Texas currently has a ban in place on sports betting, but three of the Lone Star State’s professional sports teams have now come together to see if they can bring in the calvary and win one for the Alamo.
The Dallas Cowboys of the NFL, Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, and the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball want to usher in legal sports betting in Texas and place the decision into voters’ hands.
These three professional sports franchises are now backing “the Sports Betting Alliance,” joining the efforts began by major sportsbook operators to soften statewide regulations.
The Alliance consists of DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM. These three sportsbook juggernauts are typically among the first mentioned when any state makes a move toward legal sports betting, and now their lobbyists are joining efforts with the Cowboys, Mavericks, and Rangers.
The group recognizes that heaps of revenue are being lost to offshore sportsbook sites and they are now attempting to draw voters’ attention to that very fact through an organized campaign disbursed across television, print, and social media.
“Unregulated and illegal sports gambling is already taking place in the State of Texas. Legalized sports betting would regulate the industry and generate hundreds of millions of dollars of new revenue for the state which will help fund critical programs without raising taxes.”
Charlotte Jones – Dallas Cowboys’ Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Office
It’s only natural that Texas would be the target of domestic sportsbooks, as it is the second most populated state behind California, coming in just ahead of Florida.
Legal sports betting is currently stalled in California until 2022 now that state Tribal interests have intervened. Florida currently has legislation up for debate to legalize domestic sportsbooks, but a bill has yet to arrive at the Governor’s desk.
Now, it’s all eyes on Texas, but even the fastest potential timetable will not likely place sportsbooks in Dallas in time to bet on Super Bowl 56.
One element that has stalled sports betting in TX is the state’s historic opposition to casino gambling. The current effort in place by the Sports Betting Alliance believes that by focusing on sportsbooks, they can avoid the bad publicity that casinos have earned in the region and infuse revitalized marketing strategies to inspire votes in their favor.
Even if the legislature places the issue of statewide sports betting to a vote, the earliest it could hit the ballot would be this November, and there could be years of regulation to follow before domestic venues open their doors.
Much like Florida and California, Texas also has Tribal interests that are sure to weigh in, but as of this writing, they have remained conspicuously silent.
To add to the hurdles that legal Texas sports betting has to clear, several GOP lawmakers view the legislation unfavorably and are actively speaking out against approval.
For now, if you are looking to bet on sports in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, or Austin, the best option is the international sports betting sites that we recommend here at Sports Betting Legal.
Source: Dallas News
