A political action committee with the backing of Las Vegas Sands is running a television ad campaign to push a constitutional amendment on the topic of commercial casinos. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Television viewers in Texas have been seeing ads pushing for the legalization of commercial casinos in the state. The Texas Destination Resort Alliance political action committee (PAC) is running the campaign, getting much of its funding from Las Vegas Sands (LVS).

political commentators believe that the deck is stacked against those seeking gambling expansion

The ads call for a constitutional amendment to allow state residents to have their say on whether they want gaming properties in major Texas cities. Political commentators believe that the deck is stacked against those seeking gambling expansion as many sympathetic Republicans either retired or lost in the GOP primary.

A bill is already in the Senate that would lead to a vote on the matter if it gains support from a sufficient number of lawmakers.

LVS is a longtime campaigner for commercial casinos in the Lone Star State, calling for the development of destination casino resorts in five major cities. The company’s owner, Miriam Adelson, spent $3.5bn in December 2023 to acquire a majority stake in the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and LVS bought a 108-acre plot of land in downtown Dallas that could be a potential site for a casino.