Mark Cuban is no stranger to big bets and has previously said he wants the Dallas Mavericks to have a new arena with a resort and casino.
Selling the team to the Las Vegas Suns family gave him a gambling partner well versed in Texas politics.
The Las Vegas Sands and Resort Company hired lobbyists to advertise to build a casino in Texas.
So does the Mavericks' new ownership mean they're getting a casino in Dallas?
“I don’t know,” laughed state Sen. Carol Alvarado. “We made much more progress this session than we have in the past.”
Houston Democrats have been fighting to legalize gambling for more than a decade. The casino construction bill was first voted on in the Texas House of Representatives this spring, but it failed to pass.
Rob Kohler, a consultant with the Christian Life Commission, the public policy arm of the Texas Baptist Convention, works against gambling.
He said news of the Suns' investment in the Dallas Mavericks does not change Congress' calculations.
“[They’re] Some people join long waiting lists and have been there for 30 years,” Kohler said.
Republican strategist Vinny Minchillo said the votes weren't counted.
“The majority of Republican voters probably want to go to Oklahoma to gamble, or go to Louisiana to gamble, and maybe have a casino nearby,” Minchillo said. “But the people in power right now, the more conservative far-right Republicans, can't afford to support casino gambling because their donors and key voters don't support casino gambling.”
The Adelson and Dumont families did not mention gambling in a statement Wednesday announcing their intention to acquire a majority stake in the Mavericks, citing in part: “The goal is to win and have a team that proudly represents the greater DFW area…”
Alvarado said she and others are playing the long game to make gambling one day legal.
“The people at Suns and others in the gaming industry have been investing in Texas for years now, so I know they'll continue to do that, and I'm going to continue to do my part.” said Alvarado. .
