Should Texas Legalize Casino Gambling
A new bill being introduced in Texas is looking at the subject of legalizing casino gambling in four major metropolitan areas of the state.
KHOU reports that lawmakers think they can round up enough support to get the two-thirds majority it would take to override the current ban on gambling, but even if two-thirds can agree, there are still additional steps that needed to make the change.
Do you enjoy driving to Louisiana to visit the casinos? When I used to live in Central Texas we made a run or two over to the Shreveport area to visit the casinos. In fact, we even had a couple of work-related conferences held there and the casinos ended up being a great back-drop for workshop weekends. What if all of that was happening in Texas instead? What if Texas could benefit from all the money going over to the Louisiana casinos?
While checking out some of the details I saw a few comments on social media from those wondering if legal marijuana wasn't a faster and better way for the state to generate revenue. The state of Colorado has had recreational marijuana on the books since 2014 and just past the $10 Billion dollar mark in sales. Do casinos even come close to those amounts?
Las Vegas Sands is leading the way to assist the plan as developers have selected Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston as the four areas to add casinos that would have the kind of impact the state is looking for.
I spent a few years living in Northwest Indiana about a decade ago. Much like Louisiana, Indiana saw everybody drive south out of Chicago to hit up the casinos on the other side of the state line. So I feel it's easy to understand why lawmakers in Texas want to keep all that money from going across state lines. KHOU reports that House Speaker Dade Phelan has already warned state officials the matter should not be one they consider as an answer to state budget problems during the current session. One way or another, many feel casino gambling is going to make its way into the Lone Star state with southeast Texas likely being the first location.