One Senator will Keep Pushing for Texas Sports Betting

Every attempt to legalize Texas sports betting to date has ended up falling through, either in an official capacity or due to the complete absence of consideration. Given that it is now seven years since the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Profesional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, the sheer number of failures is starting to add up. It is theoretically enough for The Lone Star State to move away from the subject altogether.

Rest assured, though, at least one senator won’t let that happen.

Senator Carol Alvarado, a Democrat out of Houston, has sponsored and pushed for a handful of measures that aim to legalize sports betting in Texas. Not surprisingly, she is the one who filed Senate Joint Resolution 16 this past year. Like every other initiative before it, the bill has since failed. And after a relatively encouraging discussion during 2023 legislative meetings, the lack of progress made during this past session is categorized by many as discouraging.

Still, through Senator Alvarado’s actions and comments, it has become increasingl clear the fight to green light Texas sports betting is not going anywhere so long as she has a say.

Senator Carol Alvarado is Arguably the Biggest Proponent There is of Texas Sports Betting

As Will Iger of The Texas Newsroom writes, Senator Alvarado’s track record speaks for itself—and here actual words prove even more:

Alvarado has been filing bills on gaming in Texas since 2009, including a measure that cleared the Texas House in 2023, but stalled in the state Senate. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads that chamber, has expressed strong opposition to legalized sports betting. Still, she said it’s worth the fight because she strongly believes sports betting will improve the state’s economy and make it an even bigger tourist destination.

“‘Promoting Texas as a place to come and bring your family — come to this beautiful resort that has everything that you could find in many other other resorts, like shops and restaurants and shows. This would certainly lure people to visiting Texas,’ Alvarado told The Texas Newsroom.”

This does not sound like someone who is going to let the issue of Texas sports betting ever fall by the wayside. That will come as welcomed news to proponents of sports betting in the United States.

Skeptics, on the other hand, will argue it doesn’t matter. Along with others, Alvarado has thus far failed to get a sports betting bill over the hump. Is her persistence really making a difference?

While fair on its face, this stance is reductive at its best. Moreover, at its worst, it is just flat-out wrong

More People Seem on Board with Sports Betting Coming to The Lone Star State

Support for Texas sports betting is by and large on the rise—among both the voting population and key figureheads.

Pro sports franchises in The Lone Star State have always been on board. Yet, their support is more evident than ever nowadays. Just look how the sale of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks has been tied to the future of Texas sports betting. Many believe the previous majority owner Mark Cuban sold the team to the majority stakeholders of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation to pave the way for resort-style casinos and sportsbooks in the area. Not coincidentally, the Sands Corpation has bought up price pieces of real estate most think are earmarked for future casinos.

Beyond that, we have now seen some opponents of Texas sports betting flip their stance. Governor Greg Abbott is the most notable of that group. Most initially thought he was staunchly against legalization. During an appearance on the Texas Take podcast earlier this year, though, he sounded like someone in lockstep with Senator Alvarado.

“I don’t have a problem with online sports betting,” Governor Abbott explained (via Iger). “The reality is that I’d be shocked if there were not some Texans that do it already.”

Although Abbott’s sentiments fall short of a flat-out endorsement, his logic echoes those of many other supporters.

Tons of Sports Betting Revenue is at Stake in Texas

The New York sports betting market is currently the most lucrative in the United States. Last year, The Empire State raked in over $551 million in tax revenue from sports betting. Many experts believe that Texas is positioned to match or exceed that profit stream, even if it takes some time.

GeoComply, a geolocation compliance software company, recently provided projections for a number of states without legal sports betting in place. California was left off the list, so the results should be taken with a grain of salt. But of the states forecasted, Texas turned in the most lucrative projection, with an estimated $300-plus million in tax revenue by the third year of operations.

Whenever this much money is at stake, more and more supporters will come out of the woodwork. The prospect of absurd tax dollars is almost assuredly why the 2023 Texas sports betting bill made it past the House of Representatives.

To that end, Alvarado will need more support from her fellow Senate members in the future. That will be difficult so long as Mr. Patrick is in control. And even after he leaves, Senator Alvarado or others will still have to contend with a heavy Republican majority.

The latter isn’t the end of the world. Plenty of conservative states have greenlit sports betting. Chances are Texas will eventually join them. It will take more time than many expected, but it will amost assuredly happen. And that makes sense. After all, Senator Alvarado doesn’t sound like someone who will stop pushing the issue until it does.

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