In the United States, gambling is available in pretty much every state, in some form or fashion. States that do not have casinos, might offer bingo games. Other states, like New Jersey and Nevada, offer online gaming, land-based casinos, racinos, sports betting and more. In Texas, casinos are not legalized. One state representative would like to see that change. Rep. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio recently proposed new legislation to bring casinos to Texas.
House Bill 3043 was filed by Rep. Gutierrez this week, hoping to open the discussion of casino gaming in the state. With the legislation, the representative would like to see 13 destination resort casinos created in Texas.
If the measure can gain ground in the House and Senate, passing on to the Governor’s desk, it would require a signature. Then, the counties of the state would have to hold a public vote before a casino could be constructed.
Representative Gutierrez would like to see the bill pass into law so Texas can cash in on casino gaming as well as sports betting. The Rep has estimated that as much as $3 billion is lost to every state around Texas, as four states have gaming while Texas does not. The money could be used in the state for emergencies, education and infrastructure.
Of course, there are those who are opposed to casino gaming. Representatives from religious groups such as the Christian Life Commission have spoken out against casinos in Texas. Rob Kohler of the group stated that with every dollar wagered only one to two cents would be provided to the state, which is an ineffective tax.
Gutierrez created his bill so that the people of Texas could decide if casino gaming should be allowed. While the Rep hopes to see his bill move forward, Kohler stated that he feels the bill will fall short due to pressure from state leaders.
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