Four Arrested After Harris County Raid at Katy Poker
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Quick answer: On Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, Harris County authorities raided Katy Poker, a cardroom on the Katy Freeway near New Hope Lane in the Houston area, and arrested four people. District Attorney Sean Teare and the Harris County Sheriff's Office alleged the room took a "rake," or a cut of cash-game pots, which they say is illegal under Texas law. Names of those arrested had not been released as of that night. These are allegations; no convictions are reported here.
What authorities said happened
FOX 26 Houston, citing a Thursday evening news conference, said this was the second operation the District Attorney's Office had been involved in within about three weeks, and that the investigation had been going on for about a year. KHOU reported the same timeline and said the raid was still underway late Thursday. FOX 26 also said officials had not yet announced any seizure, because a search of the business had not occurred as of the news conference.
The charge descriptions differ slightly. PokerNews and FOX 26 both reported that the four people were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, and that money-laundering charges could follow. KHOU, updated later Thursday night, said the four "face charges associated with illegal gambling," and that "their names and specific charges were not immediately available." Until a charging document is public, the precise counts should be treated as incomplete.
FOX 26 quoted Teare saying most of those arrested "were not just players. There were people that were operating this establishment tonight." KHOU reported that people playing inside were identified and "had not broken the law." PokerNews said no players were arrested.
Legal clubs, alleged rake, and a second Katy room
PokerNews, summarizing Texas law, wrote that Chapter 47 of the Texas Penal Code allows poker rooms to operate if they do not charge rake, and that clubs such as Texas Card House and The Lodge Card Club use membership and seat fees instead. KHOU reported the same distinction: officials said rooms may collect admission or table-time fees, and alleged that Katy Poker instead took a percentage of pots. Teare, according to PokerNews, said membership-based clubs are operating within the law and are not the target.
PokerNews quoted an officer as calling such rooms "hubs for criminal activity." Teare, quoted by KHOU, said criminality can expand into narcotics and other crime that "affects people's quality of life." Those are statements by officials, not findings of a court.
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PokerNews reported that Katy Poker was a small eight-table room spreading low- to mid-stakes games, and that 101 Richmond, another Katy-area room, faced similar action last month, reopened in less than 24 hours, and had $118,000 in cash seized. That earlier raid and the cash figure were not detailed in the FOX 26 or KHOU accounts reviewed here, so they are attributed to PokerNews only.
What this does not change for legal play
This article does not offer legal advice. The reporting so far is that membership-fee clubs were not the stated target, that four unnamed people were arrested on rake-related allegations, and that players in the room were not charged. Readers should wait for named defendants, filed charges, and court results before treating those allegations as proven.
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FAQ
What happened at Katy Poker on Nov. 12, 2026?
Harris County authorities raided the room, on the Katy Freeway near New Hope Lane, and arrested four people, according to FOX 26, KHOU, and PokerNews.
What are they accused of?
Officials alleged the room took a rake from pots. PokerNews and FOX 26 reported organized-criminal-activity charges; KHOU described the charges more generally as gambling-related and said specifics were not yet available. Money-laundering charges were discussed as a possibility, not as filed facts in the stories reviewed here.
Were players arrested?
KHOU said players inside were identified and had not broken the law. PokerNews said no players were arrested.
Have the names of those arrested been released?
Not as of the Thursday night reports from FOX 26 and KHOU, and not in follow-up coverage reviewed on the morning of Nov. 13, 2026.
Sources
1. FOX 26 Houston, "Katy Poker operation: At least 4 people arrested following raid," Nov. 12, 2026: https://www.fox26houston.com/news/katy-poker-operation-least-4-people-arrested-following-raid
2. KHOU, "Four arrested at Katy Poker after yearlong illegal gambling investigation," published Nov. 12, 2026, updated 10:16 p.m. CST: https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/harris-county-da-to-provide-update-on-law-enforcement-operation-at-katy-poker/285-6f77af20-5f07-48bf-a5ab-3108d901f559
3. PokerNews, "Cops Raid Another Texas Poker Room; Four Arrested," Nov. 12, 2026: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/11/houston-texas-poker-room-raid-update-52795.htm
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