This is the Key to Texas Sports Betting Legalization

If Texas sports betting legislation is going to pass anytime, there’s one major concern that must be addressed: problem gambling.

Across the United States, data shows that markets with legal sports betting experience significant upticks in reports of problem gambling habits. That is something opponents of sports wagering have always cited, and something they will continue to cite.

Of course, this has not slowed the popularity of online sports betting in the United States. When Missouri sports betting launches later this year, 39 states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will offer some form of legal sports gambling. Many accept that the industry isn’t going anywhere, even if they’re not outright supporters of it. States have ultimately decided the financial benefits combined with a regulated market outweigh the valid safety concerns that come with legal sports wagering.

Granted, not all states feel this way. Eleven have yet to approve of any sports betting legislation. Some of those markets, such as California, are considered temporary holdouts. However, when it comes to sports betting in Texas, the issue of problem gambling may prove more prohibitive than it does in other places.

Estimates of Problem Gambling Reports if Texas Sports Betting Gets Legalized are Fairly Surprising

Jerry Bauerkemper is on the board of the Texas Coalition for Problem Gambling. He is also the former Executive Director of the Nebraska Council on Compulsive Gambling. Recently, he spoke with The Daily Campus about the number of people who will suffer from problem gambling. His statements are eyebrow raising to say the least. Here’s an excerpt from Gigi La Fond’s piece:

“[Bauerkemper] urges people to be aware of how big of a problem gambling addiction is in the U.S. ‘Five percent to seven percent of the population will have a gambling problem over the course of their lifetime,’ said Bauerkemper. Bauerkemper also discussed how the culture around sports betting has changed. Although in the past people have always gambled on sports through bookies, it is now more accessible to a younger audience due to sports betting apps. ‘Before when you were 21, you could bar crawl, now you sports gamble,’ Bauerkemper said. ‘It’s an accepted right of passage.’

Bauerkemper stated that if the legalization of sports betting got through, then he would push for part of the income made from sports gambling to go back into fighting addiction. ‘Texas Coalition on Problem Gambling would advocate that 2 percent or 3 percent of the tax revenue go towards prevention, treatment and research for those people who have gambling issues.’”

Advocating for Texas sports betting funds to be allocated toward prevention, treatment and research for gambling issues is not groundbreaking. It is standard fare when looking at other sports betting markets.

In fact, not even the proposed share of revenue stands out. Currently, states dedicate anywhere from 1 to 5 percent of sports betting profits to similar programs.

Knowing how many policymakers oppose gambling on moral grounds, it might behoove the state to devote more to prevention, treatment and research.

Is This Actually the Biggest Roadblock to Sports Gambling in The Lone Star State?

This is not meant to be a loaded question. Make no mistake, concerns over gambling addiction continue to shape Texas sports betting talks. Remember, The Lone Star State does not even allow traditional casino gaming. That is another point of issue lawmakers continue to discuss. Texas has time and again reinforced a hard-line stance on gaming laws.

As such, the arc of Texas sports betting cannot be boiled down to one issue. The reasons for opposition are myriad. Many can be traced back to the adverse impact it can have on certain segments of the population. But GOP members are not dooming the latest bill to failure exclusively because they are concerned about the problem-gambling fallout.

If this were the case, the state almost assuredly would have proposed pieces of legislation with a greater emphasis on research, treatment and prevention. After all, The Lone Star State will have the money to fund such programs. Estimates from GeoComply have the annual Texas sports betting online revenue hitting over $300 million by its third year of operations.

So What is the Hold Up in Texas?

Other issues at the forefront in The Lone Star State span up and down the logistical spectrum.

Religious beliefs play a concern for many. Certain members of congress, meanwhile, do not believe the voting population will approve a constitutional amendment.

In recent years, a lot of the opposition seems politically driven. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is staunchly against Texas sports betting. Given the level of influence he holds over the Senate, it seems as if no measure stands a chance unless crafted by a certain type of Republican.

Beyond that, sports betting is not the gambling priority for many legislators. Others prefer to focus on Texas casino expansion. This is different from outright opposing sports betting. But the belief, for many, is that casino legalization must come first. From there, after a regulatory infrastructure is in place, Texas sports betting might be able to follow.

This is all to say the subject is complex as it is divisive. There is no one reason Texas sports betting has yet to gain real momentum. There are many. And nearly seven years after the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, it remains unclear when there will be more alignment, let alone a favorable view, of sports betting in general.

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