Significant hurdles remain, but there is optimism about bringing legalized sports gambling to the Lone Star State.
“Texans say they want this. [Gov. Greg Abbott] came out last week and gave his biggest support for this,” Karina Kling, a spokesperson for the Texas Sports Betting Alliance, told RG. “More and more people are seeing this as a bipartisan effort.”
Discussions continued this week as Rep. Sam Harless introduced House Joint Resolution 134, seeking to amend the state’s constitution to allow sports betting.
Although opponents worry about problem gambling and its many effects, Abbott’s support carries a lot of weight in the state’s pursuit of legalization. The bill will need to pass the House and Senate before the general public can vote on Nov. 4.
“To have [Gov. Abbott] saying, ‘Let’s do this and move forward on it’ is great for your cause and mission,” Kling said. “I think he understands the benefits of what could happen.”
The bill specifically calls for online betting, though it isn’t clear how many licenses would be available for operators. Estimates by the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents major sportsbooks BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, and FanDuel, say online sports betting would generate close to $360 billion annually in state tax revenue. Additionally, it would create critical safeguards against illegal gambling practices. According to Kling, Texans wager an estimated $7 billion each year through unregulated offshore operators.
Thirty-eight states, plus Washington, D.C., now have legalized sports betting. That doesn’t include Missouri, which is slated to launch this summer. New York remained the most lucrative market in 2024, collecting more than $2 billion in gross gaming revenue (an increase of 20.9% from the previous year).
Kling believes a state the size of Texas, with roughly more than 10 million more occupants than New York, could outpace that figure.
“We like to pride ourselves on being independent, the Lone Star,” Kling said, “but beyond that is what we’ve seen in revenue from other states and what’s been brought in in terms of revenue from legalizing sports betting.
“It could easily top [New York] once this thing gets into full motion.”
Despite those projections, efforts to legalize sports betting have repeatedly fallen short. In 2023, legislation passed through the House by a 100-43 vote but stalled in the Senate, where Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick remains potentially the biggest obstacle. Patrick has said he will not bring it to a vote unless the majority of Republicans approve.
Will this time be any different? For what it’s worth, there seems to be widespread support amongst the public.
With work still to be done, the Sports Betting Alliance is continuing its efforts to educate lawmakers and their constituents about the benefits of getting a bill passed. A portion of tax revenue would be allocated to essential services such as education and healthcare — things that “Texans are clamoring for,” Kling said.
If approved, the launch date wouldn’t likely be until 2026.
Doug is a seasoned sports writer/editor with bylines for the New York Times, Associated Press and CBS Sports. He also has extensive experience in the betting industry, including work for Point Spreads. Prior to that, he covered UConn women's basketball and football for Hearst Connecticut Media.
