Optimism still exists for legal gambling in Texas despite primary results

As the Texas primary approached in 2026, casino gaming interests were optimistic they could help put pro-gambling legislators to legalize gambling in the state. While those efforts fell short, with anti-gambling candidates coming out on top and a state government staunchly opposed to regulated gaming, casino advocates and stakeholders remain undeterred and said they will continue push toward bringing in-person casinos to the Lone Star State.

For years, Las Vegas Sands has worked toward bringing legal casino gambling to Texas, which has not authorized regulated sports betting or real money online casino apps due in large part to a state government that has long been opposed to legal gambling expansion.

A host of state legislators who are gambling opponents defeated primary challenges from candidates supported by Sands recently, making it all the more difficult for pro-gambling stakeholders to have enough sway in the legislature. 

As reported by the The Texas Tribune, Mark Jones, a political science fellow at Rice University, noted that Sands is now "further away" from bringing destination resorts casinos in Texas now than it was in 2023.

That said, in a statement, the Texas Sands PAC emphasized that the "long game matters" and that it is "playing to win."

The latest string of efforts from Sands included the company donating $9 million to both the Texas Sands PAC and the Texas Defense PAC last summer to support pro-gambling candidates, who could potentially help the state legalize in-person gaming and – maybe one day – casino games online.

While Sands has failed to put candidates in places of power since then, the company is hopeful that logging smaller wins until the state Senate is headed by a more open-minded legislator will ultimately lead to legal casino gaming in Texas.

This fight is more about the potential of legal Texas casinos, an industry that Southern Methodist University associate professor of political science Matthew Wilson said could generate "an enormous amount of money."

On top of that, available public polling indicated strong support for legalizing casinos and sports betting. That is significant, as voters would need to approve a constitutional amendment in order for the state to expand legal gambling.

Still, there's plenty of pushback at the state level, especially with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick – leader of the Senate – securing a fourth four-year term after previously shutting down pro-gambling bills in 2023 and 2025. On top of that, the state did away with the Texas Lottery Commission following allegations of corruption regarding a winning ticket sold by an online courier. 

While Sands may remain optimistic, the short- and mid-term outlook for legalizing new online casinos in the Lone Star State does not look bright.

Grant Lucas