Efforts to legalize casino gambling in Texas remain stalled in the state Legislature following another election cycle that preserved strong opposition among Republican lawmakers.
Republican state Reps. David Lowe, Terri Leo-Wilson, Mark Dorazio, and Andy Hopper — all opponents of gambling — defeated primary challengers backed by billionaire Miriam Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands casino company.
Cheryl Bean, an anti-gambling activist, also won the Republican nomination in the open race for House District 94 in Tarrant County. She defeated opponents supported by Texas Sands PAC and Texas Defense PAC, super PACs funded by the casino giant.
The results come after several legislative sessions in which gambling proposals failed to advance.
Legislative resistance continues
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the Texas Senate, has remained a critic of legalizing gambling. During both the 2023 and 2025 legislative sessions, he said the Senate would not vote on pro-gambling legislation.
In 2023, a sports gambling proposal advanced from the Texas House but did not proceed in the Senate. Two years later, neither casino nor sports gambling proposals gained traction in the House despite millionaire lobbying expenditures by Las Vegas Sands.
Patrick secured the Republican nomination for a fourth four-year term as lieutenant governor, a development that analysts say could extend the current legislative deadlock.
“If the prize is destination resort casinos in Texas, Las Vegas Sands is now further away from it in 2026 than they were in 2023,” said Mark Jones, a political science fellow at Rice University, in a Texas Tribune report.
PAC spending and election results
Las Vegas Sands has directed millions of dollars into Texas elections while seeking legislative approval for casino gambling.
Adelson donated $9 million to Texas Sands PAC and another $9 million to Texas Defense PAC last summer to support candidates who favor legalization. Texas Sands PAC provided direct contributions to campaigns, while Texas Defense PAC funded mail campaigns, digital outreach, and voter contact programs.
However, many candidates who received those funds were unsuccessful in the primaries.
Republican businessman Kyle Morris, who challenged Lowe, received $140,000 from Texas Sands PAC but lost by more than 27 percentage points, according to unofficial results from the Texas Secretary of State. Morris was the largest beneficiary of the PAC among non-incumbent candidates.
Nathan Watkins, former city manager of Mont Belvieu, received $110,000 from the PAC in his race against Leo-Wilson and lost by 25 percentage points, according to unofficial results.
The results follow a special election in November in which former Southlake Mayor John Huffman did not advance to the runoff in the Senate District 9 race after receiving $1.2 million from Texas Sands PAC.
Industry maintains long-term effort
Texas Sands PAC said it will continue supporting candidates who favor casino legalization. The group said it intends to continue investing in candidates across the state.
“The long game matters,” read the statement. “And Texas Sands PAC is playing to win.”
“Our mission remains unchanged: trust Texas voters,” Andy Abboud, senior vice president of government relations for Sands, wrote in a statement. “We have and will continue to support candidates who are committed to a business-friendly environment that keeps the Texas economy strong, competitive, and growing. Cycle after cycle, the record speaks for itself, and we are proud of the role we played in delivering those results. We congratulate every candidate who earned the trust of Texas voters.”
Market potential and policy environment
Political analysts say the company’s continued spending is tied to the potential value of legalized casino gambling in Texas.
“There’s enough to gain that they’ll continue to spend,” said Matthew Wilson, an associate professor of political science at Southern Methodist University. “If Texas does at some point open up to casino gambling, there will be an enormous amount of money to be made here in the state.”
Sands maintains support from several lawmakers. Its political action committee provided direct donations to more than 40 incumbents in the Texas House and Senate ahead of Tuesday’s election.
“They’ve been successful in protecting a lot of incumbents, but that doesn’t move the needle on the issues they care about,” Wilson said.
Recent developments have also affected the policy discussion surrounding gambling in the state. The Texas Lottery Commission was abolished this year following allegations of corruption involving a winning ticket sold by an online courier. Some conservative lawmakers have also referenced recent NBA gambling-related indictments when discussing concerns related to gambling.
Public polling in Texas indicates support for legalizing casinos and sports gambling, though Republican voters show mixed views. Any legalization measure would require voter approval through an amendment to the Texas Constitution.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/03/09/117948-texas-casino-legalization-push-fails-to-gain-ground-after-primaries-preserve-antigambling-bloc
