Texas gaming bills declared dead

As was expected, 2023 will not be the year for gaming expansion in the US state of Texas.

After making a last minute run in the House, proposals to allow both land-based destination casinos and mobile sports betting have been effectively declared dead, as Lt Gov Dan Patrick, who controls the Senate Calendar, said HB 1942 won’t be considered this year.

HB 1942 is the enabling legislation for sports betting, accompanied by HJR 102, which would have legalised it via constitutional amendment.

Meanwhile authors of HJR 155, which would have allowed for both land-based destination resorts and sports betting, postponed its consideration until January 2027.

That’s because they recognised they did not have enough votes to advance it out of the state House of Representatives by the midnight deadline on Friday, the Texas Tribune reported.

Texas’ legislative session runs through May 29, though it has been assumed for weeks that any gaming bill would need a Hail Mary to get passed the Senate, where Patrick had said he wouldn’t bring the issue to a vote unless 15 or 16 Republican Senators got on board.

Source: Fantini’s Gaming Report