AUSTIN (NEXSTAR) – As fans across Texas sat down to watch the Longhorns make their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance on Monday, untold sums of money were drained from Texas wallets to out-of-state sportsbooks in illegal bets. There is no doubt about it. But the chances of Texas legalizing gaming anytime soon are slim to none after an unprecedented push by casinos and sportsbooks failed to gain support in Congress this year.
After a multimillion-dollar lobbying effort from powerful casino interests like the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, the Texas Legislature has moved further into sports betting than ever before. In May, the Texas House of Representatives passed a bill to legalize sports betting for the first time, but none of the bills passed.
“Maybe it’ll happen in 2025. Maybe it’ll start to pick up momentum as we get closer to the session. But from where I’m sitting right now, I just don’t see it,” said Robert, regulatory writer at XLMedia. Linehan said.
stopped in the senate
There’s one state leader that observers point to when they throw cold water on the prospect: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Patrick, the Senate president and the state’s most powerful lawmaker, decides which bills move or die. He has repeatedly questioned sports betting and casino legislation.
“From day one, there was zero support for casino gambling or sports betting,” Patrick said in March, midway through this year’s regular legislative session. “Unless I have 15 or 6 Republicans, which means we’re in a Republican-led state, it’s a Republican-led bill…I’m going to bring the bill to the floor. No. We need Republican agreement. Otherwise, it’s a bill Democrats are going to pass. We don’t do that in the Senate.”
In May of this year, the Texas House of Representatives passed a sports betting bill by a vote of 82-51. Still, only 35 Republicans voted in favor. Lieutenant Governor Patrick did not refer the House bill to a Senate committee, citing a lack of Republican support.
“Patrick and Senate Republicans are in some ways following their lead, but they don’t want to,” Linnehan said. “With Lt. Governor Dan Patrick in power until 2026, I think casino expansion and sports betting will be a very difficult mountain to climb.”
Adelson’s advantage?
On Wednesday, the NBA approved the sale of the Dallas Mavericks to the Las Vegas Sands Casino Company, a purchase that renews speculation about a growing gaming push in Texas.
“This is a new ally for Texas gaming expansion,” Linnehan said. “They may be able to bend some ears that Mark Cuban didn’t…but the truth of the matter is that Jerry Jones, one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful “We’ve had one of our franchise owners publicly say that over the past few years, legalization of sports betting in the state has been rocky, but nothing has happened.”
Since the beginning of 2022, Sands Corporation has donated millions of dollars to Texas lawmakers. The donations include at least $225,000 to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, $300,000 to House Speaker Dade Phelan and $200,000 to Gov. Greg Abbott.