8 February 9-15, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents fight against poker clubs so that work on a legal path forward for the businesses can begin. West moved to approve the funds, totaling at least $550,000, and to direct city staff to look into a legal land use for poker clubs in Dallas. This land use would ideally include protections for neighborhoods and proximity restrictions for poker clubs, West said. When Dallas approved the poker opera- tions, it did so with a certain understanding of state law. As long as the gambling was be- ing conducted in a private place, every player had an equal chance of winning and the house didn’t take a cut of the bets, it was legal. At least, that was the city’s interpreta- tion of Texas law at the time. In 2021, Dallas changed its tune when Senior Assistant At- torney Gary Powell said this gambling ex- ception was never meant to apply to businesses. That’s when Dallas started re- voking certificates of occupancy it had pre- viously given to the businesses. Texas Card House alone generated $1.1 million in property and sales tax revenue last year, West said. “Up to now, for this industry, the city has done everything that it can to eliminate the card house business and make it harder to do business in the city of Dallas,” West said. “We’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. We’ve tied up the Board of Adjustment. We’ve tied up building officials, and we’ve been sued.” Additionally, Texas Senate Joint Resolu- tion 17 has been filed that could allow one casino in each of the state’s four major metro areas – Houston, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio. If it passes in the legislature it would require a majority vote in a November constitutional referendum. According to a recent survey by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston, 75% of Texans already say they support the legislation. “This motion, if it’s adopted by council, flips the script here,” West said about his plan for Dallas poker rooms. “The intent is to direct staff to spend its time and energy in a positive way to help generate revenue for public safety, parks, and all the things we love, and provide a safe, regulated place for this industry to survive, away from neigh- borhoods.” Before the City Council took up the issue at its meeting Wednesday, some residents spoke in support of continuing to fund the litigation. They said the poker clubs were il- legal and a threat to public safety. But West said something that poker advocates have been saying for ever: if you ban legal rooms, the illegal ones will flourish. West’s motion was approved unani- mously by the City Council. Not surprisingly, Texas Card House CEO Ryan Crow is happy with the decision. “I am thrilled the city is looking into suitable zon- ing that social card clubs can use,” Crow said. He and his team will be reaching out to the city to see what it has in mind. He’s not sure if Dallas will allow businesses like his to participate in the process of creating the le- gal land use. “We never wanted to be in this fight to begin with,” Crow said. “I think many peo- ple in the city see the value these clubs bring and realize they help the community.” ▼ EDUCATION TEACHER RAISES BEFORE LEGISLATURE TEXAS TEACHERS COULD SEE A SIZABLE SPIKE IN SALARY AND RECEIVE PAID PARENTAL LEAVE IF CERTAIN STATE LAWMAKERS HAVE THEIR WAY. BY SIMONE CARTER T exas teachers’ pocketbooks could get a bit fatter — $15,000 fatter, to be ex- act — if certain state lawmakers get their way. Several Texas legislators are looking to pass laws this session aimed at attracting and retaining educators. Since even before the start of the CO- VID-19 pandemic, some schoolhouses have struggled to fill staffing vacancies. But Texas Rep. James Talarico hopes that House Bill 1548 will help keep educators in the class- room. Shutterstock Dallas City Council might find a legal way forward for poker clubs to stay in business. >> p10 Unfair Park from p6 West Village • 214-750-5667 www.avalon-salon.com BEST HAIR SALON DALLAS OBSERVER 18-TIME WINNER ICYMI IN CASE YOU MISSED IT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DAILY NEWSLETTER DALLASOBSERVER.COM/SIGNUP
