This page contains archived news updates for Texas Casinos from 2023. These items were originally posted on the casino's profile page and have been preserved here as part of the 500 Nations legacy news archive. Major stories from this year may also appear as standalone articles in the main News section.
After Mark Cuban announced his sale of the Dallas Mavericks to owners of the Las Vegas Sands Corp, Cuban said he is now seeking to build a new sports arena as part of a Dallas casino resort. The plans will take a gargantuan effort against the GOP opposition in the Texas senate, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick confirms the senate will never accept Cuban's plans.
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says GOP senators don't support casinos in Texas - Courtesy of CBS TEXAS, Dec 1, 2023. Available from YouTube
The first step to allow casinos in Texas is to amend the state constitution. That requires approval by the state legislature and a ballot measure approved by voters. In an interview with CBS news, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick confirmed there is presently no GOP support in the senate to approve a casino bill.
"My experience and my knowledge is that we aren't even close to having 15 votes or 16 votes for casinos."
- Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
Legislation to legalize casinos and sports betting both died in the last session of the Texas legislature.
In a surprise announcement Wednesday, Mark Cuban will sell his majority ownership in the Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson and the Dumont family, the owners of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. Cuban will retain operational control of the Mavs in a deal valued at $3.5 billion.
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Could casinos really come to Texas? Mark Cuban and the Adelsons are betting on it - Courtesy of WFAA, Nov 29, 2023. Available from YouTube
A statement released by the Adelson and Dumont families said:
"The families are targeting a closing of the transaction by year-end, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and approval of the NBA Board of Governors."
Cuban is an avid supporter of legalizing gambling in Texas, and said last year that he was interested in building a casino resort in Dallas. The new media is reporting that Cuban and Sands are currently working on all types of gambling opportunities which may be passed by the next state legislature.
Legislation to place the issue of Texas sports betting before voters died this session in the state Senate after passing in the House 101-42. Former Gov. Rick Perry, spokesman for the Texas Sports Betting Alliance, says he remains committed to the cause and expects another legislative attempt will be made in 2025.
"Texans deserve the chance to vote on legalizing sports betting, and we will continue to work to put this initiative on the ballot in 2025."
- Rick Perry
In 2023 two gambling bills, HJR 102 and HB 1942, were passed by the Texas House. This is the first time in Texas history that sports gambling legislation was approved by either Texas house. It had no chance in the Senate where there was no political support.
There could be a political shift in the 2024 election, and legislative support for sports betting could change by 2025. There is now time to seek Senate support from Lt Gov. Dan Patrick, who opposed the 2023 legislation, but admitted he is open to the idea of sports betting in the state.
Texas is a huge potential market for regulated sports betting. Fans can expected a greater legislative push in the next session.
The possibility or the Texas legislature passing a casino or online betting measure this year appears unlikely after a statement last week from Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, leader of the Texas Senate. Patrick told Lubbock KFYO talk radio: "We don't have the votes in the Senate as we sit here today."
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Casino gambling in Texas appears to be dead - Courtesy of FOX 26 Houston, Mar 30, 2023. Available from YouTube
Houston State Senator Carol Alvarado, who introduced the Texas casino bill, confirms Patrick's statement. With less than 60 days left in the Texas legislative session, Alvarado says the Senate is "significantly" short of votes needed for passage.
Mark Jones, a Rice political analyst, predicts a slight possibility for a compromise between Lt. Governor Patrick and the Texas House. Jones says "We could envision a scenario whereby school choice is being blocked by the House, and one of the ways Lt. Governor Patrick could unblock it is by allowing Casino gambling to pass." The cards are in Patricksd hands.
Texas House committee passes casino and sports betting bills
April 5, 2023
The Texas House State Affairs Committee passed two gambling bills Monday afternoon. One bill, HB 1942, would legalize mobile-only sports betting with a 10% tax on the adjusted gross revenue. The other bill, HB 2843, would authorize casino resorts with sports betting at the state's existing horse tracks.
Both bills were passed in the committee with a 9-3 vote and will now advance to the full House for consideration. If passed by both the House and Senate, Texas voters will make to final decision on whether to amend the state constitution to allow casino and sportsbook gambling in Texas.
Texas bill HJR 155 would license 8 horse track casino resorts
April 1, 2023
A new joint resolution in the Texas House of Representatives has been introduced into this legislative session that would add casino licenses to existing horse and dog racing licenses to create a limited number of destination resorts.
House Joint Resolution 155 identifies six metropolitan areas for licensing eight casino resorts.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (two locations)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar (two locations)
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Corpus Christi
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
TBD (the county must be 100 miles or more from the above locations)
HJR 155 is authored by Rep. Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth) and supported by Texas Sands PAC, the political arm of Las Vegas Sands. The status and summary of the bill can be found at www.legiscan.com.
Texas Bill Would Expand Gambling at Tribal Casinos
March 28, 2023
A new bill has been introduced in the Texas legislature for a constitutional amendment requiring the governor to negotiate gaming compacts with each federally-recognized tribe in the state. The compacts would allow state regulation of Class III gambling at tribal casinos.
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Legislative bill filed requiring state gaming compact with governor, 3 Texas tribes - Courtesy of KLTV 7, Mar 15, 2023. Available from YouTube
Texas has three Native American casinos. Each operates Class II gaming under jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Interior. Class II is gambling played exclusively against other players and not the house.
The proposed legislation would allow Class III gambling at tribal casinos and generate tax revenues for the state and local governments. Class III is gambling played against the house, such as Vegas-style slot machines, slot machines, blackjack, craps, and roulette.
The three Texas tribes are the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, which operates the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, Maverick County, TX, the Tigua Indians of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, which operations Speaking Rock Casino in El Paso, and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, which operates Naskila Casino in Livingston, Polk County, TX.
The proposed legislation is HJR 156 filed by Rep. Mary Gonzalez of El Paso. To amend the Texas Constitution, this bill must be approved by two-thirds of the state house and senate, and approved by a majority of Texas voters.
Texas Gov. Abbott Reveals His Positions on Casinos, Sports Betting
March 4, 2023
In a recent interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Gov. Greg Abbott revealed his positions on expanding gambling in Texas.
Casinos Gov. Abbott said he is "open" to legalizing casinos in Texas if done in a "professional" way. His number one priority is the safety of players. Abbott told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
"If it can be built in a way that is, kind of like a professional operation that provides a form of entertainment for people, that's something I can be open to. We need, and have an obligation, to make sure that we will not be setting up a system where people without means are using money that they need to pay their bills, to gamble it away and maybe lose it.
"We need to safeguard against that, as well as make sure no operation is being set up that would lead to any type of crime."
Gov. Greg Abbott
Sports Betting Gov. Abbott appears more favorable to sports betting than to casinos. He describes it as "a form of entertainment".
"I'm such a sports fan, and I see people doing this, and it's really a form of entertainment for them, and it's also kind of related to these sports leagues - like fantasy football, things like that - that people participate in.
"Fantasy sports is such a big thing in Texas already. It seems like there could be a way where we could create a system where something like this could happen."
Recent TV newscasts across the state have focused on the growing push for legislation to allow state voters to approve or reject casino gambling and sports betting in Texas.
The current legislation under consideration would authorize a limited number of casino resorts in selected metropolitan areas. The legislation would also authorize mobile sports betting.
FOX 7 Austin
The Issue Is: Casino gambling in Texas | FOX 7 Austin Courtesy of FOX 7 Austin, Feb 13 2023. Available from YouTube
For the first time neither Gov. Greg Abbott nor House Speaker Dade Phelan have opposed the legislative consideration of expanding gambling.
KHOU 11
A look at the new push to legalize gambling and sports betting in Texas Courtesy of KHOU 11, Feb 7 2023. Available from YouTube
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New Texas Bills Introduced for Casinos, Sports Gambling
February 7, 2023
Bipartisan support to legalize casino gambling is growing in the Texas legislature this year. Two bills with similar provisions have been introduced in each house: One by a Democrat and one by a Republican.
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Bills filed that would allow Texans to vote on legalizing casinos, sports gambling in November - Courtesy of FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, Feb 4 2023. Available from YouTube
Senate Joint Resolution 17 was introduced by Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, three months ago, and House Joint Resolution 97 was introduced Friday by Texas State Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth.
House Joint Resolution 97
Texas State Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, introduced a new bill Friday to legalize casinos and sports betting. The Republican bill, known as House Joint Resolution 97, would allow up to seven destination casinos in designated cities. The legislation would support sports betting and also add casino gambling to some of the state's race tracks.
Two destination casinos would be allowed in both Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. The other four casinos would be allowed in Corpus Christi, McAllen, and San Antonio. The state would receive a 15% tax on the gross gaming revenues.
Senate Joint Resolution 17
A similar bill has been filed in the State Senate by Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston. That bill, Senate Joint Resolution 17, proposes a constitutional amendment to allow four casino resorts in metropolitan areas with a minimum of 2 million people and casino gambling at a maximum of three horse tracks.
Legislative Process
To become law, any gambling bill must be passed by two thirds of both the House and Senate before it can be placed on the Nov. 7 ballot for voters to approve. If passed, the state's constitution would be amended.
A recent survey found 75% of Texans support the concept of a constitutional amendment proposed by Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, to legalize sports betting and allow casino resorts in Houston, Austin. Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio.
The survey was conducted by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston between Jan. 9 and Jan. 19. A total of 1,200 people were surveyed with these results:
75% support (41% strongly support) 25% oppose (13% strongly oppose)
The proposed constitutional amendment will require legislative approval, the governor's signature, and voter approval in a statewide referendum.
Texas Bill Supports Limited Casino Gambling and Sports Betting
January 18, 2023
A new legislative bill, Senate Joint Resolution 17, would establish the Texas Gaming Commission and create a framework for legalized gambling in the state. The bill limits the number of licenses and the type of licenses for gambling in Texas. It would also pave the way for future sports betting.
Class I Licenses A maximum of four casino resorts would be licensed in the state. Each would be a metropolitan area with a minimum population of two million people. Each casino would be taxed 25% of gross revenues from slot machines and 10% from table games. Proceeds would be applied to tax relief, education and public safety programs.
Tribal casinos will have an opportunity to add state-licensed gaming with a negotiated gaming compact. In return the state would receive a tax on the cassino revenues. Texas has three tribal casinos: Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, Naskila Gaming in Livingston, and the Speaking Rock Entertainment Center in El Paso.
Class II Licenses A maximum of three licenses will be available for horse racing operators in large metropolitan areas to add "limited casino gambling" to their tracks.
Class III Licenses Two Class III licenses will be available to add limited casino gambling at greyhound races.
The new bill requires changes to the state constitution. Those changes require the bill be approved by two-thirds votes in both legislative houses followed by voter approvals through referendums. If enacted, sports betting could be authorized by a legislative majority vote rather than by a supermajority.
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