Extraordinary lobbying efforts and big campaign contributions centered on legalizing casinos in Texas have emboldened the state’s anti-gaming community and are actively hurting the chances that the Lone Star State will legalize sports betting next year.
That’s according to a monthly report on sports betting in the U.S. by analysts from Southern California advisory firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, which removed Texas from its list of states “likely to legalize sports betting in 2025.” The firm believes ramped-up gambling opposition would keep the state — the second largest behind California without legal sports betting — on the sidelines.
The analysts blame Las Vegas Sands Corp., which has spent millions of dollars during the past decade on failed efforts to legalize casinos in Texas.
