Casino Gambling Coming To Texas, Like It Or Not

It's widely known that Texas residents pour millions (perhaps billions) of dollars into gambling enterprises in other states, especially Louisiana, Oklahoma and Nevada. During the last campaign, some candidates supported keeping much of that money in Texas by legalizing casino gambling in the state.

But in our recent legislative session, the Republicans who control our state decided Texas didn't need the new tax revenue or the ecenomic benefits that casino gambling could bring. They quickly quashed all efforts to legalize casino gambling here.

Gamblers are going to spend that money somewhere, and killing the legalization of casino gambling did not prevent any gambling. It just assured that other states, and not Texas, will get that money.

But it looks like the efforts to kill casino gambling in Texas may have failed, at least in part. The federal government has given preliminary approval for the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas to expand its legal gambling activities on its reservation near Eagle Pass.

The tribe was limited to poker and bingo, but now can offer many other casino games such as blackjack, roulette, keno, dice games and parimutual off-track betting on horses or dogs. The only form of gambling not allowed would be slot machines, and the tribe is still fighting for that.

This sets up a battle between the state and the federal government. Texas has filed suit to overturn the ruling. Personally, I'd bet on the federal government in this fight. Texas already has several legalized forms of betting (lottery, horse racing, etc.), and will probably not be able to justify why only certain forms are prohibited.

The state government needs to stop this fight, and bring in casino gambling on its own terms, so as to get the maximum benefit from it. Fighting it means it may come under terms not advantageous to our state.

Besides, Texas can certainly use the huge new tax revenues.