For the past 16 years, Las Vegas Sands has spent millions of dollars on lobbying and marketing trying to bring casino gambling to Texas.
But the latest legislative session ended the same as others since 2007, with the defeat of legislation calling for a voter referendum in November on allowing Las Vegas-style casinos in the state’s four major metropolitan markets.
As the session wound down, gambling opponent Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who oversees the Texas Senate, said, “I’ve said repeatedly there is little to no support for expanding gaming from Senate GOP. I polled members this week. Nothing changed. The Senate must focus on issues voters expect us to pass. We don’t waste time on bills without overwhelming GOP support.”
Earlier this year, the Dallas Morning News reported Las Vegas Sands hired 63 lobbyists for the 2023 session with a mandate to spend up to $5.9 million.
During the 2022 campaign, Sands’ political action committee, Texas Sands PAC, gave $2.2 million to statewide officials and dozens of lawmakers from both parties.
A University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs poll indicated 75 percent of Texans support casino gambling, but in the end that didn’t matter for Sands.
The company no longer has casino operations in Las Vegas and currently is hoping to receive one of three available New York City-area gaming licenses. Sands also operates resorts in Macau and Singapore.
