Digital Wager Wire highlights the most important events impacting the domestic and international sports betting and gaming industry each week throughout the year.
Texas Says No to Casinos
Texas is one of the biggest and most densely populated states in the nation, yet the mobile sports betting industry has been rebuffed, and so too has gaming legislation, which would launch a lucrative commercial casino business. But Texas lawmakers have stuck to their guns and refused to cave to the many lobbyists and gaming corporations that have donated millions of dollars to pro-gambling political candidates.
The only casino in Texas that resembles the Las Vegas-style gambling most people are accustomed to seeing is on land owned by the Kickapoo Tribe, which operates the Lucky Eagle Casino, allowed by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. It is a Class II license, which means table games like blackjack are not allowed.
In fact, the state Senate voted to terminate the Texas Lottery Commission and to place the Texas Lottery under the aegis of another government entity. Although the House has not yet voted on the bill, if the bill is passed, it could spell the end of the lottery in Texas and signal an ominous sign for any form of gambling expansion in the future.
As for commercial casinos, none of the bills were even heard this year, which means the earliest opportunity for gaming legislation to take hold would be in 2028 due to the legislative cycle in Texas. This has not deterred the efforts of companies like the Las Vegas Sands nor the gaming industry trade groups like the Texas Sports Betting Alliance.
“We’re disappointed Texans didn’t get the chance to vote to legalize sports betting this year, but we know it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” said Karina Kling, a spokesperson for the Sport Betting Alliance. “The fact is, Texans are already doing this, but through illegal, offshore operators. We’ll keep working to educate people on how legalizing sports betting in Texas would protect consumers and bring financial benefits to the state.”
Queens Casino Plan Gets a Legislative Boost
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and his partners at Hard Rock International have an $8 billion Metropolitan Park gaming vision they want to see through to the end. But there are only three downstate casino licenses in New York, and eight active bidders vying for those coveted licenses.
However, in order to get a license, all the red tape must be cut and regulatory procedures followed to the letter. And one of those critical issues involving Cohen’s proposals had to do with rezoning parking areas surrounding Mets Stadium, which was required to be used as part of the resort casino complex.
It was a three-step process that began a month ago when the City Council invoked a “home rule” resolution, calling on the state to approve those bills. The House followed that request and overwhelmingly approved the rezoning, followed by the Senate, which voted 54-5 to approve the measure.
“This legislation allows the Metropolitan Park proposal to now be submitted for consideration by the State Gaming Commission for the awarding of a casino license,” said state Sen. John Liu, D-Flushing, who sponsored the bill. “The proposal would create thousands of jobs for local residents and opportunities for local small businesses and provide over a billion dollars in transit, park, and other infrastructure improvements.”
