If the pro-gambling forces in the state all join hands and agree to work together, will this finally be the year that gambling expansion gets a vote? Maybe.
John Montford, chairman of Let Texans Decide, a coalition of gaming companies, track operators, trade groups and others who want Texas to legalize casinos, has met with groups representing casino and slot machine interests and is optimistic that they could agree on potential legislation that would bring a constitutional amendment on gambling before Texas voters.
“We’re working hard to build coalitions in favor of a referendum,” said Montford, a former state senator from Lubbock and the author of the legislation that created the Texas Lottery. “The members of the Legislature don’t have to be pro- or anti-gaming to support a referendum. We want people to have a fair say so.”
Efforts at such collaboration are not new in the industry, though they haven’t proved successful in bringing a proposed amendment to voters on creating casinos, allowing slot machines or other such gambling measures.
But those interests haven’t always been on the same page. Some previous efforts have come undone when race track and casino proponents battled to get a competitive advantage built into proposals pending in the Legislature.
In recent sessions, conflict between bills that would have allowed slot machines at horse racing tracks and those that would allow resort casinos have been part of the reason no such legislation made progress. Competing lobbyists and dollars sent mixed messages to legislators who may not have been keen to promote gambling in the first place out of fear of alienating anti-gaming voters.
See here for the story so far. Hard to know what to make of this, since Montford appears to be the sole person speaking on behalf of Let Texans Decide. The story notes that Sen. Rodney Ellis’ SJR6, which would allow a vote on various forms of gambling, is what’s being talked about now. It also notes that the horse racing interests are pursuing their own bill, though they may be willing to support SJR6. So yeah, not clear whether this session represents a change of tactics or just more of the same and hoping for a different outcome.
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For more than a decade, polling has put the favorables for casino gaming in Texas above 70% of voters; yet, nothing happens — largely because of the effectiveness of lobbying by conservative religious groups. Maybe that’s OK; every state doesn’t need casino gaming. Yet, in Texas’ case, it’s costing the state as much as $2.5 billion a year in outflow to casinos in adjacent states (including ones in Mexico for those few crazy enough to go there). Pennsylvania, with half the population and only 10 casinos, netted $1.5 billion in tax revenues to the state in 2011. Texas would be well advised to follow suit.
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