Texas is one of few remaining states without sports betting. In 2021, lawmakers introduced two bills to legalize such wagers, but Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, the Senate president, said neither of the bills will ever be approved or even get as far as a vote. Former Governor, Rick Perry, was adamant that he would never allow expansion of gaming in Texas.
But a small glimmer of hope has risen in the Lone Star State. Perry is now among those calling for the legalization of mobile sports betting next year. What’s more, he serves as spokesman for the Sports Betting Alliance, a group of sportsbook operators and major pro teams in the state, according to the Dallas Morning News.
How does Perry rationalize his seeming flip? Legalized sports wagering is not an expansion, he said, because Texans are already betting on sports either in neighboring states or illegally online.
“If someone stands up and says, ‘This is an expansion of gambling,’ that is an erroneous statement,” Perry said. “It’s not.”
Notably, Perry declined to say what the Alliance has paid him for being its mouthpiece.
The former governor has expressed concerns about online gambling getting into the hands of underage participants, but feels comfortable that sports betting legislation will address that.
“I think that’s one of the clear safeguards in this legislation or will be put in this legislation as it’s written,” Perry said. “The safeguards to make sure that if there are people who are engaged in this that aren’t supposed to be there, we’ll have ways to stop that.”
It’s unclear how much support legalized sports betting will have among lawmakers next year. During the 2021 session, there were two bills that would have legalized sports gambling and two that would have allowed four casinos to be built in Austin, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Houston and San Antonio.
Senator Carol Alvarado introduced Senate Joint Resolution 17. The proposal, a constitutional amendment, would not only legalize sports betting but sanction the four destination casino resorts.
Here’s the rub—two-thirds of both the House and the Senate need to vote yes and then go before the voters for approval. The Alliance stands a better chance.
