Newly-elected Texas legislators can be meeting soon. This TX legislature has lots of issues to handle. This legislature will be facing a huge spending budget deficit. Casino interests are trying to get the legislature to allow casinos in the state to give a short-term loan to the state budget.

TX gambling interests

Lawmakers in TX are likely to be convening their new session in just a couple weeks. The legislature will be facing a budget deficit of $20 billion or more. It will be hard because it will not be popular, but lawmakers have to determine while in Fort Worth about either increasing revenue or decreasing spending. There is pressure coming from gambling interests to get gambling legalized. This would allow the budget deficit to be helped with the gambling money.

Prior tries to legalize Texas gambling

Gambling being legalized in TX is something that has already been considered. Lawmakers have considered it in the past. Last time, gambling interests tried to push through a bill that would have legalized gambling within the state. The bill was defeated though even though some of the bill would have gone to college scholarships. Casinos are more than just a short term installment loan to help the budget, many lawmakers say. With increases in law enforcement and social services, the casinos and gambling may not actually be helpful as they’d be like a payday loan that has to be paid back.

All about the Texas gambling

If gambling was legalized in Texas, it would be done with legislature. Then, it might take a while to happen. First, there would have to be a major change. It could be to the Texas constitution. Gambling would then have to have some way to contribute to higher education. That could be part of the funding it would do. A public vote with individual municipalities only for instance Irving and Tarrant County would have to occur with the gambling. Lobbyists are unsure whether the TX gambling bill will make it through the legislature, but the desperate need of short term loans for the spending budget might give it a better chance of passing.

Articles cited

Miami Herald

miamiherald.com/2010/12/26/1989474/gambling-interests-hope-texas.html

Tags: casinos in texas, gambling in texas, gambling legalization, irving texas

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