The bill, which requires two-thirds approval by both the state legislature and the Senate, will approve or reject an amendment to overturn Texas’ existing constitutional gambling ban next November. will be voted on.
A new poll reveals 75% of Texans support a constitutional amendment proposed by Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston). star state.
The survey, conducted Jan. 9-19 by the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs, took a big turn in the mood in favor of legal sports betting in the long-hungry state of Texas. It’s the strongest sign ever that you’ve made the move. For all such activities.
The poll found that 41% of those polled “strongly” supported Senator Alvarado’s Joint Resolution 17, while 34% supported the bill “somewhat”. Only 25% of respondents oppose the proposal, including her 13% of Texans who are “strongly” opposed to the bill.
A poll revealed that 69% of residents who took part in the poll were specifically in favor of another law that would legalize only online and in-person sports betting in Texas.
Still, Senate Speaker Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick faces a major hurdle. In 2021, Patrick denied in his Austin interview with KXAN-TV that legalized gaming could pick up momentum. But new poll results could put pressure on Patrick to reconsider his opposition to the game.
The bill requires two-thirds approval in both the state legislature and the Senate, and Texas will vote next year on whether to approve or reject an amendment that would overturn Texas’ existing constitutional gambling ban. A referendum will be held in November.
Alvorado’s proposal reads: “Promote economic development and job growth, create a Texas Gaming Commission to provide tax cuts and funding for education and public safety, authorize and regulate a limited number of casino gaming, and change the constitution. A joint resolution proposing resorts and establishments in destinations that are sanctioned by the Commission, permit sports betting, require a professional license to conduct gambling in casinos, and require taxation.”
Mark Cuban and Miriam Adelson’s Sons Corp are major supporters of the game bill
Senator Alvarado’s bill follows a proposal by billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, to build a new Vegas-style casino and resort complex in the heart of Dallas.
The Cuban project is backed by the cash-rich Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which owns several integrated hotel and casino facilities in Macau and the Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore.
“Online gambling is great because it’s fun for fans and for everyone,” Cuban said in December. “The reality is that many politicians in Texas are already saying mobile gaming is just moving the needle a little bit. But destination resort casinos? That’s billions for the state. Big difference. We have to be the destination.”
To this end, Sands Corporation and its affiliated Political Action Committee (PACS) have contributed $3.1 million in campaign funds in Texas in 2022. Of that, $1.7 million went directly to Republican lawmakers and candidates, and $600,000 went to Democrats.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott was the beneficiary of the $1 million, the largest donation to a politician in the state. He and State House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) both include his four destination resort casinos in major city centers and his eight smaller casinos spread throughout Texas. , expressed support for the limited rollout of the game within the state.
Miriam Adelson — former Las Vegas Sands CEO and widow of Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson — spearheads push for legalized retail and online sports betting in Texas One of the main players standing.
Adelson’s late husband famously unsuccessfully tried to garner support for a proposed casino project in 2020. Sands Corporation, meanwhile, has billions of dollars in cash reserves after selling its Las Vegas Strip assets in March 2021 for a total of $6.25 billion.
As of the first week of the 2023 Texas legislature, which opened on Jan. 10, Sands has appointed 63 lobbyists to lobby legislators to pass game amendments.
Additionally, FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM are front-runners to build a destination resort and casino complex in Texas and are actively lobbying for legislation to be passed.
Another prominent proponent of Texas gaming and sports betting is Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys.
Bipartisan support for the bill
Democratic Senator Carol Alvarado, a longtime game advocate, said there was enough bipartisanship among both Republicans and Democrats in state legislatures to pass the bill with the necessary two-thirds majority. We believe that the endorsement of the
“We’re just going to let Texans go to the polls and vote if they should play games in Texas,” Alvarado said in a Jan. 3 interview with Houston’s ABC News affiliate KRTK-TV. Told.
“The way it is built will be very specific to casinos, Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. Starting with four- to five-star hotels, convention and conference complexes, , must have several components: entertainment, restaurants, shops.”
A Democratic senator who found Republican sponsorship in the state House makes a compelling argument that games and sports betting provide economic stimulus, create jobs and help put Texas on the map as a leisure vacation destination. I believe there is entertainment.
“Construction, indirect, hospitality indirect, entrepreneurs. Houston is a place where people come for economic opportunities. The opening of restaurants and shops will boost our local economy. said Alvarado. Hundreds of thousands of new jobs will be created in the Houston area alone.
In the coming months, Texas legislators will make significant public calls to listen to all arguments in favor of legalizing games and sports betting, not to mention those added by Sand Corporation’s army of lobbyists. you will be under pressure.
Most industry analysts believe that retail and online sports betting will greatly benefit state economies, both in terms of hundreds of millions in state taxes on betting and the expected influx of tourists to destination resorts. I think
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