The recent state agency ruling that a poker club's activities were in violation of Oregon state law has lead to the shutdown of the Ashland poker club.
The Oregon Department of Justice's Charitable Gaming Unit said that the membership fees charged by the Downtown Poker Club were in violation of the rules established for social gaming clubs. Following the ruling, the owner of the building on Will Dodge Way in which the club was housed, the Ashland Elk's Lodge, chose not to renew the poker club's lease.
The club was funded through nightly table fees of $20 per player, which were collected through the rake of each game. Any extra money collected above that $20 per player was placed in a player's fund which was then used to fund parties and refreshments for the players.
Russel Bjerke, co-owner of the Downtown Poker Club, had believed that the practice was legal, as the club was not making a profit from the fees, and only used them to pay for rent, expenses, and improvements.
Detective Bom Stewart of the Ashland police department said “the DOJ investigator said that the club was in violation of the Monte Carlo rules because they were a social gaming club and taking income from the game.”
The club owners had planned to re-formulate their business plan and re-open under a model that would not violate the rules, but their plans were halted when they found themselves unable to renew their lease.
The Downtown Poker Club has now been re-named to The Private Club, and has purchased a business license. So far they have not announced their plans for the future.
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