As one of the strictest states when it comes to gambling, Texas has proven to be a tough nut to crack when it comes to gaming legislation. Despite continued efforts to launch sports betting and casino gaming, the state has remained restrictive and wary of new verticals.
Stronger Republican Support Would Be Needed
Texas Senate leader Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, famous for killing gambling bills, has now decided to weigh in on the matter and provide insight into the actual support for legal casinos.
Appearing on the WFAA podcast Y’all-tics, Patrick noted that his fellow Republicans are not very thrilled about the prospects of gambling. He said that no more than three or four Republican senators would support such a motion, meaning that Texas is unlikely to legalize casinos anytime soon.
Previously, a bill made some strides in the House before getting ultimately struck down because of a lack of Republican support. While all Democrats supported the measure, only a small part of the Republicans did so. Patrick emphasized that his colleagues do not intend to allow the Democrats to run the Senate in what is a Republican state.
Considering that the Texan Senate has 31 members, a bill would usually require 16 Senate votes. However, since casinos would require a constitutional amendment, such a change would instead require 21 votes.
Even if all 11 Democratic senators support a casino bill, Patrick will not allow the bill to move forward unless it has the support of at least three-quarters of the Senate Republicans.
In addition, even if senators are to greenlight a casino bill, the constitutional amendment would require a public vote to pass.
Patrick Wouldn’t Mind Casinos If That’s What Republicans Want
While betting and casino bills have previously succeeded in passing the House, the majority have found a quick death at the hands of the Senate. Considering that no significant advancements have been made, senators seem reluctant to waste time on such bills, unless there is indication that the Senate is ready to introduce an actual change.
In the meantime, casino companies continue pushing for legalizing casino resorts in Texas. With Las Vegas Sands at the forefront of these efforts, operators see Texas as a huge untapped opportunity.
Some casino proponents have accused Patrick of blocking casinos. Unfazed, he attributed the lack of progress to the industry’s lackluster campaign, which has failed to sway the Senate Republicans. He accused casino companies of thinking that hard spending would be enough to make a change.
Patrick reiterated his position, saying that he wouldn’t mind advancing a casino bill if it has sufficient Republican support. He noted that the Senate would not pass any bill that has the support of only 20-25% of the Republican officials, not just casino ones.
Additionally, Patrick pointed out that half of the Texan voters are strongly opposed to casinos.
Considering Patrick’s words, Texas might be unlikely to legalize casinos in 2025, despite earlier optimism that 2025 might be the breakthrough year.
