Texas Gov. Abbott Contemplates Gambling in His State

Sports betting has been a smashing success throughout the U.S. With that said, there are three major states that have yet to embrace the idea of letting residents legally bet on sports. Other forms of internet gambling have also been avoided in these three states with the three states in question being California, Florida, and Texas.

It's Texas which presents a very interesting case study related to the process of getting sports and casino betting. In Texas, residents have clearly indicated they want the right to bet on sports and play online casino games for real cash. At the same time, the Texas legislature, with some exceptions, has simply ignored the will of the people.

Just this past week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott piped in on his current thoughts related to increased gambling access in the state. More n that below.

The State of Current Gambling Legislation in Texas

Whether or not Gov. Abbott will ever have gambling legislation on his desk for signing will depend on what legislators can get through the House and Senate.

Currently, there are two pieces of gambling legislation moving through Congress. The two bills in question are HB 1942 and SB 715. The two bills were introduced by Rep. Jeff Leach and Senator Lois Kolkhorst, respectively. Both bills are pushing for the legalization of retail and online/mobile sports betting with additional consideration for online casino gambling. Also, mention was made regarding the development of major retail casinos in metro areas like Houston and Dallas.

It's noteworthy that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and other sports franchise owners do support these bills.

Gov. Abbott Takes a Stand

In a recent interview with USA Today, Gov. Abbott spoke about his position on the legalization of different forms of gambling in his state. The term Abbott used related to his concerns was "over-consumption of gambling" among the state's residents. Quite literally, he made clear he is opposed to Texans having easy and unfettered access to sports betting kiosks and casinos on "every corner" or at every "7-Eleven."

In a subsequent press release given to the Houston Chronicle, Abbott said:

“We don’t want slot machines at every corner store, we don’t want Texans to be losing money that they need for everyday expenses, and we don’t want any type of crime that could be associated with gaming. But, if there is a way to create a very professional entertainment option for Texans, Gov. Abbott would take a look at it.”

A reasonable person would read these responses as the Gov. might be willing to sign sports and or online gambling legislation if it is properly limited in his view.

What Now?

Regardless of what legislators and Abbott are willing and able to do, the legalization of sports betting and online casinos still has a way to go before anything comes to fruition. One key hurdle is that the state's constitution would have to be amended, which requires two-thirds legislator support and majority approval from voters. These are huge hurdles that make the passing of such legislation very unlikely in the next year or two.