Slot Machine Company Partners with Dallas Cowboys

Have the Dallas Cowboys just hinted at an imminent change to Texas sports betting laws?

This is a question we cannot help but ask in the wake of recent news that the franchise has entered a multi-year partnership agreement with Aristocrat Gaming, a company that manufactures slot machines.

Sure, this could just be business as usual. But as everyone likely knows, sports betting in Texas as well as casino gaming in Texas are not legal. Would a slot machine manufacturer really pay for a branding opportunity in a state that’s not on track to revise current gambling laws?

That’s what we’re here to figure out. So let’s go ahead and investigate the details and potential implications of this partnership between the Dallas Cowboys and Aristocrat Gaming.

What Will A Partnership Between the Dallas Cowboys and Aristocrat Gaming Look Like?

Rege Behe of CDC Gaming unpacked the full details of the Dallas Cowboys entering into an agreement with Aristocrat Gaming:

“The NFL team and Aristocrat Gaming on Tuesday announced a multi-year partnership that makes the company an official partner of the Cowboys. Aristocrat Gaming will have prominent signage throughout AT&T Stadium year-round, including in-stadium and on concourses, and feature in-game branding. Additional features will include in-game promotions, digital integrations and game-day activations at AT&T Stadium.

“‘We are proud to be the newest partner of the Dallas Cowboys, one of the world’s premier sports and entertainment organizations with a proud championed history, much like Aristocrat Gaming’s,’ Aristocrat Gaming CEO Hector Fernandez said in a statement. “With the success of the NFL Slots portfolio, we have been able to bring the excitement of fan-favorite teams like the Dallas Cowboys to casino floors across the country. We look forward to bringing even more innovative experiences to fans through this partnership.’”

As the company’s CEO pointed out, Aristocrat Gaming isn’t just a partner with the Dallas Cowboys. They have a general deal with the NFL. Though the financial details of their agreement aren’t publicly available as far as we can tell, the deal does include NFL-theme slot machines on casino floors throughout the USA.

Still, furthering that relationship by teaming up with the Dallas Cowboys has to be about more than just getting the company name in front of a larger audience. Right?

Aristocrat Gaming’s Agreement with Big D May Have More to Do with Oklahoma Than Texas

As it turns out, Aristocrat Gaming may have a bigger-picture endgame here. And it has nothing to do with the future of sports betting and casino gaming in Texas.

Oklahoma is located right on the border of the Lone Star State. And while sports betting in Oklahoma isn’t yet legal, the Sooner State does allow for tribal casino operations. Most notably, Oklahoma is home to WinStar World Casino and Resort. This property is owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation that, according to their official website, is “home to nine globally-themed gaming plazas stretching along a mile of gaming floor, WinStar boasts the largest collection of electronic and table games anywhere in the world.”

Not coincidentally, WinStar Casino has NFL-themed slot machines manufactured by Aristocrat Gaming located on their floor. And given Texas’ proximity to Oklahoma, the company is taking advantage of a chance to increase brand awareness among potential customers.

It’s a smart business play by Aristocrat Gaming. Football is a religion in Oklahoma, at every level. But the state is only home to flagship high school and college programs. As such, the most popular NFL team to root for in Oklahoma is the Dallas Cowboys. So Aristocrat Gaming isn’t just attempting to convince Texans to visit WinStar casino. They’re syncing up with a franchise that has real influence over people who reside in the market in which they actually operate.

So This Deal Really Has Nothing to Do with Texas Gambling Laws?

Those who support the legalization of Texas sports betting and casino gaming are likely to be at least a little disappointed. They would love for this latest Dallas Cowboys partnership to intimate something about the future of gambling in the Lone Star State. For the most part, though, its existence is immaterial to that issue.

None of which is to say this has absolutely nothing to do with Texas gambling laws. Aristocrat Gaming is probably hoping their deal with the Dallas Cowboys pays off tenfold if and when the state expands their gambling laws.

Really, this is the same logic that applies to the majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands purchasing the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. (And then buying up a bunch of land in the area.) These companies likely wouldn’t be entering the market at steep financial cost if they thought Texas casino gambling and sports betting would never be legalized.

At the same time, these decisions cannot solely be rooted in the outlook on legal gambling in the Lone Star State. While many believe it will eventually happen, there are no guarantees. A handful of experts have painted Texas sports betting legalization in 2025 as a coin-toss proposition—at best.

Plenty of hurdles must still be cleared on this front. Political opposition to gambling in Texas remains rampant. There’s also the matter of whether online sportsbooks in the United States will be part of any legislation. Some pro-gambling officials are against online sports betting in Texas as well as online casinos in Texas. They’d prefer it if the state rolled out brick-and-mortar operations alone.

This is all to say: The Dallas Cowboys partnering with a slot machine producer doesn’t guarantee anything about the future of gaming in Texas. But it could, in fact, still be a sign of imminent shifts in state policy.

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