Over in Texas, a state senator is defending campaign donations he’s received, saying it isn’t connected to his push to legalize gambling in Texas. Per a recent article from a national outlet, Texas State Senator Nathan Johnson clarified that the two campaign donations he received from a Political Action Committee linked to the Las Vegas Sands Corporation were not part of a coordinated effort. This was alleged to be concerning his decision to file a resolution for voters to consider legalizing gambling in Texas. “Filing a bill to allow the voters to lift a constitutional ban on gaming is consistent with my general philosophy that if the legislature is not in touch, the people can take action on their own,” Johnson said. The Senator, who represents parrots of Dallas, Irving, among other areas, filed Senate Joint Resolution 82 as Irving residents fought with the Sands Corp. over land.
For this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from the latest gaming news coming from Texas, along with some additional notes and thoughts regarding wagering in the state and more.
Also covered in this article, the Sands Corp. wants to build a world-class destination resort in Irving. While the company has received zoning approval in the heat of protest, Sands withdrew the casino portion of the project before the city council could vote, the same report reads. Those who were against the project speculated Irving would be used as a bargaining chip for Texas lawmakers to legalize gambling.
Even if lawmakers wanted to do so, voters must agree to remove any constitutional ban at the polls in November. Enter SJR 82, the report says. “If this resolution were to go to voters and the voters were to approve the resolution, there would still be no such thing as destination resort casino gaming or any other kind of gaming legal in Texas as a result,” Johnson said. “What the bill does do is remove a constitutional prohibition on any form of gaming, however strictly regulated.”
Johnson said a voter-approved effort would head back to Austin, where lawmakers could agree to legalize gambling. If the votes were in favor of making gambling legal in Texas, Johnson’s resolution suggests setting up a commission to regulate no more than 10 casino licenses. Each license, at a cost, would have a 40-year term.
“Conference centers for businesses, you would have performance centers for popular music and classical music,” Johnson said. “You could have a small sports arena in the space, and you could have hotels and spas and other things that people like to go to, restaurants, and part of it would be casino gaming.”
Noted in the same article, Johnson’s pitch sounds much like the one Sands gave the citizens of Irving with a destination hotel, a sports arena that could have become the new home of the Dallas Mavericks, spas, retail, and so on the report notes.
However, Johnson said it was “happenstance” because he had no relationship with the Sands Corp. He said the issue had been on his radar for the past six years. “I do not have a relationship any more than I have a relationship with anybody else who’s interested in the government process here. I have meetings with people in my office all day long, every day,” Johnson said.
Additionally, the national outlet looked at online campaign finance records and found two donations to the senator from the Sands’ political action committee, Texas Sands PAC. The checks were $4,500 each. A representative said that Johnson could not offer comment for clarification due to the legislative session. The senator’s office acknowledged the donations but said the money had no bearing on SJR 82. Additionally, Johnson’s office said many political colleagues had received donations from the same PAC.
According to Transparency USA, many state leaders have received money from the multimillion-dollar gambling PAC, like former Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan ($315,000), Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick ($200k), and Gov. Greg Abbott ($200k), to name a few. Meanwhile, Johnson emphasized the importance of legislative resources, especially in light of potential significant federal spending cuts that could severely impact Texas.
“It is always a good thing for a legislature to have the resources to do the things that we need to do, particularly when we are looking at federal cuts in spending on a massive scale, which will probably hit Texas really, really hard,” he said.
Once you are all up to speed in relation to the latest gaming news and notes coming from Texas, make sure to peruse the excellent array of info for you only at SBS. Of course, for even more info on the topic covered here, the sports betting in Texas guide has your back when it comes to all of the latest gaming news coming out of the Lone Star State. Additionally, for those looking for some higher-stakes wagering and who qualify, the VIP sports betting sites rundown is a fantastic page as well. Here, you are able to learn more about the perks of VIP wagering and if it might make sense for you. Finally, for those who are searching for some new payment options, the payment methods breakdown is an amazing page that goes over a diverse array of options.
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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