A new survey reveals that a greater number of Texans favor the establishment of commercial resort casinos in the state over the legalization of online sports betting in Texas. 

A survey published on Tuesday by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston showed that 73% of Texans favor the legalization, construction, and operation of destination resort casinos in Texas. 

This comprises 74% of the surveyed Democrats and 72% of the surveyed Republicans. 

In contrast, 60% of surveyed Texans stated they are in favor of legalizing online sports betting in Texas. This encompasses 64% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans who took part in the survey. 

Moreover, 56% of surveyed Texans indicate that they favor the legalization of sportsbooks in the state’s stadiums and arenas. 

The questionnaire involved 1,200 inhabitants who were interviewed the previous month. 

The individuals surveyed were asked whether they support or oppose laws permitting the construction and operation of one or two destination resort casinos in each of the following metropolitan areas: Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and the Rio Grande Valley. 

The 73% supporting destination resort casinos in Texas “is considerably higher than the three-fifths who favor legalizing online sports betting and the … more than half who believe that professional sports teams in Texas ought to have the ability to run sportsbooks in their venues,” Mark P. Jones, a Rice University professor involved in the survey, informed Casino.org. 

Jones observed that backing for destination resort casinos "is strong among all demographic and political groups." 

“In a Republican-controlled state like Texas, the preferences of Texans who identify as Republican weigh heaviest in the political calculations of the GOP leadership in Austin, and while a super-majority of Republicans (72%) favor the legalization of casino gambling in Texas, support among Republicans for legalizing online betting (59%) and sportsbooks at pro sports venues (55%) is more muted,” Jones added.

Dan Patrick Continues to Have Influence 

Despite the backing for casinos evident in the latest survey, for the legislature to approve casino legislation, advocates “must persuade [Texas] Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) that the economic and tax revenue advantages of casinos surpass the negative social consequences linked to them.”

"As of today, when Lt. Gov. Patrick looks at the scales, he sees the costs of casinos outweighing the benefits,” Jones cautioned.

The survey at the University of Houston took place from January 13 to 21. The error margin is plus or minus 2.83%. 

Advertisements, Advocacy Occurring 

The poll emerges as television audiences in Texas are being overwhelmed by advertisements promoting the endorsement of commercial casinos. 

The advertisements come from a political action committee (PAC) known as "Texas Destination Resort Alliance" (TDRA), which is supported by Las Vegas Sands (LVS). The advertisements claim they originate from a “coalition” of Texans advocating for the state legislature “to give us the chance to vote yes on a statewide constitutional amendment permitting the establishment of destination resorts in the major markets of the state.” 

LVS is one of the groups advocating for lawmakers to pass casino legislation. 

Senate Joint Resolution 16, authored by state Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston), has already been introduced. If sanctioned, the law will open the way for a statewide referendum on casinos and gaming.