Texas Sports Betting Bills Pass in House, Unlikely in Senate

• Sports betting bills TX HJR 102 and TX HB 1942 passed in the Texas House of Representatives on Thursday.
• With Senate approval, Texas voters will decide whether sports betting becomes legal in the Lone Star State.
• However, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Republican Senators are unlikely to pass either sports betting bill.

AUSTIN, Texas – Two Texas sports betting bills passed in the House of Representatives on Thursday, marking sports betting’s furthest advancement in the Lone Star State. TX HJR 102 and TX HB 1942 received a 2/3 majority vote in the House and will now be voted on by the Senate.

On its third and final House reading, 101 votes in favor of TX HJR 102 were received, barely surpassing the 100-voter mark necessary to cross chambers into the Senate.

Through a constitutional amendment, Jeff Leach’s House Joint Resolution bill would legalize Texas sports betting. His online sports betting bill, TX HB 1942, will also have its fate decided in the Senate.

In addition to the House, legal sports betting in the Lone Star State is supported by their professional sports teams. The Texas sports betting alliance is comprised of the state’s NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB teams who all are in favor of sports betting passage.

A vocal advocate for Texas sports betting is Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who told LegalSportsBetting in an interview that “ I am for legalizing all betting,” when asked for his opinion on the Texas sports betting regulations.

Despite all this support, both sports betting bills are unlikely to advance out of the Senate.

Sports Betting Faces Strong Opposition from Senate

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has vocalized his disproval towards sports betting and is confident that Republican Senators won’t pass any sports betting bills.

Of the 42 naysayers in the House opposing TX HJR 102, 36 of them were Republican. Republican opposition to legal Texas sports betting is a massive obstacle because Patrick claims that a sports betting bill will not reach the Senate floor without 15 Republicans in favor.

Ensuring the bill doesn’t become a “Democrat” led bill is a must for Patrick, who claims there is virtually no support in the Senate for sports betting.

Both sports betting bills need Senate approval before the Texas legislative session ends on May 29. If approved, sports betting will be on the 2023 election ballot and up to voter decision.

News tags: Dan Patrick | Mark Cuban | Texas | TX HB 1942 | TX HJR 102