Gambling Interests Donate To Texas Governor Race

In this unusual year, gambling has become an issue in the Texas governor's race. Kinky Friedman has been up-front about his support of gambling. He is in favor of legalizing casino gambling in Texas, and dedicating the money to education. Bell also supports some gambling. He would allow video lottery terminals at existing race tracks, and he would allow two Indian tribes, the Tiguas and the Alabama-Coushattas, to reopen their casinos.

Grandma would also allow video lottery terminals, but anything else would have to be approved by local-option voting. Perry is playing to his right-wing fundamentalist base, and says he would not allow any expansion of gambling in Texas. In light of the four candidates' stand on gambling, it is kind of odd to see where the gambling interests have put their money in the governor's race. Here are the candidate donations made by gambling interests this year:

Rick Perry..........$1.2 million

Carole Strayhorn..........$1 million

Chris Bell..........$3,000

Kinky Friedman..........nothing

Almost all of the money donated by gambling interests have been given to the two candidates who are the most opposed to expanding gambling in Texas - Perry and Grandma. This has to be out-of-state money trying to protect the gambling riches of Oklahoma and Louisiana [and Las Vegas?]. Evidently, Kinky is right when he talks about the enormous sums involved and the number of Texans going out-of-state to gamble. These out-of-state interests wouldn't have given over two million, unless they stood to lose a lot if Texas approved casino gambling. They don't want the billions of Texas gambling dollars to stay in Texas.

It's not like if we don't approve gambling, it will cease to exist. Texans spend billions on gambling right now, but the money goes to other states. The only question is whether we would like to keep that money in Texas, or keep on sending it out-of-state. Established gambling interests want the money to continue going out-of-state. What do you want?