Online poker coming to Texas?

[The Buzz]

A Texas poker room is pushing the boundaries of the law with its new online poker site, Hijack Poker.

The site is using a "membership" model to get around anti-gambling laws. Instead of taking a "rake," or a cut of each pot, players pay membership or seat fees to participate. This approach challenges the traditional definition of gambling and could have major implications for online poker in Texas.

From PokerNews.com:

Our recent visit to Texas included a stop at one of the premier places to play poker in the Lone Star State — Texas Card House Social in Austin. The brand-new card room not only features more than 40 card tables and a delicious attached kitchen, the club is set to soon launch a Texas-based online poker site.

Hijack Poker is currently undergoing a soft launch/beta testing phase, and we gave it a shot while in town to see what it's all about. We also spoke with TCH's CEO, Ryan Crow, to get some details on what to expect from the app and to see if it's even legal.

Texas Gambling Laws are Strict

Texas, the supposed land of "freedom" has some of the strictest anti-gambling laws in the country. There are no standard casinos in the state and poker rooms operate in a different manner than most other places. Instead of taking rake out of pots, which is unquestionably illegal in Texas, the rooms — well, the ones operating within the laws — charge membership and seat fees for players.

Online gambling is also illegal in the second most populous state in the country. So, how can Crow and his team legally pull off launching a poker site? They believe if they use a similar model to the six land-based Texas Card House's around the state, they're operating within the laws.

Hijack Poker players, upon signing up, become members of TCH (if they weren't already). The poker room is even offering a $20 time match bonus for new players, although it's unclear if that promotion will stick when the app fully launches in January. Texas Card House also intends to launch the poker site on a larger scale in other states and countries later next year, potentially as early as Q2 2025.

Read more here: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2024/...site-47227.htm

[Sofia Torchio]

Hijack Poker's innovative membership model is intriguing and seems like a clever workaround to Texas' strict gambling laws.
As a poker enthusiast, I admire their attempt to redefine online poker, but it also raises questions about its long-term viability and legal standing.
Will this model hold up under scrutiny, or is it just a temporary loophole?
The potential expansion to other states and countries is exciting, but Texas could set a precedent for how such models are received elsewhere.

[rasmus]

Interesting move by Hijack Poker. The membership model definitely feels like a creative loophole, but I wonder how long it’ll hold up before the authorities step in. Texas has always been pretty strict on gambling laws, so this could go either way—either it opens the door for more innovation, or it gets shut down quickly.

[khavrylenko]

That’s a bold move by Hijack Poker! Using the membership model to work around Texas’ strict gambling laws is pretty clever. I’m curious to see how this plays out legally and whether it catches on in other states or even internationally. Definitely something to keep an eye on