Las Vegas Sands has filed a petition calling for the legalization of casino gambling in Texas. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

A lot of upside

Las Vegas Sands (LVS) isn’t shy about its plans to develop a casino in Texas. It has spent millions over the years lobbying lawmakers in the state and the company’s owner Miriam Adelson even bought a controlling stake in the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks in December.

LVS has now filed a petition that asks people to show lawmakers their appetite for legal casino gambling in Texas.

benefit from the billions of dollars of economic activity and tax revenue

It has the backing of the Texas Destination Resort Alliance, a group that wants to introduce a collection of luxury amenities to people in the state, including casino resorts. The petition claims that the country’s second-biggest state will benefit from the billions of dollars of economic activity and tax revenue, as people would no longer have to go across the border into Oklahoma or Louisiana to gamble.

Not giving up

Previous attempts by LVS to push through reform were unsuccessful – Texas has a historically conservative stance on gambling. Sports betting remains illegal and that doesn’t look like it’s changing any time soon despite 38 states already allowing the activity in some shape or form.

LVS contributed $2m to aid its lobbying efforts in 2022 through the creation of the Texas Sands political action committee (PAC).

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick isn’t convinced that a sufficient number of Republicans will be in favor of expansion. This has not stopped some lawmakers from pushing ahead with bills, though.

One of the latest pitches was House Joint Resolution 97 which Representative Charlie Geren filed in February to propose a constitutional amendment to allow casino resorts. Two-thirds support would be necessary in the House and Senate to change the state’s constitution. The matter would then go to a public vote to ultimately decide whether to allow casinos or not.

Plenty of interest

Other notable figures who support legalizing gambling in the state include Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban, Dallas Cowboys boss Jerry Jones, as well as Houston Rockets and Golden Nugget casino chain head honcho Tilman Fertitta.

LVS currently only has casino resorts in Macau and Singapore, having sold the last of its Las Vegas properties in February 2022.

Cuban supported the idea of building a new facility for his team linked to an LVS casino before entering a deal a year later that saw the Adelson family buy a 73% controlling stake in the Mavericks. LVS purchased a 108-acre site in July in the suburbs of Dallas that is big enough to house a casino.