It appears that the push to expand gambling in Texas will have to wait for at least two more years. However, the number of congressional supporters seems to be increasing with each campaign-finance cycle. The lure of potential financial gain may prove too strong to resist, whether you are in Austin hoping to win the casino jackpot or in other cities across the state. If it were not for Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s persistent opposition, the deal might have been signed already.
With Congress ending without a clear path to legalizing online sports and casino gambling, lawmakers may do well to take note of what is happening in the world. Two major online sports betting operators have been fined in Ohio for posting ads that inappropriately targeted people under the age of 21. As a result, several states, including Ohio, Maryland, Maine, New York, and Connecticut, are tightening or planning to tighten regulations on gambling.
In Texas, legislators have put forward some bizarre arguments in favor of online sports gambling, as journalist Dan Solomon recently pointed out in The Texas Monthly. They would be better off simply admitting that they are motivated by the money pouring into their campaign chests from the gambling lobby.
It is essential to remember that the money funding these campaigns must come from somewhere, and that money often comes from people who have lost money due to gambling debts. The gambling industry is never going to give up on opening up Texas to the widest possible gambling expansion, from mobile phones to casinos and everywhere in between. But as of now, the people pushing it still do not have the necessary votes.
If legislators in Texas are considering backing this expansion, they would do well to get a clear picture of who they are dealing with before moving forward. Your feedback is welcome, so please refer to the guidelines and submit your letter to the editor.