Texas Gambling Expansion: Key Players and Political Hurdles

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00:00You think Texas is one of those states that we could see some activity this year?

00:04There will be lots of activity in Texas.

00:06This is the state that the entire industry has their eyes on.

00:10It, of course, is a giant market, loves their sports, lots of professional sports teams,

00:15lots of big names pushing for it, including Mark Cumid, Tillman Fertitta, the Sands Corp

00:22is now involved in there, Jerry Jones wants it.

00:26The problem is, you know, you have a big name in Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick who

00:30does not want gambling expansion.

00:33So that is the big hurdle in the way.

00:37We know that Mary Adelson is lobbying a lot of money this year into the political framework

00:44down there, including Dan Patrick, hoping to kind of swing votes.

00:49Will that happen?

00:51Who knows?

00:52A lot of people are putting it because they meet every other year to 2027 once Dan Patrick

00:57is termed out, which that's a long time in the world, you know, but it is a huge market

01:04and the industry will not stop working on this down there because it is, you know, we've

01:09had estimates come out saying it would be the largest handle market, which of course

01:13would also generate lots of revenue.

01:15So the industry really wants it.

01:17We know there's been a couple bills filed already.

01:19I'm sure there will be even more.

01:21It'll be interesting to see what happens in 2023.

01:23It did pass, a sports betting bill did pass the House.

01:27So you could almost think that it will do that again, unless they just see the Senate

01:31as an immovable object and they don't even want to put effort into it.

01:35But you'd like to see something happen there.

01:37And if it does get in the Senate, maybe there is a groundswell movement there that kind

01:41of maybe puts pressure on Patrick.

01:43Again, we'll be seeing, but this is a state that, to your point, will have lots of activity,

01:48lots of eyeballs on it and something we're going to talk about a lot in 2025.