Tag Archives: casinos

From the “Definition of insanity” department

We’re just gonna keep doing this, aren’t we? Undaunted by legislative defeat more than a year ago, Las Vegas Sands, one of the world’s biggest casino operators, is gearing up for another push to legalize casino gambling in Texas and … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on From the “Definition of insanity” department

We’re already declaring gambling bills dead for the 2025 session

Saves time, if nothing else. Efforts to legalize casino gambling in Texas appear to be an even greater long shot in the Legislature next session. In 2023, the Texas House fell eight votes short of advancing a state constitutional amendment … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We’re already declaring gambling bills dead for the 2025 session

Dan Patrick reminds everyone who’s in charge

In case you forgot. Online sports betting isn’t coming to Texas any time soon, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Saturday. The state House narrowly advanced a bill this week that would allow Texans to vote on legalizing the practice, a milestone … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Dan Patrick reminds everyone who’s in charge

One gambling bill makes it out of the House

It will enjoy a brief and beautiful life, like the first snowflake falling onto the street, before dying of starvation and neglect in the Senate. In dramatic fashion, the Texas House on Thursday gave final approval to legislation that would … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

House to vote on doomed casino gambling bill

You do you, but remember that we’re living in Dan Patrick’s world, and he’s not going to let this happen. After weeks of uncertainty, legislation authorizing casino gambling in Texas was cleared to come to a vote of the full … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Now we have a gambling bill filed by a Republican Senator

Maybe this is the gambling expansion bill that those who want gambling expansion have been waiting for. Advocates for legalizing online sports betting in Texas debuted new bills Monday that take a narrower approach than they did in 2021 — … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Not quite the same old gambling story

This Trib story about the state of gambling expansion in the Lege is not the usual formula. It has a lot of the usual elements, but for the first time there’s some hint of maybe something could happen. Maybe. Gambling … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Two out of three state leaders open to expanded gambling

As we know, two out of three ain’t bad, but it also ain’t enough. House Speaker Dade Phelan on Thursday left the door open to legalizing sports betting and casino gambling in Texas, the latest sign that opposition may be … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The only pre-session gambling expansion story you need

Just re-run a version of this for the foreseeable future. Although casino giants and sports betting groups are making a big push in Texas, the head of the state Senate said he isn’t seeing much progress on the issue going … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The only pre-session gambling expansion story you need

Time once again for the biennial paean to the gambling lobby

Such a weird tradition we observe. Even before Gov. Greg Abbott declared in October that he’s willing to consider expanded gaming options in Texas, that industry was trying to improve its odds in the state by doling out massive campaign … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Time once again for the biennial paean to the gambling lobby

Beto calls for expanded gambling

It’s fine. Good politics, given the polling. Democrat Beto O’Rourke said if he’s elected governor he’s “inclined to support” expanding casino gambling and legal sports betting in Texas, the first time he’s publicly addressed the issue on the trail. During … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Beto calls for expanded gambling

Why the push for casinos failed

Here’s a long story with a detailed answer to what is honestly a straightforward and easy to understand question. In its effort to bring casinos to Texas, Las Vegas Sands — the gaming empire started by the late Republican megadonor … Continue reading

Posted in Jackpot!, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Why the push for casinos failed

Once again, bills to allow more gambling in Texas are dead

Same as it ever was. A high-profile push by the gaming empire Las Vegas Sands to bring casinos to Texas appears doomed at the state Capitol as this year’s legislative session begins to wind down. Monday was the deadline for … Continue reading

Posted in Jackpot!, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bills to allow casinos filed

Don’t bet on them, that’s my advice. Two Texas lawmakers on Tuesday filed legislation backed by the gaming empire Las Vegas Sands that would legalize casino gambling in Texas. The legislation was filed by Rep. John Kuempel, R-Seguin, in the … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Sports Betting Alliance

Keep an eye on this. A new alliance of major Texas sports teams has announced they will be backing legislation to allow for sports betting in Texas. The Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers, and the Dallas Mavericks are among the … Continue reading

Posted in Jackpot!, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Here comes the casino push

Expect this to get louder and louder, though whether it’s successful or not remains to be seen. When a big political player comes waltzing into Texas spending big money from out of state, it’s usually a good sign that he … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Here’s the official budget forecast

“Could be worse” remains the watchword. Texas lawmakers will enter the legislative session this week with an estimated $112.5 billion available to allocate for general purpose spending in the next two-year state budget, a number that’s down slightly from the … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

State budget situation not quite as awful as feared

Still bad, but could be worse. Despite “historic declines,” state lawmakers will have more money to work with in the upcoming legislative session than Comptroller Glenn Hegar expected over the summer, he said Monday. But Hegar did not outline specifics … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State budget situation not quite as awful as feared

Time for the biennial annotation of gambling bills that will not pass

This one is creative, I’ll give it that. A Texas lawmaker has proposed subsidizing the state’s underfunded windstorm insurance and flooding assistance by building casinos in coastal counties. State Rep. Joe Deshotel filed the bill on Dec. 7 to cover … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

State sues Alabama-Coushatta tribe over casino

Here we go again. A new legal salvo was fired this week in the state’s long-running battle against Indian gambling with a filing in federal court that seeks to close the gaming hall on the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation. A motion for … Continue reading

Posted in Jackpot!, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Alabama-Coushatta casino opens

Get your gamble on, y’all. Fourteen years after it was forced to close under threat of legal action by the state, the tribe’s modest casino reopened three weeks ago with little fanfare but great expectations. Now, the vast, once empty … Continue reading

Posted in Jackpot! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Alabama-Coushatta casino opens

It’s not easy going green

And by “going green” I mean legalizing pot, at least in Texas. Advocacy groups and lawmakers say marijuana policy reform in Texas could be the fiscally responsible thing to do in light of the state’s decreasing oil and gas revenues. … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The forthcoming fight over the Alabama-Coushatta casino in Texas

I missed this report from November. After more than 13 years, the feds say the Alabama-Coushatta’s casino in Livingston can finally reopen. And here’s the kicker: according to the federal government’s reasoning, the tribe’s casino should never have been forced … Continue reading

Posted in Jackpot! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

No gambling expansion this session

This should not come as a surprise to anyone. It’s a sure bet that when Texas lawmakers convene every two years, legislation will be proposed to expand gaming in the state. This year, there are nearly a dozen pieces of … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bill filing deadline has passed

Believe it or not, we are almost halfway through the legislative session, and we have now passed the point where new bills can be filed. Racing to beat a deadline for filing bills, state lawmakers on Friday submitted hundreds of … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bill filing deadline has passed

On game rooms and gambling

Looks like Fort Bend County wants to follow in the footsteps of Harris County when it comes to dealing with game rooms. Last weekend, Fort Bend County sheriff’s deputies raided the H-90 Game Room on U.S. 90A east of Richmond, … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On game rooms and gambling

Just a reminder that “more gambling” does not necessarily mean “more revenue”

If Atlantic City can go bust… The winning streak has run cold for Atlantic City, N.J. Earlier this week, the upscale Revel Casino Hotel announced it will close, bringing the total number of casinos in the city expected to close … Continue reading

Posted in Jackpot! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Just a reminder that “more gambling” does not necessarily mean “more revenue”

Pot polling

Our favorite pollsters aren’t optimistic about pot legalization despite some good looking poll numbers for it. In the February 2014 University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, we asked respondents for their opinions on marijuana possession and gave them four options to … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We’ll always have Kinky

Like cicadas on a four-year cycle, he keeps coming back. Kinky Friedman doesn’t know if he’s ready to jump back into Texas politics. But the cigar-chewing humorist and musician — known for the black attire and cowboy hats he normally … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A cautionary tale about expanded gambling

Wonkblog: Earlier this week, Delaware’s casinos got a surprise windfall. Just days after saying no to tax breaks, Gov. Jack Markell (D) proposed that $8 million of the state’s budget surplus be distributed amongst its three struggling establishments, to forestall … Continue reading

Posted in Jackpot! | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on A cautionary tale about expanded gambling

Astrodome-palooza

In case you aren’t completely full of my opining on the Astrodome and its possible fate, I was the author of a op-ed in the Sunday Chron on the subject. It’s kind of the Reader’s Digest version of the things … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Astrodome-palooza

That’ll just about do it for gambling this session

Sen. Carona calls the chances “slim”, but it sounds like slim just left town to me. [Sen. John] Carona, chairman of the Senate’s Business and Commerce Committee, said last week he expected to vote his sweeping gambling bill out of … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on That’ll just about do it for gambling this session

More on the potential Coushatta casino

The Houston Press cover story from last week is about the Alabama-Coushatta tribe’s efforts to get a casino again. It covers a lot of the same ground as that Chron story I blogged about on Sunday, but it also reminds … Continue reading

Posted in Jackpot! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the potential Coushatta casino

Senate to consider expanded gambling

I didn’t really take it seriously when I heard that Sen. John Carona had filed his own gambling expansion legislation, but it seems it’s got some traction. A proposal from Dallas Republican Sen. John Carona would establish a commission that … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment