out.
Officials say the investigation has been underway for approximately a year. Those arrested are expected to face charges of engaging in organized criminal activity and potentially money laundering.
Teare said the raid is part of a broader countywide effort.
“This is not a one-off issue. We understand that this is a problem countywide and all the agencies are partnering together to stop it,” he said.
Both officials warned that illegal poker rooms like this one attract serious criminal activity far beyond gambling.
“These poker rooms are hubs for criminal activity,” Santos said. “We have a lot of people with money in there, so you can have juggers, robberies, murders. People are following these people out of here thinking they’re leaving with tons of money. And these poker rooms also fund other criminal activities, from human trafficking to narcotics to auto theft.”
Teare added that the investigation does not stop with Thursday’s arrests.
“We know how to impact these organizations. It’s by taking the money they make illegally. We’re going to be tracing bank accounts. We do a lot of things behind the scenes to continue to hold people accountable,” he said.
Officials say it is unclear if the Katy Poker Room is connected to other criminal operations, that determination will be made as the investigation continues and financial records are reviewed.
This is the second illegal poker room operation the DA’s office has been involved in over the past three weeks. Teare said the public should expect more enforcement actions to follow.
