A new ownership group is in line to purchase the 500 Club in Clovis — a process that could take three to six months.

Operators of The 500 Club in Clovis said this evening that actions by state officials to temporarily close the popular card room earlier in the day stemmed from bad information.

“And our attorneys are working right now to get the club open very quickly,” said General Manager Dusten Perry.

He said that at about 2 p.m., members of the California attorney general’s Bureau of Gambling Control showed up without warning at The 500 Club in the Western Village Shopping Center, northeast of West Shaw Avenue and Willow Avenue, and served the management with a temporary order for closure.

Perry said the order stemmed from “inaccurate information regarding our bond insurance” on the club’s casino chips. He explained that the insurance covers the value of the chips to ensure the house can pay off when customers turn them in for cash and to ensure the business is covered for their value if the chips are stolen or damaged.

Bureau officials couldn’t be reached immediately for comment, and Perry said officials didn’t tell him if they believed The 500 Club lacked the bond insurance or if they believed the coverage was insufficient.

Regardless of the claim, Perry said it’s wrong, and he hoped to correct the matter quickly, though how long that might take wasn’t immediately clear this evening.

The Fresno Bee’s Marc Benjamin reported the closure stemmed for the club’s owners failing to disclose loans from a person who should’ve been listed as part of the ownership group.

The closure includes the club’s restaurant and bar area.

By early evening, patrons were showing up, only to find signs on the doors reading “TEMPORARILY CLOSED,” which some took to mean the business had closed permanently.

“If the casino’s closed, there’s something wrong” muttered one patron, who declined to be interviewed.

The 500 Club has operated in Clovis since 1953, and at its current locale for a little more than 5 years.

Perry urged customers to check the business’ Facebook page to check on updates on when it may reopen.