DALLAS — The Texas Sports Betting Alliance has put its support behind a pair of bills filed in the Texas Legislature that could draw bipartisan backing.
The proposed legislation seeks to legalize and regulate mobile sports betting in Texas.
State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, filed Senate Bill 715 and Senate Joint Resolution 39. Meanwhile, State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, filed HB 1942 and HJR 102.
Kolkhorst said her bill would create transparent licensing, permitting and reporting requirements, while reigning in illegal offshore betting already occurring across the state.
The Texas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and other Texas sports franchises have put their support behind the legislation authored by Kolkhorst and Leach.
State Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, who authored legislation to legalize sports betting in 2021, signed on as a joint author to Kolkhorst bill.
“Senator Kolkhorst’s bill will provide Texans the same opportunity that sports fans across the country now enjoy, the chance to utilize mobile sports betting in a responsible manner," Spurs Managing Partner Peter J. Holt said, adding passage of such legislation would also provide another avenue for fans to “engage with their favorite teams.”
Leach, whose proposed legislation is identical to Kolkhort’s, said 35 other states are already cashing in on similar legislation.
“We are pushing for mobile-only sports betting. There is no brick-and-mortar. There's no sportsbook. There's no casino,” the Texas Sports Alliance’s Cara Gustafson said. “There's no retail aspect to our legislation.”
That’s a significant change from legislation proposed in 2021 that did include a retail component, according to Gustafson.
“We just felt that a mobile-only approach was what was going to be best for Texas right now."
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is also working with the alliance, said legalized mobile sports betting could generate more than a quarter-billion dollars in revenue in the first biennium alone.
There were some significant hurdles in 2021 that perhaps put sports wagering legislation on the back burner. Gustafson cited redistricting, Covid-19 and a winter storm as issues that may have sidetracked more serious discussions two years ago.
“We knew in 2021 it was going to be a challenge,” she said.
Now, there is more optimism, but also a relatively short runway to get something passed.
“What we're asking for at this point is to let the Texas voters decide,” Gustafson said.
