Casino Gambling Becoming Focus Of Texas Legislators This Session

The state of Texas figured to be one of the last states in the country that would warm to the idea of casino gambling. That has not been the case with six Bills currently under consideration by legislators that would bring casinos to the state.

The Bills come in many different forms, but they all have at least one thing in common, slot gambling. While some of the Bills call for full casino resorts, others aim only at bringing slots to state race tracks.

HB4062 would open the door for casino gambling on tribal reservations, and also would allow for slot machines at race tracks in Texas. HB1308 similarly would protect tribes in Livingston and El Paso from prosecution if they were to run casinos on their reservations.

Other Bills are being proposed to clarify the current law in the state. HB222 would declare poker a game of skill. It would also regulate poker, eliminating the confusion about the game in the current law.

HJR107 and SJR31 are both Bills that would put the casino resort issue in the hands of the voters. Although they are aimed at different areas, the proposals, if approved, would have voters deciding whether slots should be permitted at race tracks.

Texas has always been strongly against any form of casino gambling, but the economy has changed all of that. The state may have looked at the models used in other states and saw the potential for financial assistance from casinos.

Casino gambling has become a popular choice of lawmakers nationwide as a way of dealing with budget shortcomings. Millions of dollars has been accumulated from casino gambling revenue and the practice is becoming more mainstream than ever before.

March 16, 2009
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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