The Dallas City Council has approved a budget request to spend more on its legal poker battle
Despite a judge already telling the Dallas, TX, leadership that it was wrong, it’s not giving up its fight against legal poker clubs. During a Wednesday meeting, the Dallas City Council unanimously granted extra financial resources to cover legal expenses in the enduring battle. However, a faction of council members ponder about the indefinite duration of the lawsuit and contemplate alternate courses of action that Dallas could consider.
This particular case revolves around a conflict concerning the revocation of occupancy permits for two poker rooms by the city’s real estate inspector. The waivers were reversed by the reform board of the city, prompting the building’s proprietor to initiate legal action against the board. Chad West, councilman of District 1, who initially raised concerns about the financial implications of prohibiting poker rooms, expressed willingness to endorse the matter but sought clarifications from the leaders of Dallas.
At the meeting on Wednesday, West voiced his firm belief in the necessity of assigning supplementary funds for the suit. However, he raised an important question when he asserted, “I am begrudgingly supporting granting more attorney’s fees for this ridiculous ordinance that we have supported as a council. Where does it end? When do we stop paying for this litigation?”
At the end of January, the council reached a decision to allocate a sum of $500,000 as compensation to individuals who are not lawyers, in order to fund additional proceedings pertaining to the case. Approximately 50% of this was utilized in backing Andrew Espinoza, the chief building official of Dallas, and his legal team in the ongoing fight. The remaining portion was invested in providing assistance to the legal representatives affiliated with the organization.
During a council meeting held in late January, Council 6 member Omar Narvaez expressed, “I do adamantly believe we are suing ourselves and wasting taxpayer dollars in order to take somebody’s grudge against poker rooms.” The courts have already determined that the clubs, which don’t take a rake from the games, are operating legally. Players pay a membership fee to the club, with all the money from poker going to the players in accordance with Texas laws.
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