Texas Governor Gregg Abbott Open to Gambling Expansion Ahead of Elections

Texas governor Greg Abbott, who was strictly opposed to the expansion of gambling in Texas, has recently stated he is ready to listen to proposals from casino operators.

Both Candidates for Texas Governor Are Open to Gambling Expansion

Texas, the second most-populated state after California, has been coveted by the gambling industry for a while. Currently, the only forms of gambling allowed in the state are the state lottery, some bingo operations, horse and dog races, and a tribal casino located in Eagle Pass.

However, this may change soon as lobbying from major casino operators in connection with the upcoming state elections may push legislators in the desired direction.

As the Democratic Party’s candidate Beto O’Rourke already embraced the possibility to introduce gambling in Texas, Houston Chronicle reported that Republican candidate and current governor Greg Abbott has also said he is open to hearing out proposals from casino operations.

However, Abbott’s press secretary Renae Eze has explained that the governor does not want slot machines all over the state’s corner stores but he is looking for high-end proposals for exquisite entertainment and gambling venues.

Fat Gambling Donations to Abbott’s Campaign Coming from the Gambling Industry

Abbott has a history of being against gambling expansion in the state, however, lately a lot of money from the gambling industry in the form of donations has been pouring into his elections campaign.

Donations of $1.5 million have come from gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam Adelson since 2020.

Houston billionaire and casino tycoon Tilman Fertitta has also donated $1.1 million to Abbott’s office.

Oklahoma’s Chickasaw Nation has tried to interfere with Texas politics by writing a check for $350,000 to Abbott. The tribe is currently running 20 casinos in neighboring Oklahoma.

Texas’ Kickapoo Traditional Tribe added another $160,000 betting on Abbott’s re-election.

The strongest argument coming from gambling expansion supporters in Texas is that a lot of revenue will come from gambling operations in the form of tax revenue that will benefit the education and health systems in the state.

As neighboring states offer gambling products a lot of Texans travel there to gamble, which effectively means that Texas is already losing potential gambling tax revenue.

However, even if Abbott and O’Rourke are open to gambling expansion in Texas, the Republican party in the state is not. The party has declared they oppose any expansion of the gambling market in Texas and that they do not approve of a budget that is dependent on gambling as a source of income.

During the last legislative session of 2021, there were hardly enough votes in the Texas Senate to support the expansion of gambling. It is not clear if that will be the case in the next session.