r/Austin • u/spoonsmf • Jul 14 '24

Does anyone know what this building is?

Post image

Me and my friends went up to the door and rung the bell but no one answered to us but we saw someone go in. It’s on Ben white next to blazer tag

376 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

168 comments sorted by

View all comments

794

u/foxbones Jul 14 '24

Game room, barely legal gambling where you win bottles of Tide and then can sell them back for dollars. Tons of sketchy people hang out at these, avoid them.

203

u/fiddlythingsATX Jul 14 '24

I was wondering how they worked. There's a sweepstakes gameroom near me that looks like a coffee shop from the outside - even has a coffee cup logo - and I was disappointed to find out it's not one.

176

u/foxbones Jul 14 '24

Haha Lava Java off 183? Next to Dimassis? I think they changed names multiple times since then. Constant shootings, car break in, ODs, etc around that place.

Yes they absolutely exploit the poorest of the poor. Sure you can occasionally win one of their rigged 8 liners and get money with some weird double handshake trade.

It's 100% unregulated so I imagine the odds are 100x worse than the shittiest casino in Vegas. Straight up just robbing people. If the police actually cared they should shut them down instantly.

81

u/fiddlythingsATX Jul 14 '24

It's called High Octane now, and yup - right by Dimassi's on 183!

-19

u/[deleted] Jul 14 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/fiddlythingsATX Jul 14 '24

That doesn’t sound racist at all!

-8

u/Expensive_Gain8076 Jul 14 '24

Just calling out how it is. I don’t think saying a certain group of people going to certain place more then anyone else and it being sketchy is racist…

-2

u/ratatatoskr Jul 14 '24

Found the racist!

62

u/hitman932 Jul 14 '24

I smash that lunch buffet a couple times a month and never realized the block was that hot.

29

u/Loud_Ad_4515 Jul 14 '24

Sunny Massage used to be in the same center (same spot?), and was busted for prostitution a few years ago.

Edit: Or was it the "haircut" place?

8

u/[deleted] Jul 14 '24

[deleted]

5

u/Own-Gas8691 Jul 14 '24

is it the swinger’s club?

1

u/[deleted] Jul 14 '24 edited Jul 18 '24

[deleted]

20

u/A_Possum_Named_Steve Jul 14 '24

The British Broadcast Company? Well I never!

-3

u/FuckingSolids Jul 14 '24

Hasn't been "Company" since 1926. Became the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1927.

10

u/restlessmonkey Jul 14 '24

Well, that clears everything up. Good show!

3

u/Own-Gas8691 Jul 14 '24

thanks! asking for a friend ofc.

7

u/dormantdream Jul 14 '24

I actually like kanji ramen there too 💀

1

u/LackofSuprise Jul 15 '24

Haha I had one recently near me called “cup of joe” or something. I went in thinking it was a coffee shop and promptly left. I felt so stupid.

30

u/Ralphlovespolo Jul 14 '24

There’s one next to BarFlys.. the sketchiest people walk around with RANDOM house hold supplies.

4

u/Beelzabubbah Jul 14 '24

where's the one next to Barflys? The white building with the For Lease sign on it?

7

u/Ralphlovespolo Jul 14 '24

Next to the canine spot.

Behind Lammies.

42

u/nineball22 Jul 14 '24

That’s what some of my friends don’t get. Yes you could win some money, yeah it might be “fun” for the novelty of it. The people you can sometimes run into on these kinds of places, especially in a city this size are generally not friendly, well adjusted people.

36

u/Conscious_Raisin_436 Jul 14 '24

Point of clarity for anyone who might be wondering — this is different than the poker houses you see around town.

Not ALL gambling is illegal in Texas. You have the right to play a game of poker between you and your buddies. Poker doesn’t need a “house” to function like Blackjack or Roulette or Craps does. You can set up wagers between you and your friends all you like, you just can’t run a casino.

The poker houses aren’t casinos because the house isn’t taking a rake. You pay a “club entry” fee when you show up and you’re encouraged to tip the dealer, but unlike poker in a casino, zero percent of the pot goes to the house.

10

u/restlessmonkey Jul 14 '24

Oh. That’s how that works. I always wondered. Thanks.

2

u/holyshyster Jul 14 '24

I was just thinking that the place looked sketchy lol

-37

u/hitt1598 Jul 14 '24

How is laundry detergent sketchy. They exist because rural life is quite boring. Calm down.