Texas Sports Betting Suffers Another Setback

For anyone expecting progress to be made toward Texas sports betting legalization, the results of a recent special election inside The Lone Star State just sent a clear message: It’s not happening.

Republican John Huffman was running in Texas Senate District 9. A pro-gambling stance was among the issues on which he built his campaign. However, he ended up finishing a distant third on the ballot, receiving only 16 percent of the vote.

While singular losses at the district level isn’t typically enough to raise eyebrows on broader-scale issues, Huffman’s case is different. He had an atypical amount of financial backing behind him, as Deadspin’s Frank Ammirante writes:

“Huffman’s loss was particularly notable given the scale of support behind him. There was approximately $3.5 million in funding from pro-gambling groups. This included significant backing linked to casino magnate Miriam Adelson, making Huffman the best-funded contender in the race. Despite that financial advantage, voters opted for two rivals who did not support gambling expansion…Lawmakers, particularly in the Senate, remain resistant to casino and sports-betting proposals, creating a steep climb for advocates. Huffman’s defeat highlights that even heavy spending and high-profile donors are not enough to break through entrenched opposition.”

Adelson contributing to Huffman’s campaign says all we need to know. As the majority shareholder in Las Vegas Sands Corp, she’s deeply invested in the legalization of Texas sports betting and casino gaming. Most notably, she is now the controlling owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, as well as plots of land apparently earmarked for a resort-style gambling oasis in Big D.

Billionaire conglomerate heads do not make these decisions without incentive. Las Vegas Sands has clearly identified Texas sports betting legalization as a major business opportunity. Yet, the result of this particular election shines a light on one big question.

Texas Sports Betting Polls Suggested There’d Be Different Results

A number of Texas sports betting polls have suggested that voters favor some form of gaming expansion and legalization. But if that’s the case, why would a well-supported pro-betting candidate like Huffman not only lose, but be so thoroughly outshined by two other candidates who have assumed anti-gambling platforms?

This is, quite literally, the multi-billion question we have to ask in the aftermath of the results. Even in a loss, and even with other political issues shaping voter sentiment, a 16 percent approval rating points toward an enormous disconnect.

Weirder still, it’s not like the disparate results between polls and the District 9 results can be chalked up to time. It would be one thing if there hadn’t been a Texas sports betting poll conducted in years. But that is simply not the case.

The University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs conducted a survey in early 2025. The poll included 1,200 Texans of voting age. And at the time, the results were staggering.

According to the poll, 73 percent of Texas support the legalization of destination resort casinos. That is the issue in which Adelson is bound to be most interested. Secondarily, 60 percent of respondents support the legalization of Texas online sports betting. That is quite the majority.

Indeed, these surveys are subject to a margin of error. But the University of Houston estimated that margin to be 2.83 percent. Even when factoring that in, the results suggest there’s an overwhelming support among voters for legal sports betting and casino gaming.

More Research Must Be Done In The Lone Star State

Clearly, we all need more information, at large, on how Texans feel about sports betting in the United States. The results of one regional election do not speak for the entire state, but the discrepancy between previous polls and the latest public referendum are too huge to ignore.

This isn’t meant to bring the validity of previous polls into the question. If anything, the Las Vegas Sands tethering itself so tightly to the future of Texas gambling implores the opposite. A company this big isn’t going to invest like this on a whim. They are going to use market research in an attempt to predict the trajectory of Texas sports betting and casino legalization.

That’s why all of this matters. The District 9 election results imply one of two things: an abrupt shift in public sentiment, or an error on how research is being conducted. Sports betting supporters specifically need to figure out the answer.

Fortunately for them, they have some time. The Texas state legislature won’t convene in a serious capacity until the start of 2027. If there is going to be any movement on the future of sports betting and casino gaming, it will happen then, ahead of the 2028 electoral ballot.

The Outlook on Sports Betting In Texas Doesn’t Seem So Hot

Not to suggest there will definitely be movement. Texas continues to have a ton of factors working against it. That includes the steadfast opposition of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. His own views tend to mirror the majority of the Senate. Getting a Texas sports betting bill past the House of Representatives has proven doable. The Senate is the next major hurdle.

However, if it turns out that Texans aren’t as pro-gambling as prior research has made it seem, nobody should hold their breath for anything to change.

Advocates routinely point toward public sentiment as the catalyst for shifting views in the Senate. That logic is shaky in the first place. It becomes null and void if the general public is indifferent or outright against it.

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