No Gambling Expansion In Texas Anytime Soon

Texas can forget about any expansion into gambling for the foreseeable future that is according to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick who recently spoke to a local radio station.

Speaking on KFYO radio the chief of the Texas Senate stated he was strongly opposed to any expansion on gambling in the state. He was quoted as saying that none of his Republican Senator colleagues are in support either and with Republicans having the majority within the Senate there is no possible way of it being allowed.

Indeed to have any bill pass through the State Senate it requires at least 21 votes and with the split in Senate of 18-13 in Republican majority that is not going to happen the Lt. Governor said.

In fact he was quoted on the radio as saying: “We don’t even have a bill that has been filed in the Senate on the issue of gambling expansion. When you don’t even have a sponsor, it’s not even a bill you spend much time on or think about”.

He finished by saying: “I don’t spend much time on it because the members are just against it.”

There had been talk that maybe Texas would consider it this year with mounting debts at state level because of the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, however with Texas expenditure at $125 billion a year even if gambling helped by $200 million it would have little effect on state income.

Gambling in Texas is one of the strictest controlled in the US with only limited amount of activities allowed such as bingo, the state lottery along with horse racing and greyhound racing.

Back in 1980 the state allowed the three federally recognized Native American tribes to operate casinos, however even these have limited games of chance allowed.