Texas governor remains skeptical of casinos in Lone Star State

• Texas has been flirting with the legalization of commercial casinos, but to no avail just yet
• Gov. Greg Abbott, a sworn opponent, has been showing willingness to engage in dialogue
• Texas locals continue to go out of state to get their game on, with consumer spending and tax revenue unrealized locally

Texas remains an outlier when it comes to gambling, with the state not offering almost any form of it.

After turbulent past months, and especially for the lottery, which faced accusations that it allowed courier services to help overseas syndicates to pilfer jackpots, the Lone Star State has accepted that 2025 will not be the year when it legalizes land-based casinos.

Gov. Abbott is still split on casinos, but he may change his mind

The commercial casino debate has been ongoing for a long while, with Las Vegas SandsCorporation actively lobbying in favor of this decision. Yet, Gov. Greg Abbott has remained firmly opposed to the idea as of right now.

Legalizing casino gambling would require a change to Texas’s constitution, something that the governor does not seem too keen to do. He has, however, expressed an open mind on the issue, arguing that while he "wasn’t there yet," this may change in the future. Texas also does not support sports betting.

Gov. Abbott was aware of the social ills often associated with gambling and discussed the issue with CBS News Texas:

"Because we've seen increasingly problems that go along with gaming. Whether it be addiction or whether it be things that are happening in sporting events and athletes who are on the take."

Gov. Abbott said that the proliferation of gambling-related issues has given him an incentive to take a step back and reflect further on the issue, as he doesn’t feel inclined to back a project that could bring harm to the people of Texas.

Change is in the air, but no decisive action has emerged yet

However, potential bids to legalize commercial casinos have already been pitched with the idea to bring Las Vegas-style resorts to the Lone Star State, seemingly incredibly appealing. Texans themselves are not too firmly opposed to the idea, as most holidaymakers who wish to visit a casino now have to travel out of state.

Local leaders have insisted that this is tax revenue and consumer spending that is wasted. For the time, however, most gambling in Texas remains illegal.

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