- The Texas Destination Resort Alliance is pushing for Texas legislators to pass a bill to legalize in-person casinos in 2024.
- This will be the second straight year the alliance will support such a bill.
- Any bill for casinos that the Texas Destination Resort Alliance supports will likely not include online gambling sites.
AUSTIN, Texas – For the second straight year, the Texas Destination Resort Alliance has started a petition to legalize in-person casinos at a few destination resorts throughout the state.
The petition would not create a TX-regulated online casino market. However, the presence of legal online casinos that accept Texas residents such as Bovada and Slots.lv has lessened the need for a state-regulated online market.
The issue that the Texas Destination Resort Alliance is trying to rectify is the lack of in-person casino options. Per their research, Texas residents who travel to other states spend billions annually at nearby casinos. If a portion of those annual expenses were kept in-state, then the tax revenue in Texas would increase considerably.
A full mission statement regarding the support for in-personal gambling establishments by the Texas Destination Resort Alliance is included below.
“We’re the Texas Destination Resort Alliance, and we’re fighting to bring the world-class gaming, entertainment, and restaurants Texans already enjoy in other states into our own backyards, creating billions in new revenue for our state to continue to make Texas the greatest state to live, work, and raise a family.”
In 2023 the alliance supported House Joint Resolution 97, which was filed by TX representative Charlie Geren. That bill got through the first reading before being referred to State Affairs. It was never acted on by the State Affairs and died in 2023.
It is unclear what the new bill regarding in-person casinos in Texas will be that the Texas Destination Resort Alliance will support, but it is safe to assume that a bill similar to last year’s will be submitted.
Another safe association is that the casino bill excludes online gambling sites. That is because the Texas Destination Resort Alliance is backed by major casino resort brand Las Vegas Sands.
The company would likely want to support a bill that only allows legislation for Texas lawmakers to legalize in-person casinos without establishing a TX-based online market.