Texas lawmakers seeking to authorize casinos and sports betting are wasting no time leveraging their perceived post-midterm odds boost. Less than a week after Democrats won the governor’s and lieutenant governor’s offices and flipped the state House, a bill has been filed for the 2027 session to let Texans weigh in on commercial gambling.
With opposition from his Republican colleagues expected to diminish come January, when the 90th Texas Legislature is sworn in, state Rep. Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth) has filed House Joint Resolution 52.
The proposed constitutional amendment would ask voters if they wish to amend the Texas Constitution to allow the Legislature to legalize and regulate casino gaming and sports wagering. If the vote comes back with a simple majority (50% plus one vote), the Texas Constitution would be amended to permit casinos and sports betting.
On Nov. 2, 2027, Geren proposes the following ballot question be presented to voters:
“The constitutional amendment to permit the Legislature, by general law, to authorize and regulate casino gaming and sports wagering at a limited number of locations in this state, require licenses and license application fees for operators, and impose a tax on casino gaming and sports wagering revenue.”
Roadblocks Lifted
Texas is one of 24 states that do not permit citizen-initiated ballot measures. Therefore, only the Texas Legislature can ask voters to amend the state’s founding framework.
For a referendum to reach the ballot in Texas, a joint resolution must secure two-thirds support in both the House and the Senate. While the bill does not need the governor’s signature, the lieutenant governor, as president of the state Senate, can singlehandedly block the resolution through procedural and agenda-setting powers.
Three-term incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) maintained for years that he would kill any proposal seeking to authorize new forms of gambling.
It’s not even an issue that’s going to see the light of day,” Patrick said in 2023.
Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin (D) pulled off the upset against Patrick last week. Although she told Casino.org that she isn’t personally a gambler, she believes Texans should be allowed to decide the issue.
We need to listen to the voters of Texas. There are a number of issues where I think a vast majority of Texans feel one way and their elected representatives are doing the opposite,” Goodwin told Casino.org. “Gambling may be one of those things.”
Come January, the Texas Legislature will be split, with Democrats holding a majority in the House and Republicans maintaining the Senate.
Resolution Recommendations
In its filed form, Geren recommends limiting the number of casinos to 10 locations and capping state taxes on gross gaming revenue at 15%. The measure would require the state to negotiate Class III tribal gaming compacts with any of Texas’ three federally recognized tribes.
Importantly, Geren’s resolution does not specify if sports betting would be limited to casinos or if online bets would be allowed.
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