LAREDO, Texas.- To help get casino legalization in Texas, gambling advocates unveiled new legislation that is focused on partnering with horse racing operators across the state to get it done.
This is Joint Resolution 97 of the House of Representatives presented by the Fort Worth Republican, Charlie Geren, who pointed out that through this voters will be allowed to decide in the November elections if they want to legalize casinos. So if approved, gaming companies could apply for licenses to build seven high-end “destination resorts” in Texas.
Geren’s legislation is backed by Las Vegas Sands, the gambling empire that first came to Austin two years ago with a million-dollar push to legalize casinos in the state, though even with all its efforts, so far no it has been achieved.
However, Sands does not give up and now aims to gain more acceptance through the proposal presented by Geren.
The acceptance of the proposal by the racetrack operators will be essential for its approval, since they are influential since they already have a foothold in Texas. The 2021 legislation would have allowed operators to apply for second-tier licenses for “limited casino games.” The new proposal puts them on an equal footing with everyone else, eliminating tiered licenses and allowing them to bid to build full-fledged destination resorts.
“It brings together everyone, in general, who was somehow divided last time. We have a much broader coalition of people behind this,” Andy Abboud, Sands’ senior vice president of government relations, said in an interview.
Abboud also mentioned that the new proposal could revitalize the Lone Star State’s thoroughbred horse racing industry, as it would not only stimulate the tourism industry, but also agriculture through increased breeding.
In this way, Geren’s legislation takes a new approach by seeking to forge a greater partnership with gaming operators that have already planted their flags in Texas, primarily at horse racing tracks.
The proposed resolution would allow any racetrack licensed on or after January 1, 2022 to apply for a separate license to build a casino, either on its current site or elsewhere in its metropolitan area. A racetrack could also “nominate” a person to apply for a casino license, which would open up an operator that is newer to Texas to join the bidding competition.
But the outlook for the game’s expansion is uncertain, as while Gov. Greg Abbott and state House Speaker Dane Phelan have been enthusiastic, the state’s other top leader, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, is unconvinced. and it is noteworthy to mention that in addition to being a politician and public servant, he is a sports announcer and commentator, so his word weighs both in political media and in the sports field, including betting. So it only remains to wait for the resolution that is given to the issue.
