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Texas is one of the biggest dominoes yet to fall in the U.S. legalized betting landscape. With its population and economy, Texas has the potential to be an absolute booming market for everyone involved — the operators of course, the bettors, and the lawmakers earning tax dollars off its legalization.
However, opposition to betting in Texas has been strong, really strong. Even Florida has allowed sports betting from tribes. Even California has tribal casinos. Texas? Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
However, movers and shakers in the state are trying to change that. Lets explain what’s going down:
New Committee To Establish Casino Gambling Formed
The North Texas Commission is forming a committee of business and community leaders. The goal? To study the effects of destination resorts and casino gambling in the area. For those not in the know, the city of Dallas is in the north of the state. The committee wants keep keep casino legalization on the agenda for 2025.
In 2023, two separate gaming bills — HB 1942 and HB 2843 — passed through the house state affairs committee at 9-3 votes. However, they were shot down way before governor Greg Abbott could decide at his desk.
Anywho, the committee is expected to to start up this fall. They are looking for elected officials, tourism leaders, economic development officials, chambers of commerce members and representatives from religious and faith-based organizations to join. That’s pretty much all the key groups. Get those them and the people they represent on board, and it’s clear skies for this issue.
Sands Casinos Are Hidden Forces
This committee and the larger commission as a whole, is no doubt, being influenced by Las Vegas Sands. The Sands are the “invisible hand” in all of this.
Who is the Sands? It’s a casino corporation — and one of the biggest in the world at that. It was built by Sheldon Adelson, who died a few years ago. His wife, Miriam, is now running the show and her ambition is apparent. The Adeleon family bought the NBA Mavericks team away from Mark Cuban — a bombshell move given Cuban has long been one of the league’s most outspoken advocates. Everyone has a price, we guess, and Cuban’s was a cool $3.5 billion.
The Adelson’s also scooped up 108 acres in Irving, Texas — the former home of the Dallas Cowboys. The rumor is this is for a new arena for the Mavericks, which are currently playing in an ancient facility in downtown. But more than an arena, it would feature a casino resort too, creating a first-of-its-kind, hybrid sports and casino district.
The Sands has had success in the past. influencing legalization in other states. Sands has previously lobbied to legalize gambling in states like New York and New Jersey — both of which eventually did.
However, Sands is honed-in on the Lone Star State now. Records show that Adelson has donated over $4 million to support Texas lawmakers like state reps Dade Phelan and John Kuempel, who unironically, are both pro-gambling legalization. Another $1 million was also given to current Gov. Greg Abbott’s reelection campaign in 2022.
This is how policy is passed in America if we’re being dead honest, and in this special case, especially in Texas. That’s because this is an amendment issue in Texas. Per the state rules, the only way to get an amendment on the ballot is to have the Legislature propose it. So you neeed support from both the House and Senate.
Can the Adelson’s buy their way into getting the support needed? We think so. If their money can sway Cuban to sell the franchise that made him famous, then we think the influence can spread to lawmakers too.
Texas Betting By The Numbers
If you know politics, you know “studies” is the number-one way to prove why you’re law should pass or the opposite, counter a new proposal. Welp, there’s a lot of studies in all this back-and-forth between both sides.
A few worth noting here. The first is courtesy of the Texas Sports Betting Alliance. They estimate over $8 billion in Texas is illegally bet annually — this mostly through offshore online sportsbooks. Those bookies are indeed popular and we personally recommend them for Texas bettors, but that’s neither here nor there.
Another study says that Texan residents spend $5 billion a year legally on betting. This is money spent on legal states, such as neighbors like Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma (this is where North Texans go). Nevada is also factored into those numbers since Las Vegas remains a travel destination for Texans.
Not only that, but 75% of Texans in favor of legalizing gambling, according to a poll from the University of Houston. The state has a reputation for being “holier than thou” but if those numbers are to be believed, they’re not as advertised.
All this is to say, this push to legalize Texas casino betting is going to be the most competitive game of 2025 — not a Cowboys game, not a Mavericks game, and so on. No, the game going on behind the scenes between North Texas biggest decision-makers and influencers.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
