Two bills that would have given voters a chance to vote for casinos in Texas’s largest cities never made it to the floors of the House or the Senate.
Both bills, House Joint Resolution 133 and Senate Joint Resolution 49, were never brought to a formal vote. That probably ends the effort this year, and it won’t get another chance under the legislature meets next in 2022. The legislative session will end May 31.
The purpose of the bills was to repeal the Lone Star State’s statewide prohibition on gambling that is enshrined in the constitution. They also called for the authorization of four Las Vegas style casino resorts in the state’s largest cities, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Houston, and an expansion of gaming at the state’s four racetracks while allowing Texas’s tribes to offer gaming.
They required the two-thirds approval of each chamber, and then approval by the voters in a referendum.
The lack of action was a major defeat for Las Vegas Sand Corp. (LVS), which had invested millions and hired 37 lobbyists in the effort. LVS sees the largest untapped market in the country in Texas. However, LVS Senior Vice President of Government Andy Abboud, commented, “We have said from the beginning that we’re committed to Texas for the long haul. We have made great strides this session and have enjoyed meeting with lawmakers about our vision for destination resorts and answering all the questions they have.”
Sands CEO Rob Goldstein said in a statement: “Our commitment is to develop transformational destination resorts that create tens of thousands of jobs and produce billions in revenue for the state while also providing robust economic benefits to the local host communities.” He added, “Destination resorts have proven to be excellent drivers of economic growth and enhanced tourism, and we are excited about the possibility of bringing the concept to the Lone Star State.”
LVS has funded the Texas Destination Resort Alliance, which had backed the legislation. The alliance argues that the four casino would attract millions of tourists and create tens of thousands of jobs. Also backing the bills was the Sports Betting Alliance, which includes several Texas professional sports teams.
Facing the same fate as the casino bills is a separate bill promoted by the Sports Betting Alliance, to legalize sports betting. That bill did receive a hearing before the State Affairs Committee in April but didn’t get a vote up or down.
