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Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has signaled that the renewed effort to legalize casino gambling and sports betting in the state may be “game over.” During an appearance on The Mark Davis Show, Patrick stated that the Senate had “zero support” for both legislative proposals. “Our members have been clear: they’re not in support today. We don’t have any votes in the Senate,” Patrick said. “Couldn’t find one Senator who supported it.”
Despite this, Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Houston, who is one of Patrick’s top allies, is sponsoring a constitutional amendment, SJR 39, that would enable Texans to wager on sports if they approved it on a November ballot. Patrick went on to criticize the Texas House and stated that he refuses to pass a bill that has a majority of Democrats, but not Republicans, in support of the legislation.
During a March hearing on HJR 102 in the House, Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, the author of the bill, stated that it would advance “freedom and liberty” in Texas and allow the state to monetize on something already happening. Despite this, Leach’s bill was left pending in the House State Affairs Committee.
Opponents of betting legislation in Texas have raised concerns about gambling addiction and the social consequences of gambling. Conservative religious groups in Texas often raise these concerns. This has led to a clash of business interests and conservative family values, according to Rice University politics professor Mark Jones.
According to the Texas Sports Betting Alliance, more than 73,000 betting attempts from Texas were blocked during the opening week of March Madness. GeoComply, a technology that identifies users in areas where sports betting is illegal, prevented these attempts.
