In Texas, state Senator Carol Alvarado introduced a resolution that would allow a voter referendum on a constitutional amendment to expand gambling in the state.
SJR17 also would establish a Texas Gaming Commission that additionally would regulate betting on greyhound and horse races. The bill would allow casino gambling at a “limited number of destination resorts and facilities,” with the proceeds directed to tax relief and funding for education and public safety.
If lawmakers pass the legislation, the referendum would take place on November 7, 2023.
Alvarado said, “My intent is to create jobs, give a boost of energy to our economy here and to diversify our economy because we rely so heavily on oil and gas. I think if we had gambling regulated and it was authorized and legal, that it would put a lot of this illegal stuff out of business.” She further explained, “We would have a casino in Houston, one in Dallas, one in Austin and one in San Antonio. So it’s very specific. This is not people putting in a blackjack table or slot machine in their bar. This is very specific.”
A companion bill is expected to be filed soon in the Texas House by State Rep. John Kuempel. In response to state Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s opposition to legal sports betting and online gambling, lawmakers are expected to introduce two separate bills. House Speaker Dade Phelan recently stated he is open to allowing casino resorts in Texas.
But not every legislator is buying in.
“I’ve talked with countless House and Senate members, and gambling seems to be less attractive during a time of record prosperity and surpluses,” state Rep. Matt Shaheen said in a statement. “There doesn’t seem to be an appetite to help large corporations increase their profits at the expense of countless Texans.”
Another bill focusing only on sports betting could confuse the issue. The Sports Betting Alliance hired former Governor Rick Perry as a consultant.
In an interview, Perry said, ““What’s changed (since 2021), I think, is the continuing education of the general public that this is not an expansion of gambling.”
“It’s going on, it’s gonna continue to go on and the state of Texas needs to regulate it and make sure that its citizens’ information is protected,” he added, saying that many Texas citizens are already participating in illegal sports betting.
Currently the only legal gambling in Texas are horse and dog racing, bingo and a lottery. The Tigua Indians of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe operate casinos as sovereign nations. So does the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, which would benefit from a bill introduced by state Senator Roland Gutierrez.
Senate Joint Resolution 30 proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow the Kickapoo Tribe to negotiate a gaming compact with the state, and be allowed to offer any form of gaming that becomes available within 200 miles of its Lucky Eagle Casino. Net win would be taxed at 3 percent of net win.
