Shelby Slawson of Stephenville, Will Metcalf of Conroe and John Smithee of Amarillo.īoth bills received a hearing late last month that featured familiar arguments surrounding expanding gaming in Texas. The three Republicans who voted against advancing the gaming proposals were Reps. The bill aims to take some of the financial burden off new families by removing the sales tax for crucial baby items, like diapers and formula. 'Texans have made it clear that they want destination resorts in Texas, and we are now one step closer to ultimately allowing them to decide on this issue.'īill that would remove sales tax from baby, female hygiene products passes through Texas House

'The efforts to bring destination resorts to Texas made significant progress with today’s vote,' Matt Hirsch, a spokesperson for Sands’ lobby effort, said in a statement. The casino legislation is backed by Las Vegas Sands, which has spent millions of dollars since 2020 on lobbyists, TV ads and campaign contributions in Texas. The new version of the bill was not immediately available publicly. The committee members voted on a revised version of the casino bill, known as a 'committee substitute,' without discussing its content. The casino bill would additionally allow sports wagering. If approved by voters, House Bill 2843 would permit casino gambling in Texas, and House Bill 1942 would legalize online sports betting, such as on cellphones. And in recent media appearances, he has dug in, pointedly saying the Senate lacks the GOP support he wants to see for either proposal. Dan Patrick, the powerful presiding officer of the Senate, has long thrown cold water on the prospects of expanding gambling in Texas.

John Kuempel, R-Seguin, would permit casino gambling in Texas. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, would permit regulated sports betting that is already legal in 29 states.

Texas business interests and family values collide as lawmakers debate legalizing gambling

Texas legalizing casino gambling