SAN ANTONIO – Texas is one of just 11 states that still do not have some sort of online sports betting.
But according to recent comments made by Governor Greg Abbott he is no longer an obstacle.
In an interview with Scott Braddock and Jeremy Wallace on the Texas Take Podcast, Abbott said he has no problem with online sports betting. He said in this day and age, gambling and betting on sports is part of the entertainment that goes along with the games..
“I don’t have a problem with online sports betting,” Abbott told Wallace. “The reality is, I would be shocked if there are not some Texans who do it already. It’s a very common practice and it seems to be part of the entertainment that goes along when you’re watching a football game, especially pro football, or other types of sports and things like that. I don’t have a problem with that.”
It is estimated that in Texas alone more than $6 billion a year are wagered on sports illegally.
These comments by Abbott are his strongest in support of an industry that has boomed since 2018, which is when the United States Supreme Court struck down a 1992 federal law that prohibited most states from allowing the practice.
“We appreciate the governor’s comments because this echoes what we’re hearing from Texans,” said Jeremy Kudon, president of the Sports Betting Alliance. “They want the opportunity to vote on legalizing sports betting and putting in place a strong, regulatory framework that protects consumers and boosts revenue in the state.”
Efforts to legalize sports betting are supported by every major professional sports team in the state. Giles Kibbe, executive vice president and general counsel of the Houston Astros, said he’s glad to hear the governor’s views regarding sports betting.
“Illegal sports betting through foreign companies is pervasive. The state should be regulating this and allowing Texans to bet legally. That is what the voters of Texas want,” Kibbe said.
The governor’s comments Tuesday come as a new study from the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs shows 60 percent of Texans support legalizing online sports betting, including 64 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of Republicans.
Texas has not passed a bill that expands gaming, allows casinos to be built and operated, or legalizes sports betting for many reasons, but a key one is because it is against the states constitution.
In order to allow sports betting or expand casinos in Texas, the Legislature would need to amend the state constitution by getting a two-thirds vote of both chambers and then get a vote of the people.
To this point, the Texas Senate and their leader Dan Patrick have not shown much appetite in passing any gaming legislation.
The House, on the other hand, is a different story.
In 2023, a sports betting bill passed the House with an 82-51 vote. The bill then died in the Senate.
Abbott’s new stance on sports betting, though, may be enough to swing Austin’s upper chamber in favor of expanded gaming.
If you want to hear more of Abbott’s interview, check out the newest Texas Take episode, which will drop on Friday.