New Texas Leadership More Open To Legalizing Sports Betting

The state of Texas has long been the “white buffalo” in the eyes of the legal sports betting world. It was a market with a huge appetite for sports and wagering… that no one could touch with a ten-foot pole.

This was because Texas’ deep conservative class that’s reigned over the state for decades wouldn’t have it. Few legalization bills were even voted on, and the few that did make progress were instantly killed in the Senate.

But… there’s a new day in Texas. In case you’ve been under a rock, a “blue tsunami” has washed over the United States and that includes Texas. The state voted in a Democratic Senator and governor during the midterms.

That change of leadership might just mean that sports betting in Texas has a real possibility next year or in the near future. Keep on reading and we’ll tell you what the future could hold for the Lone Star State.

Texas Voters Send Abbott And Patrick Packing

Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick have dominated Texas politics for over a decade. They first took office as governor and lieutenant governor in January 2015, and at last, they’ll be leaving those posts this January.

It was complete blue-party domination at the ballot box. Democrat Gina Hinojosa beat Abbott for governor, while Vikki Goodwin denied Patrick a fourth term as lieutenant governor. James Talarico also beat Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate. To top it off, the Democrats now hold a majority in the Texas House for the first time since 2002. It was a historic showing for the blue party in Texas, which almost always votes red.

The reason why Texas is one of 11 states without any type of sports betting right now is that outgoing leadership. Patrick, more than anyone else, was the biggest roadblock of all. There’s no shortage of quotes of Patrick saying legal betting would never come to his state.

He wasn’t just talking either. Back in 2023, the Texas House voted 101-42 to let voters decide on sports betting, which would’ve put it on the ballot. The House also passed a separate bill spelling out how sportsbooks would operate if Texans voted yes.

Then both measures went to the Senate, which Patrick controlled. And let’s just say, that was pretty much the end of that. Patrick said there was “little to no support for expanding gaming from Senate GOP.” How little? We never got a count. Neither measure even got a floor vote — it was killed without any further discussion.

Lawmakers tried again in 2025. Republican Rep. Sam Harless filed a sports betting proposal in the House, and Democratic Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (no relation to the new governor) filed its companion in the Senate. That one went to committee in March and never came out. So even while Abbott sounded open to betting, Patrick made sure the governor never had to make up his mind.

Welp, both will now be gone. Question is, are there replacements even receptive to sports betting apps or casinos? Let’s dig into that in the next section.

Where Does The New Texas Leadership Stand On Betting?

Remember that 101-42 vote we just mentioned? All three incoming Democrats were members of the Texas House at the time. And despite what you might assume after Tuesday’s results, they didn’t all agree.

Talarico voted yes. Governor-elect Hinojosa was one of the 42 who voted no. Goodwin missed the final vote, but the day before, she voted to advance the very same amendment.

Talarico’s camp outright told Politico he supported legalizing casinos and creating jobs for Texans. But as a newly elected U.S. senator, he won’t have a direct vote on Texas state legislation anymore. His work will now be at the federal level.

So if betting is going to happen in the Lone Star State, it’ll be more on the governor and lieutenant governor. Hinojosa doesn’t have much of a track record on betting aside from the no vote in 2023. She didn’t say if she supported or didn’t support legalization while campaigning for governor so Hinojosa is a total mystery here.

However, Goodwin’s stance on the issue has been crystal clear: Texans already gamble. Some use offshore sportsbooks, while others leave the state and bet on Oklahoma or Louisiana. The jobs and tax dollars stay on the other side of the border, and Texans come home without ever having a say in the matter. She’d like to give them one.

But… there’s a wrinkle here. Republicans lost the lieutenant governor’s office, but they still hold the Texas Senate (19 to 12 Democrats, so a big difference). And even before Patrick lost, Republican senators were reportedly discussing changing the rules to limit how much power Goodwin inherits from Patrick.

What kind of power? Well, under the current rules, the lieutenant governor picks committee chairs and decides which committee gets a bill. Think back to that 2025 betting proposal that went to committee and never came out. Who gets to pick that chair suddenly matters quite a bit, doesn’t it?

Even if Goodwin keeps those powers, she still needs 21 of 31 senators to back a betting amendment. That’s on top of 100 votes in the House. And make no mistake, the Republicans’ influence in Texas still looms large. But… the silver lining here is at least Goodwin won’t automatically kill every betting bill as Patrick did.

Could Legalization Happen As Early As 2027?

The Texas legislature meets every other year — it’s not annually like most states. 2027 is a meeting year, so if something is going to change, it can be as soon as then.

But even if lawmakers get a betting amendment through both chambers, Texans would still have to approve it at the ballot box. A November 2027 vote is a possibility, though lawmakers would need to set that date.

Here’s another detail worth knowing: Hinojosa couldn’t veto that amendment. It would go straight to voters. She could, however, veto a separate bill setting the taxes, licenses, and rules for sportsbooks. Therefore, it’s still imperative to win favor with the new governor to make legalization a reality. She HAS to be onboard or else it’s unlikely to cross the finish line.

One more thing: don’t confuse a yes vote with a launch date. The state would still need to put regulations in place and approve operators before bets start being accepted. An absolute best-case scenario is a 2028 launch, but again, the keyword there is “best case.”

But how much power Goodwin’s position ultimately wields will be a huge factor here. We’d pay close attention to Senate Republicans and whether they’re successful in changing those rules or not. That’s the big domino that could pry the door open for legal betting in the state… but with these election results, the dominoes are already falling forward.