Beto O’Rourke recently addressed Texas during press conference in Dallas as part of his campaign for state governor and voiced his support for legalized sports betting and casino gambling.
O’Rourke has not publicly spoken on the issue until now. He voiced his concern about the state losing out on billions in gambling revenue that has been going to neighboring states due to Texans crossing the border to place bets.
Casino gambling is legal in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Louisiana, while Arkansas and Louisiana have both legalized sports betting.
“From listening to Texans across the state, it’s one, a very popular proposal, and two, it would also help us address some of the challenges we have in reducing inflation and property taxes in the state,” O’Rourke said. “So, I think that warrants a very close look and it’s something I’m inclined to support.”
Under current Texas law, the expansion of gambling is prohibited. A two-thirds majority vote would be needed to overturn the current constitutional ban.
However, the question of whether Texas should legalize casino gambling is not a new one. The idea presented at a candidate forum in January and was hosted by the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce in partnership with other local chambers. A small audience of business owners attended for the promise of getting to better know the candidates vying for the North Bexar County seat.
The push to take another look at the issue of legalized gambling has come due to recent pressure during recent years, according to the Texas Tribune.
Since the Supreme Court repealed PASPA in 2018, online gambling is currently available in 30 states, with 18 of those allowing for legal online sports wagering. According to the US Census Bureau, those jurisdictions represent more than 166.9 million people.
