Texas Lawmakers Not Keen On Casino Legislation But Voters Disagree

When you are talking about conservative states in America, Texas is very likely going to top the list.

Texas has flirted with the idea of legalizing casinos in the past but lawmakers quickly put an end to those flirtatious thoughts saying that the social evils associated with gambling were not welcome in the Lonestar state.

Voters in Texas apparently hold a different view to state legislators in 2020 and are keen to have legalized casinos in their state. Baselice & Associates recently carried out a poll asking Texans whether they were for or against having licensed casinos in the state. The results of the poll which was carried out in Nov 2020 showed the following.

More than 60 percent of those surveyed in 5 locations said they were in favour of casino gaming and 59 percent of them wanted casinos in these 5 locations. They were also okay with having casinos set up at horse racing tracks, dog racing tracks and Native American reservations.

Over 90 percent of those surveyed said that state legislators should not decide on whether Texas should have legalized gambling but should put it to vote and let the majority vote decide whether Texans wanted legalized casino gambling or not.

However, we must point out that the poll carried out by Baselice & Associates was done on behalf of Las Vegas Sands Corp which is the biggest casino operator in the United States. It’s billionaire chairman Sheldon Adelson has made it very clear that he is eager to get casino gambling legalized in Texas.

Adelson has hired a 10 member team of top casino lobbyists to campaign and convince state lawmakers that the time is finally right to legalize casinos in Texas.

Casino Campaign Could Make The Difference

Adelson has strong political ties as he continues to be the biggest donor to the Republican party. The success of having legalized casino gambling in Texas will depend heavily on how his team of lobbyists carry out their campaign.

Texas lawmakers will need a lot of convincing to abandon their conservative ways and open up the Lonestar state to legalized gambling. Adelson and his lobbyists will leverage the COVID-19 situation which has devastated the economy and caused a big decline in the state budget.

If lobbyists can convince legislators that legalized casino gambling will make a major financial impact and show them how they can limit the social evils of gambling, you might see Texas legalize casino gambling next year.