Four Casino ‘Destination Resorts’ Could Come to Texas if Voters Approve

Casino and resort company Las Vegas Sands is funding a major push to gain support for bringing casinos to Texas.

The company is spending millions of dollars on an advertising campaign that will begin running ads in the state’s biggest cities, according to The Texas Tribune. The TV and radio ads are set to start running today (April 15), which is also the day a state House committee is scheduled to review proposals to expand gambling in the Lone Star State.

Get our free mobile app

If approved, the legislation would allow Texans to vote on whether or not to award special casino licenses for four ‘destination resorts’ in Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. The ads encourage Texans to keep gambling dollars here in the state:

This November, the Legislature can allow Texans to vote to build four world-class destination resorts and casinos, bringing those dollars back to Texas. Let’s boost our economy, create tens of thousands of jobs and help fund vital services like schools and public safety.

No pun intended, but the Las Vegas Sands is gambling millions of dollars hoping to win over a State Legislature that historically hasn’t been willing to expand gambling options. However, the proposals backed by Sands have picked up bipartisan support since being filed in early March.

The Legislature is also considering a bill that would allow for sports betting in the state. If approved, voters will decide on the issue in November. According to KTBS, the Sports Betting Alliance claims that an estimated $5 billion dollars of illegal bets are being placed every year in Texas. The state stands to generate a lot of revenue if legalized.