Another Texas Sports Betting Bill Is On The Table, But Will It Actually Pass?

Yet another Texas sports betting bill is officially up for consideration.

State Senator Carol Alvarado, a Democrat out of Houston, has filed Senate Joint Resolution 16 (SJR16). If it is successful, it will legalize sports betting in Texas as well as casino gambling. It also creates the Texas Gaming Commission, which would be tasked with overseeing it all.

If Senator Alvarado’s name seems familiar to you, that is because it is probably familiar to you. She is responsible for previous filings of Texas sports betting initiatives. Her efforts date all the way back to 2009. Though sports betting in the United States was not yet legal at that time, Alvarado was and remains at the forefront of casino gaming advocacy. Her most recent initiative, which she proposed back in 2023, actually made it past the Texas House of Representatives before flopping in the Senate.  

The question now becomes: Will SJR16 be any different? Or is it destined to fail like every single one of its predecessors? 

The Latest Texas Sports Betting Bill is Not Inviting Much Optimism

Many tend to view the mere proposal of Texas sports betting initiatives as a positive sign. This is to some extent accurate. States completely uninterested in sports betting will not even attempt to discuss it. Look no further than places such as Idaho and Utah. The continued push for sports betting in The Lone Star State is proof of not just interest, but semi-prevalent interest. 

And yet, optimism is not high entering the debate over SJR16. Though Governor Gregg Abbot has voiced support for Texas sports betting, there remains plenty of opposition throughout the state’s legislature. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who leads the Senate, remains among the staunchest opponents. Back in 2023, he did not even bring Alvarado’s bill to a vote. He has since reiterated there is not nearly enough support for Texas sports betting among Senate chamber members.

Fast forward to now, and it doesn’t sound like much has changed. Even Senator Alvarado admits as much. Consider this excerpt from Will Iger of The Denton Record-Chronicle:

“Given the support behind—and opposition to—the legalization of sports gambling, the debate around SJR 16 could get heated. Alvarado said she’s aware SJR 16 may not gain traction this legislative session but remains optimistic that sports gambling will be legalized in the future. ‘I’m in it for the long haul, and each session we’re garnering a different level of support. So I’ll take it. And this session will build on that,’ Alvarado said. ‘I know it’s going to continue to be a marathon, not a sprint.’”

These sentiments back what most have expected all along. Legal sports betting will eventually come to Texas. But Alvarado also reinforces the uncertainty behind the entire matter.

This Is Not Just a Matter of ‘When’ for Texas, But ‘How’

Inevitability has a way of creating specific timelines. But the future of Texas sports betting does not have one. If SJR16 is successful, it may still be at least a year before The Lone Star State launches gambling operations. It will be even longer than that if final approval requires a constitutional amendment. In that scenario, voters must approve the measure on a general electoral ballot, which isn’t until 2026.

Still, harping on the prospective Texas sports betting timeline actually skips a few steps. As things currently stand, it isn’t even clear how the legalization of gambling would look.

Typically, there are one of two methods: Texas can legalize both online sports betting and retail sports betting, or they can launch in-person wagering only. However, the continued absence of tribal and commercialized casinos may wind up complicating matters.

More than a few policymakers believe that Texas casino legalization must come before sports betting. That pushes back possible sports gambling timelines. And even if the two are legalized in tandem, there is a chance the state wants to launch both simultaneously as a result. That by itself can extend the timeline.

Never mind the logistical processes Texas must navigate. Their casino industry is nonexistent. That means they will have to wait on the construction of casinos in addition to hashing out the licensing and regulatory procedures. 

This will be time-consuming to say the least. It can be abridged if The Lone Star State allows for temporary structures to serve as sportsbooks. Again, though, this is much easier to do if you already have a casino infrastructure in place. Texas does not.

Don’t Count on Much Progress for Texas Sports Betting in 2025

After weighing all the factors at hand, we recommend not holding your breath for much Texas sports betting progress in 2025. 

Sure, SJR16 may gain a ton of traction in the House of Representatives. But the last initiative did the same. Making it out of the Senate is a bigger hurdle. And right now, nothing suggests that this is even a remote possibility. 

At the most fundamental level, the success of SJR16 will require wholesale philosophical about-faces among a bunch of Texas lawmakers. That technically isn’t impossible. Especially when you consider the pressure pro sports franchises in the state—such as the Dallas Mavericks (NBA) and Dallas Cowboys (NFL)—continue to apply to congress. 

But this pressure has existed for a while. It has yet to make a difference. The assumption must be it will be the same story this time until there’s reason to believe otherwise.

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