AUSTIN — Mark Cuban's majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks has reportedly been sold to Miriam Adelson, majority owner of casino empire Las Vegas Sands, a move that raises questions about the implications for Texas' gambling expansion efforts. There is a lot of interest in whether it has such meaning.
Gambling is illegal in the Lone Star State. The state constitution allows for limited exceptions, including the state lottery and horse and dog races.
But in recent years, more than 35 states have legalized some form of sports betting. It comes amid a huge expansion of mobile sports betting across the country following a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that struck down a federal ban on sports betting.
However, Texas has not legalized sports betting. Here are five things you need to know about gambling in the Lone Star State and the broader efforts to expand it.
The state constitution prohibits gambling, so a bill that would allow Texans to place bets legally would not only have to pass the Texas Legislature and be signed by the governor, but voters would have the final say. I will have it.
Lawmakers must approve a bill calling for a constitutional amendment election. But for voters to have a chance to vote on whether to allow new forms of gambling in Texas, the resolution would need to pass with a two-thirds majority in each chamber.
Bills seeking constitutional amendments do not require the governor's signature and cannot be vetoed.
But the two-thirds threshold could make it difficult to pass the resolution on Capitol Hill.
During the regular session, Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, introduced a resolution that would allow eight resort-style gambling establishments in the state, two of which would be set aside in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. However, the bill did not receive the votes needed to pass in the House of Representatives.
Another resolution to allow mobile sports betting passed the House, but failed in the Senate after being debated.
Republicans control Congress and hold majorities in the House, Senate, and governorships. Republicans have generally opposed expanding gambling, but other statewide leaders have expressed openness to the idea in recent years.
Gov. Greg Abbott told the Houston Chronicle that he is “open to” building a resort casino in Texas ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. And during the first few days of the regular session, House Speaker Dade Phelan also expressed openness toward resort casinos.
However, Senate President Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the Senate would not pass gambling because the bill would have had more support from Democratic senators than Republicans.
“I have said repeatedly that there is little support for gaming expansion from Senate Republicans. We surveyed our members this week. Nothing has changed,” he said. Patrick said on social media: Before the closing of the May regular meeting. “The Senate must focus on the issues that voters expect us to pass. We will not waste time on legislation without overwhelming Republican support.”
Cuban, who maintains operational control of the Mavericks, previously said: dallas morning news His plan is to partner with Las Vegas Sands to build a new arena in the middle of the resort and casino.
But that will only happen if gambling is legalized in Texas.
He was the first Texas team owner to announce a desire to partner with a casino for a resort-arena hybrid.
Cuban said earlier this month that Texas doesn't have any significant attractions for out-of-state tourists.
“When you think about where you want to save money, [for] Even though we're on vacation, Texas isn't one of them,” Cuban said Nov. 2 at an entrepreneurship event in Frisco. “You save up money but there's no real destination. That's a problem, and I think resort games will have a big impact.”
Meanwhile, polls show a majority of Texans support expanding gambling.
A poll conducted by the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs from January 9th to 19th found that 75% of Texans support a proposed constitutional amendment by Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston), which would increase the It has been revealed that it will be possible to stay at four destinations. resort casino.
Additionally, an April poll conducted by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin found that nearly half of Texans support expanding casino gambling in the state.
In Texas, the state constitution says the state legislature meets in odd-numbered years unless the governor calls lawmakers for a special 30-day session.
This means it is highly unlikely that lawmakers will consider gambling legislation before the 2025 session. And elections to amend the constitution are likely to be held in November 2025.
