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Dallas Mavericks CEO denies 'casino component' being part of new arena plans
Despite their ownership group being heavily involved in gambling, the Dallas Mavericks' proposed new arena will not feature a casino.
The Dallas Mavericks owners plan to complete construction on a privately funded new arena in 2031. There was some speculation that their plans would include a casino, considering the ownership group's heavy interest in bringing legal gaming to Texas. However, Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Wells recently confirmed that there will be no "casino component" to the arena.
Dedicated basketball arena that will be a "city within a city"
The Mavericks' proposed arena will include plenty of additional non-basketball elements, such as a live performance venue and a hotel. However, there are no plans to add a casino to this mix.
Speaking with Dallas Morning News, Wells said, "No, our plans will stay consistent with no casino component."
The Adelson family, which owns a 69% controlling stake in the Mavericks, built their fortune on casino gambling. This is what led to speculation that gaming would be part of the new arena.
However, Texas currently prohibits land-based and online casino games for real money. They also aren't anywhere near states that offer regulated casino apps like DraftKings.
Even if the Adelsons wanted a casino attached to the future arena, the state's laws would have to change for this to be possible.
The current arena proposal has several other aspects that should interest basketball fans and general visitors alike. In what's being called "a city within a city," the plan calls for:
- A dedicated basketball arena
- Hotels, restaurants, shops, and apartments
- A live performance venue with 4,000–5,000 seats
- The team's headquarters and practice facility
The ownership group, which includes the Adelsons, Mark Cuban (23%), and Mary Stanton (4%), is currently scouting locations with at least 50 acres. Two proposed sites include the downtown Dallas City Hall area or the 110-acre Valley View Mall (North Dallas).
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Would the casino arena plans change if Texas legalized casinos?
The Lone State has some of the strictest gambling laws in the US. While it does have three tribal casinos, it doesn't allow casino games, poker, or sports betting. Texas also doesn't permit any forms of online gambling, like real money online slots, blackjack, craps, etc.
No bills to change the status quo have advanced very far in the legislature. Gambling has some big enemies in the state, most notably Lt. Governor Dan Patrick.
Billionaire Miriam Adelson and her son-in-law, Patrick Dumont, have been very active in lobbying the state for gambling. Their next shot at getting casino gaming legalized would be during the 2027 biannual legislative session.
Provided Adelson and Dumont could pour enough money into gaming legislation, it would be interesting to see if their arena plans would change. Having a casino attached to the arena isn't even an option right now. Assuming things changed on the legal front, then the group might reconsider the "no casino component" aspect.
Another interesting question is whether Texas would consider regulating both retail and new online casinos. The Adelsons have never been big on online gambling, but some politicians and other interests want a comprehensive package that includes retail and online casinos.
This would allow Texans to use online casino bonus codes at top apps like BetMGM. It would also make Texas the only state west of the Mississippi to offer regulated online gaming.
But for now, it seems that Adelson and Dumont are mainly concerned with finding a new site for the Mavericks arena. All potential gambling scenarios will have to wait until something happens on the legal front.
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