A battleground state with a potentially massive demand for gaming, the battle for widespread gaming legalization in Texas is once again heating up to start 2025. Per a recent article, the Texas Destination Resort Alliance (TDRA), a political action committee (PAC) seeking to legalize casino resorts in the Lone Star State has launched a new campaign to promote casinos among locals. As regular readers of this space are aware, Texas remains one of the most conservative markets when it comes to gambling but the efforts to change that continue. The TDRA’s new ads feature Texans who support casino resorts and believe that such properties would bring much-needed economic stimulus to the state. Additionally, the ads have a clear message to lawmakers, asking them to allow citizens to vote on the matter.
In this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from the latest gaming news coming from the Lone Star State along with some additional notes coming from SBS and more.
Noted in the article and according to the TDRA, Texans from all walks of life are ready to vote on destination resorts. The PAC and its supporters argue that such resorts would bring better-paying jobs to Texas and would generate additional tax money for education and other causes. One backer called the legalization of destination resorts a “smart business move” since it would allow Texas to keep money that would otherwise be spent at casinos in other states or at illegal gambling websites. Additionally, he urged Texans to back the legalization and keep the economy growing.
Earlier TDRA campaigns claimed that more than 500,000 Texans already supported bringing destination resorts to the state. Noted in this space before, Texas is a massive untapped gaming opportunity in the United States. As the second most populated state in the US, Texas is seen as a huge market with a tremendous opportunity. Because of that, casino industry stakeholders have aggressively promoted the launch of destination resorts, hoping to capitalize on the ramping interest in such products. Currently, local gamblers travel to Louisiana or Nevada to play, depriving Texas of potential tax proceeds. Moreover, casino and hospitality juggernaut Las Vegas Sands has been among the chief proponents of casinos in Texas, sparing no effort in its lobbying initiatives.
Noted in the same report, in the meantime, Rice University professor Mark Jones told another outlet that legalizing casinos would be hard for two main reasons. The first of them is the fact that several Republicans who supported destination resorts have been ousted in the GOP primary or have retired. Additionally, the other issue is that the new Speaker of the House, Dustin Burrows, won over his Republican rival David Cook, who would have likely backed destination resorts. However, this does not mean that gambling progress is completely out of the question. Jones suggested there is some momentum for casino gambling legislation and that Burrows might be reluctant to oppose its backers, lest he lose favor.
Covered in a separate report, the TDRA PAC, which initially launched in 2021, is funded by Las Vegas Sands Corp. As regular readers of this space know, the Sands Corp. is a casino and resort company. Despite its corporate headquarters being located in Las Vegas, the company does not currently operate any resorts in the United States. Five of its six existing resorts are located in Macao, and the other is in Singapore. The company’s chairman is CEO Robert G. Goldstein and its president and COO is Patrick Dumont, part of the Adelson family, who owns the majority controlling interest in the Dallas Mavericks.
While the PAC has some strong backing, the “cards are stacked against casinos in Texas” per the same article. Back in November, Y’all-itics spoke about the issue with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who said passing a gaming law does not have enough support from lawmakers. “When we finished this last session, no one called and said, ‘Oh, you didn’t pass the casino bill.’ It’s not on anyone’s top 20 list,” Patrick said. “It doesn’t mean there aren’t people who really want it. But like anything else … it really bubbles up from the ground to tell a House member or a senator that they want this legislation to pass. And that just has not happened.”
The lieutenant governor said in the interview that Las Vegas Sands Corp. has been the most vocal. A casino bill came within eight votes of passing out of the House during the 2023 legislative session, but Patrick said every Democrat supported the legislation, dooming it.
Once you are all up to speed concerning the latest gaming news coming from the Lone Star State, make sure to check out the excellent array of information for you over at SBS. Of course, for even more information on the topic covered here, make sure to peruse the sports betting in Texas guide which goes over all of the latest updates coming from the region and more. Additionally, for those on the go and who qualify, the best betting apps rundown is a fantastic page that covers the perks of mobile betting while you can stay on top of the action. Finally, if you are eligible and qualify, the payment methods breakdown is a fantastic resource that gives a variety of information like options for deposits and withdrawals for crypto to more traditional banking routes.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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