New Legislation Could Allow Texas Vegas-Style Casinos

New legislation recently proposed to the Texas state house would allow Vegas-style casino resorts in the Lonestar state. The new legislation drafted for the state congress has bipartisan support and would allow for Texas-sized casino destinations to be built in major cities across the state. 

For the new gambling bill to be passed into law, it first must pass the house and senate with a two-thirds majority vote. Once the bill has passed the state legislature, it must be passed by Texas voters.

Texas Casinos Receive More Support

After failing to pass a domestic casino bill in 2021, several prominent players have shifted their support to expand gambling in Texas. Governor Greg Abbot and House Speaker Dade Phelan recently expressed their openness to consider domestic gambling casinos and online gambling options in Texas.

Prominent investors have also ascended in Texas and funneled millions to support legalizing domestic gambling options. Miriam Adelson has invested more than $2 million in Texas campaigns, and Las Vegas Sands Corp. has hired 89 lobbyists in Texas over the past year.

A Texas Destination Resort Alliance spokesman, Matt Hirsch, recently stated, “Texans are already gambling. They are just doing it in other states.”

Online Casino Options For US Players

For most parts of the United States, including Texas, legal online casinos are already available and played by many. Despite not having any domestic casinos in some states, online casinos operate legally in many areas since they are located outside the states. 

Online casinos offer the same games traditional casinos offer and typically feature lower minimums or buy-ins, as online services feature random number generators (RNG) instead of dealers. RNGs are also found at domestic casinos, but most of the table games in domestic casinos have a live dealer instead of a computer-generated one. To ensure the games are fair, licensed online casinos regularly undergo compliance checks to ensure that the rng’s are fair and operate correctly. 

Tribal Casinos In Texas

There are currently three tribal casinos in Texas, all located outside the metropolitan areas. These casinos are allowed to operate under current federal laws.