- Texas’ State Legislature considered multiple bills to legalize various forms of gambling.
- Neither of the bills seems likely to pass in the 2021 legislative session.
- Gamblers in Texas will likely have to wait longer for state regulated gambling.
LAS VEGAS - Multiple proposals to legalize and regulate various aspects of online gambling and sports betting in Texas have stalled, and are not expected to pass in the 2021 legislative session.
This is a blow to the various gaming interests that invested in allowing different types of gaming in Texas, whether that be only sports betting, or full gambling legalization.
Both of those proposals were on the table, but neither of them managed to achieve the support necessary to pass.
In order to legalize gambling in Texas, a constitutional amendment is required, as Texas’ constitution bans gambling. This situation means that a 2/3rds majority of lawmakers in the Texas State Legislature would be required to get the bill off the ground.
After that happens, the next requirement is that the voters of the Lone Star State approve the proposal for a constitutional amendment to legalize any form of gambling.
With two different proposals bouncing around the Texas State Legislature, and teams like the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Texas Rangers backing sports betting, it seemed like a genuine possibility.
Unfortunately, neither of the bills has managed to make it past the committee stage, but there is some hope for the future.
Rep. John Keumpel, speaking to the Dallas Morning News, was regretful about the way the current session went, stating “There’s not time for it to pass this session.”
However, Keumpel committed to trying for legalization as soon as possible, telling the Morning News “Let’s roll the dice!”
While Texas’ gambling industry will likely have to wait a few years at this pace, the fact that these proposals got off the ground is a good sign. When you gamble, sometimes you get unlucky, and sometimes you go on a heater, but it all evens out in the end. The hope, for Texas’ gamblers, is that their luck with regards to state regulated gambling evens out sooner rather than later.