Cowboys Co-Owner Supports Legal Betting In Texas

Who’s the Cowboys owner? Well, Jerry Jones, of course. He’s arguably the most famous sports team owner in the country. However, he’s not the only owner. Really, the Jones family owns the team. Jerry is no spring chicken at 82 years old.

The day Jerry is no longer around, his family will likely inherit the team in some shape or form. Most believe son, Stephen – the EVP of the Cowboys — will be the direct man. But also in the mix would be Charlotte, the only daughter of Jerry.

Charlotte serves as en executive vice president for the organization and chief brand officer. The latter is no small role given the aura of the Cowboys brand. Just recently, Charlotte chimed in on the state of sports betting in Texas. Turns out she shares the same beliefs as her dad, Jerry. Let’s talk all about it here.

Charlotte Jones Wants Betting In Texas

Asked by CBS News about legal sports betting, Charlotte came out in support of it. As you likely know, Texas is one of 12 states without legal sports betting. They are the last holdouts remaining, and lawmakers seem steadfast in that opposition.

Welp, Charlotte thinks Texas is missing out by not legalizing it. Of course, she’s talking about tax dollars here. In the interview, she brought up how sports betting in Pennsylvania has raised close to $650 in tax revenue since it legalized five years ago. That’s tax money they’ve poured back into the state — money that Texas could easily surpass given its bigger population and diehard sports fanbase.

To no one’s surprise, this opinion mirrors that of her father, Jerry. Say what you want about Jerry the General Manager, but the man knows business — hence why the Cowboys are the most valued pro sports team in the NFL. Jerry has this to say about the matter not too long ago:

“I think ultimately you’ll have sports betting in the state of Texas,” Jerry has said. “Until that time, the state does lose an opportunity for huge amounts of revenue.

Think About The Kids

Going back to Charlotte now. During the same interview, she mentioned legalizing betting isn’t just about better funding for the state. No, it’s also about protecting the kids. Yep, you read that right.

Per Charlotte, betting is still going on in Texas, and she would be right. There’s a whole bunch of international sportsbooks that are currently serving Texan bettors. The thing is, these sportsbooks are not regulated. Therefore, they are not paying taxes on the hundreds of millions of dollars they’re, no doubt, raising inside the state.

“They need the state to come in and take out the bad actors, and let all of that take within our state, and also let the capture of those revenues go to benefit our community.”

But worse than that, Charlotte says these offshore sportsbooks target high school- and college-age in their ads. Given the legal gambling age in the majority of states is 21 years old, these kids would not meet the mark. And at that age, they might not have the discipline to stay in control.

“I don’t think most Texans realize that there’s a risk already in our community and we have to need to everything we can to mitigate that risk, and to come in and let the state actually help us out.”

Even The Jones’ Influence Might Not Be Enough

It’s pretty clear what the Jones, both Charlotte and Jerry, are doing here. They’re using their influence, and that of the Cowboys, to shape the perception of legalized betting. After all, they stand to gain hundreds of millions in extra revenue if it were to be legalized.

However, before this issue ever gets into the voter’s ballots, it needs to go through the state’s lawmakers. Right now, those lawmakers aren’t budging on the issue, no matter what the Jones say or the amount of money Dallas Mavericks owner, Miriam Adelson, is funding them with.

This past year, a sports betting bill finally passed the House — the first time in the state. However, it was quickly killed in the Senste. That’s because the Senate leader and lieutenant general Dan Patrick is the biggest hindrance for legal betting. He’s the second-most powerful man in state politics after the governor and has not been shy about his opposition toward the issue.

We’ll be honest, as long as he’s in this position, we’re not overly optimistic about Texas’ legalization chances. Yes, he’s 74 years old so you’d think time would be ticking on him, but we’re seeing more and more politicians “overstay their welcome” in these positions. The trend seems to be stay as long as possible, and wouldn’t Patrick? He’s a popular Republican in the red-blooded state.

Eilers & Krejcik Gaming shares our pessimism. They’re the leading research company in the space. The other move, they projected Texas wouldn’t pass any legalization until at least 2027. Previously, they had said 2025. That extra three years might be just enough time to phase out Patrick, but even then, we’re not so sure.