Cincinnati Poker Club Sues Sheriff’s Office After ‘Raid’ Threat

Posted on: April 28, 2022, 11:02h. 

Last updated on: April 29, 2022, 01:33h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

A Cincinnati poker club that was told it would be raided by law enforcement if it dared to open its doors, is suing municipal officials and the local sheriff’s office. That’s according to the latest reports from The Cincinnati Enquirer.

action factory
Corey Albertson, pictured, says his business has sustained “reputational harm that cannot be repaired” after he received warnings about a raid by the Sheriff’s Office. (Image: Facebook)

The Action Factory Social Club in Sycamore Township, a Cincinnati suburb, wants a judge to declare it legal and order the township and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office to let it open for business. It’s also seeking an unspecified amount of damages and attorney fees.

Its owner, Corey Albertson, says his operations are legit because the club is private and does not take a rake from poker games. Instead, it will charge membership fees and “promote a hobby” by organizing the games, according to the lawsuit seen by the Enquirer.

“Action Factory will have no financial interest in whether its members play penny-ante poker or for higher stakes,” the suit says.

Permit Revoked

The Action Factory was given the green light to open in February. It was granted a zoning certificate by Sycamore Township’s planning and zoning administrator, Skylor Miller. This affirmed its operations were legal, according to the complaint.

But the township had dealt the club a busted flush. In March, Miller wrote to Albertson to tell him the township decided the Action Factory was not legal. Opening the club would violate state laws that prohibit residents from facilitating a game of chance for profit or operating a gambling house, Miller said.

Albertson was told the Sheriff’s Office intended to raid the business if it went ahead with its plans. The club wanted to open its doors in mid-March but held off.

The lawsuit also names the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, which it says was consulted by officials before revoking the Action Factory’s permit.

“I have sustained a total loss of my business, the use and enjoyment of my leased property, and my business has sustained reputational harm that cannot be repaired,” Albertson said in an affidavit that accompanied the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, in Texas

The case closely mirrors that of the Texas Card House in Dallas. The club has a similar business model to Action Factory and had received a permit to operate from city officials that were suddenly revoked.

In January, its owner, Ryan Crow, received notice from the city that he was “keeping a gambling place” and would have to close.

This, despite attending numerous meetings with city officials throughout 2020 to ensure his business was compliant with local regulations.

City Councilman Omar Narvaez said he believed Dallas City Attorney Chris Caso had simply “decided to change the idea of what he believes constitutes card rules, according to the law.”

The Texas Card House has been permitted to remain open following a recent hearing of the city’s Board of Adjustment. Dallas Attorney Gary Powell failed to convince the board that the club was doing anything it had not been authorized to do when it received its permit last year.

The matter will ultimately be decided in court.