Popular Gambling Room in Flint, TX Raided, Permanently Shut Down

I live in Flint, TX. I've driven by this place countless times, and I always wondered "how in the heck is this place open?" Of course I've never looked into it, it wasn't bothering me. And I'm not a lawyer but I just kinda assumed they had some sort of work around to make it legal. I mean they've got this big beautiful sign announcing their presence.

Turns out they were just betting on themselves not getting shut down.

Y'all, straight up. There have been nights I drive by after working late and it is slammed. Cars, trucks, golf carts, overflowing the parking lot into the grass all around it. Horses tied up. I saw a John Deere once. This place has been poppin' for quite some time.

“Any gambling with economic benefit to the business is illegal,” Putman told KLTV. “We’ve seen this in other counties operating gambling rooms, hoping they won’t get shut down and hoping the law won’t be enforced. But this is the first one in Smith County in a while.”

Well, it's poppin' no more. KLTV is reporting that The Poker Room, located at 17968 FM 2493 in Flint, has been shut down by the Smith County Sheriff's Office... AFTER SIX YEARS IN BUSINESS.

It turns out the owners, who had recently moved locations to a more prominent store front, were likely just hoping the law wasn't enforced, like it hadn't been for six years.

“We’ve seen this in other counties operating gambling rooms, hoping they won’t get shut down and hoping the law won’t be enforced. But this is the first one in Smith County in a while.” - District Attorney Jacob Putman via KLTV.

DA Putman signed a note that has been posted on the business that states the business was in violation of Texas Penal Code Chapter 47 and should cease operating immediately. “The Texas Penal Code Chapter prohibits gambling in a public place and where a person receives any economic benefit other than personal winnings,” the notice reads.