Texas Sen. Carol Alvarado pre-filed a gambling expansion bill seeking to amend the Texas Constitution to authorize casino gambling and sports betting.
The bill faces an uphill battle, needing a 2/3 majority in both chambers of the Texas Legislature before going to Texas voters on the November 2023 ballot.
Despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s willingness to explore gambling expansions, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick stands in the state’s way.
Texas is already throwing its hat into the 2023 sports betting ring, but the Lone Star State is, at best, a longshot to legalize sports betting next year. Still, Texas will be one of the most watched states and will not go out with a whimper, as hundreds of lobbyists are on the ground in Austin.
According to Jeremy Wallace of the Austin Bureau , “More than 300 lobbyists are now registered in Texas to work on gambling issues,” including 72 specifically for Las Vegas Sands as the company continues to push for casino gambling. There are also sports betting-focused lobbyists representing the industry’s major players (including FanDuel and DraftKings ) who will look for opportunities to push that issue to the forefront.
The lobbying blitz has a lot to do with Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration telling the Houston Chronicle in October:
“We don’t want slot machines at every corner store, we don’t want Texans to be losing money that they need for everyday expenses, and we don’t want any type of crime that could be associated with gaming. But, if there is a way to create a very professional entertainment option for Texans, Gov. Abbott would take a look at it.” Sports Betting Is Second Fiddle
A pre-filed bill by Texas State Sen. Carol Alvarado focuses on bringing casino gambling to the state, but tucked away in SJR 17 is language legalizing sports betting. What that looks like needs to be clarified, as the bill is scant on sports betting specifics, stopping short of mentioning retail or online betting.
But if Abbott doesn’t want slot machines at every corner store, one must wonder how he feels about online sports […]
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