Texas State Rep. Carol Alvarado of Houston has introduced for the 2015 legislative session a measure to allow casino gambling in the state and establish a Texas Gaming Commission. It’s the sixth consecutive time a casino-gambling bill has been filed.
Under the bill, casinos would be established as the commission allows on resort barrier islands like Galveston and South Padre Island, at existing parimutuel horse racetracks and in cities with populations of 675,000 or more, including San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and El Paso.
Supporters have said Texas casinos would help the state’s struggling parimutuel racing industry, facing competition from gambling resorts in Louisiana and New Mexico. Texas casinos also would keep in the state the large number of Texans who travel to Las Vegas—and their gambling money.
Rob Kohler, a lobbyist with the Christian Life Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, said conservatives and evangelical Christians in the legislature will likely kill Alvarado’s bill—which has happened every time similar bills have been introduced. “One of the arguments you hear on this issue is, ‘Let the people vote.’ Well, the people did vote on November 4 and the people they sent to the House, the Senate and elected as Governor are not people who think casino gambling would be a good idea.”
In other Texas gaming news, Travis County, Texas District Court Judge Lora Livingston recently ruled that the Texas Racing Commission did not have the authority to allow historical racing machines to be installed at the state’s horse and dog racetracks. A coalition of companies and groups that run charitable bingo operations, along with the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, brought the lawsuit seeking a temporary injunction to block the machines. The Kickapoo tribe operates the state’s only legal casino at Eagle Pass.
Steve Bresnen, a spokesman for the coalition, said, “Had these slot machines been allowed to be implemented, bingo games would have been devastated. We appreciate the judge’s decision.”
Mary Ruyle, executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association, said, “We were of course disappointed in the decision, but this is an extremely important issue to us, and at this time all parties are considering options as to what to do next.” Sam Houston Race Park Chief Executive Officer Andrea Young commented, “Today’s decision is a blow to the Texas horse industry and to the thousands of hardworking horse men and women. We obviously disagree with the judge’s decision and are considering our options.”
Historical racing machines are authorized in Arkansas, Idaho and Wyoming. The games have been approved in Kentucky but a court case challenging their legality is pending.
