In a renewed effort to bring casino gambling to Texas, advocates face significant obstacles despite recent momentum in legislative discussions.

Adelson Family Drives Efforts for Casino Legalization in Major Texan Cities

The Las Vegas Sands Corporation, spearheading the campaign for legalized casino gaming, aims to introduce destination-style resort casinos in major Texan cities such as Dallas and San Antonio. Bolstered by their recent acquisition of a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks, the Adelson Family, owners of Las Vegas Sands, are pouring resources into lobbying efforts through the Texas Destination Resort Alliance, reported News 4 San Antonio.

Political analysts express cautious optimism about the prospects of casino legalization. Dr. Jon Taylor, a political science chair at the University of Texas at San Antonio, indicated that there is an increasing momentum in support of casino gambling. He pointed out that this trend is evident due to the strategic investments made by major corporations such as Las Vegas Sands. However, significant hurdles remain, particularly among staunch conservative and evangelical factions within Texas politics.

Opponents of casino legalization, predominantly conservative and evangelical groups, argue against the moral implications of expanding gambling. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick emerged as a prominent voice against gaming expansion, reflecting the sentiments of a significant conservative base within the state.

Texas Grapples with Political Divide in Push for Casino Legalization

The political landscape further complicates the path to legalization. Recent primary elections saw moderate Republicans, potentially supportive of casino legislation, defeated or facing runoffs against more conservative counterparts. 

Despite some openness from Speaker of the House Dade Phelan and a slight concession from Gov. Greg Abbott, the constitutional requirements for a two-thirds majority in both legislative chambers pose a formidable challenge.

Scott Braddock, an editor of the Quorum Report, emphasized the challenge by explaining that due to the need for a constitutional amendment, approval would require two-thirds of both the House and the Senate to vote in favor before presenting it to the people. Such a consensus seems elusive in the current Republican-controlled legislature, despite public opinion polls indicating favorable views toward expanded gaming.

Advocates highlight the potential economic benefits of casino legalization, emphasizing increased revenue and tourism opportunities for the state. Dr. Taylor underscored the competitive disadvantage Texas faces compared to neighboring states already offering various forms of gambling.

While advocates rally for change, the road to casino legalization in Texas remains steep and uncertain. As political dynamics continue to evolve, the outcome hinges on navigating a complex landscape of ideological divides and legislative hurdles.

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Betting on political events is a relatively new activity that has seen some popularity recently. Similar to sporting events, election market bets for political events can favor one candidate or another. In some cases, bettors can wager how far a candidate may go through a political campaign or when they may drop off. In sports, the expansion of betting across the US caused a great deal of concern, primarily related to the integrity of the competitions, especially when it comes to collegiate sports.

Now, a group of lawmakers raised concerns about the possibility of legal gambling on US elections in a recent letter addressed to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The letter comes after back in June, a private predictions company called Kalshi, notified the Commission that it intends to offer “event contracts on the outcomes of US elections,” wrote the concerned lawmakers. This, in other words, means that the company seeks the approval of the CFTC to offer for-profit gambling on political outcomes.

For-Profit Gambling on Political Events Raises Concerns

In light of this, US Sen. Chris Van Hollen along with Sen. Jeff Merkley, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Edward J. Markey, Elizabeth Warren and Dianne Feinstein, sent a letter to the CFTC, urging the Commission’s chairman, Rostin Behnam, to reject the request submitted by Kalshi.

“There is no doubt that the mass commodification of our democratic process would raise widespread concerns about the integrity of our electoral process,“

reads a letter sent by the lawmakers to the CFTC

In their letter, the lawmakers said that if the democratic process goes through commodification, concerns about the integrity of the process may come. The letter underlines that this would represent an activity that is in opposition to the public interest, which is why, they urged the CFTC to reject the request from the private predictions company.

“Such an outcome is in clear conflict with the public interest and would undermine confidence in our political process — we urge the CFTC to deny Kalshi’s proposal,“

explained the lawmakers in their letter

According to the lawmakers, approval of the proposal by Kalshi would bring statewide for-profit gambling on political outcomes, an activity that may interfere with the elections. The concerned group of lawmakers also added that such for-profit activities may negatively impact the trust in the integrity of the elections in the United States. At the same time, the lawmakers warned that wealthy groups can abuse that process and impact the outcomes of what is otherwise a democratic election process.

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