How cool would it be to not have to drive outside of Texas to be able to play blackjack or test our luck at a slot machine? The talk has been there for years about legalizing casino gambling in Texas with a majority of the state’s residents in favor of it. A 2023 proposal failed in Austin. But that hasn’t stopped the Las Vegas Sands from continuing to make a push to legalize gambling in the Lone Star State.

Good and Bad of Gambling

It was a big deal in Texas in the early to mid 90s when the state legalized lottery games. It became a lot of fun for residents to head into a convenience store and purchase a scratch off ticket or select their numbers in the various nightly lottery drawings. Of course, the downside to this fun is those who become addicted to the medium and will forgo necessities in hopes of hitting it big.

If you or someone you know is addicted to gambling, get help from the National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-522-4700.

As more and more states begin legalizing gambling of some sort, the stigma of being home to a casino is going away. For us in East Texas, it’s fairly common for many of us to head to Shreveport or Oklahoma or Livingston, Texas for an evening of sitting in front of slot machine or at the blackjack table to win, or blow, some disposable income. Many of those same East Texans would probably not mind having to drive to a neighboring city to do the same.

Texas House Failed Vote

In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives Speaker proposed a bill that would legalize gambling, sports betting and create a Texas Gaming Commission (KHOU) in Texas. It ultimately failed. The proposal would also allow for four resort casinos in cities like Dallas, Austin, Houston and other larger Texas cities.

Even with that failed vote, a group backed by the casino company Las Vegas Sands continues their push to legalize gambling in Texas. They currently operate casino resorts in Macao and Singapore and used to operate The Venetian, The Palazzo and the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas (mysanantonio.com). They are also the same company that bought a controlling interest in the Dallas Mavericks from Mark Cuban.

Latest Push in North Texas

Elected officials from Irving, Arlington and Dallas met with the Las Vegas Sands group. The hope is to make their case during the 2025 Texas legislative session. But this would mean that a change to the Texas constitution would need to be made. That’s going to be difficult to do. Another part of this discussion is to put together a committee to study the various impacts gambling could have in the region (nbcdfw.com). This process could take 12 to 18 months.

The push to legalize gambling in Texas isn’t going to be easy nor will it be a quick process. Even if it fails in 2025, committees like this can gather even more information to better prepare themselves for the next presentation.

READ MORE: A New Acquisition Will Change CEFCO in East Texas

READ MORE: The 6th Fastest Speed Limit in the World is in Texas