Chris Boline
There appears to be a new twist in the efforts to try and legalize Texas sports betting at some point next year. Despite Texas not having much success in the past, there is new hope for things to get done, as a bill has already been pre-filed for the next Texas legislative session, which runs from Jan. 10 to May 29 of 2023. This update is great news, but it has been revealed that the new bill for Texas sports betting doesn’t include mobile wagers.
Wait, what in the heck? This feels like it’s going to be one step forward for Texas betting, but one back. With this new bill, it would only allow for sports betting to be made legal at a handful of locations. This is similar to what has been done in Delaware for years, with people only allowed to go to three casinos to place their wagers. Maryland previously only had in-person betting, but they recently made the switch.
Ever since Maryland allowed online betting to get done, the results have been sensational. This is why Delaware is so keen on making the switch as well – which would undoubtedly allow for them to see the same kind of results. With Texas, they haven’t even introduced legal sports betting and already people aren’t happy. At the end of the day, though, people want sports betting at any costs.
With this, despite no online options, at the very least, people in Texas would be able to make sports bets at authorized locations and not be forced to leave the stats for that. We have seen big-name bettors like Mattress Mack have to travel to Louisiana or other states to make their bets. The hope is that come 2023, that will no longer have to be the case and Texas will be able to see big revenue numbers. There’s still a long way to go here, however.
.@CarolforTexas filed legislation that would place a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot to permit a limited number of casinos in major metropolitan areas in Texas. If passed, Alvarado's proposal would also allow a sports wagering program. https://t.co/EowB6cPVeA
— The Texan (@TheTexanNews) December 5, 2022
Senator Carol Alvarado is hoping her bill will get passed
As things stand, Senator Carol Alvarado is hoping her bill will get passed. People are over the moon in happiness with Alvarado, as she has stepped up to the plate to try and get things done for the state. Even if online betting isn’t brought in right away, the work that Alvarado is putting in could end up being historic for the state. She has plenty of people on her side, which is also great to see for so many people out there.
“It’s long past time that we let voters decide whether Texas should legalize gaming,” Alvarado recently said on sports betting potentially coming to Texas. “Texas loses billions of dollars every year to our neighboring states. Legalizing casino gaming would not only bring this revenue back into our state, but it will also create tens of thousands of permanent jobs in Texas and potentially hundreds of thousands of immediate construction jobs.”
As you can see from that quote, Alvarado knows how important sports betting could be for Texas. She makes a great point too: Texas is losing out on millions and millions of dollars from lost money without sports betting. We have seen the success across the country, with so much money being brought in through betting. Right now, people love checking the NFL betting odds and the NCAAF betting odds.
With so much popularity for football in Texas, you know that betting would no question be through the roof. Alvarado knows this, and so do all of the other proponents for Texas betting. This is why the excitement has reached a new level for things potentially coming in 2023. There had been worry that perhaps people would have to wait until 2024 or 2025, but things could arrive much sooner than expected.
Nothing like a little neighborly rivalry.
Preview the top storylines as the Cowboys start to prep for week 14 & the Texans.#BigPicture | #HOUvsDAL
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 7, 2022
When could Texas sports betting arrive?
With all the positivity surrounding this project, people are wondering when could Texas sports betting arrive? One thing to keep in mind is that first, the bill that Alvarado has pre-filed will need to be approved by more than 66 percent of the Texas lawmakers. Then, the bill would be presented on the November 2023 ballot. Once that happens, then it would be on the good folks of Texas to vote it in or not.
If it does make its way to the ballot, keep in mind that although people desperately want sports betting, it doesn’t mean that Alvarado’s bill would be a lock to be approved. Just last month, California had two sports betting options for people to vote on, and the hope was that at least one would pass. Neither did, only delaying sports betting from making its way to the Golden State. This was a bummer for Californians.
The last thing anyone will want to see is Alvarado’s bill getting on the Texas ballot for next November, only to have it voted down. There’s still several things that must get done for all of this to go down, but there’s strong hope Texans could have sports betting on the way by this point next year. This would be a game-changer for the state and its sports fans, no doubt.
