Texas House Bill 2345, a key piece of legislation aiming to create a carveout in state law to formally authorize Texas’s “social poker” clubs, has successfully passed its first legislative hurdle. The bill cleared the Texas House Committee on Licensing & Administrative Procedures with a 10-2 vote on Wednesday morning, after being delayed the previous week.
Doug Polk, co-owner of Austin’s The Lodge card room, shared the news, adding that the bill was supported by Texans for Hold’em, a group formed by some of Texas’ leading poker clubs, including The Lodge. Polk noted that the bill’s progression was largely influenced by Rep. Ryan Guillen, the chair of the committee, who is also the lead sponsor of HB 2345.
This bill seeks to legalize and regulate social poker clubs, which have flourished in the state. If passed, HB 2345 would allow such clubs to continue operating as they do now, but with the added legitimacy of state law. The bill will now move to the Texas House Committee on Calendars for further review, and if approved, will likely be sent to a third committee for additional consideration.
Interestingly, this bill is in competition with another poker-focused bill, HB 1601, introduced by Rep. Gene Wu. The fate of both bills will be closely monitored in the coming weeks as they make their way through the legislative process.
For now, all eyes are on HB 2345’s next steps, as the bill’s passage could significantly impact the poker scene in Texas.
