Texas Lawmaker Introduces Sports Betting Bill for 2025 Vote
Texas Representative Sam Harless introduced the first gambling-related bill of the legislative session. The proposed constitutional amendment, known as HJR 134, would allow voters to decide in November 2025 whether to legalize sports betting in the state.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The bill primarily focuses on retail sports betting but it does not explicitly ban digital wagering. If passed, it would permit professional sports teams, PGA Tour venues, and Class I racetracks to obtain betting licenses. However, only entities in existence as of January 1, 2025, would be eligible. Licensees would have the option to partner with management service providers to run sportsbooks.
Related: Texas Lawmakers under Pressure to Legalize Sports Betting
Bill Lacks Regulatory Framework
The proposal does not lay out a specific regulatory framework for sports betting. Instead, it uses vague language: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to legalize wagering in this state on certain sporting events.”
This approach has been seen in other states, including Louisiana and Maryland. If Texas voters approve the amendment, state legislators would then be responsible for creating the necessary regulations, including deciding whether digital betting would be included. In Louisiana and Maryland, voters approved sports betting in 2020, with retail sportsbooks opening in 2021 and online platforms launching in 2022.
Even if Texas voters approve the measure in November 2025, it could take over a year before sportsbooks become operational, as the state legislature only meets in odd-numbered years.
Details Lacking on Number of Licenses
The proposal does not specify how many licenses would be issued or exactly which entities would be eligible. It mentions licensing for a “sports team as defined by general law” but does not name specific teams.
Texas is home to 13 professional sports teams, including seven from the four major U.S. sports leagues. The remaining six include the WNBA’s Dallas Wings and five soccer teams. In most jurisdictions where sports teams can obtain sports betting licenses, WNBA teams have been included, while MLS and women’s soccer teams have not always been eligible.
Additionally, Texas has four PGA Tour stops and four licensed horse racetracks, which would be eligible under the bill. However, NASCAR venues are not mentioned in the proposal.
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Challenges to Legalization
Texas lawmakers have debated gambling legislation for the past two sessions. In 2023, a similar constitutional amendment successfully passed the House but stalled in the Senate. That proposal included auto-racing venues and designated 98% of tax revenue for property tax relief.
Despite lobbying efforts from Las Vegas Sands and other gambling interests, public polling that suggests Texans support legal gambling, and Governor Greg Abbott stating he has no issue with online sports betting, the bill still faces significant political resistance.
Furthermore, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who serves as Senate president pro tempore, has repeatedly stated that he will not bring any gambling bill to a vote unless it has sufficient Republican support.
RELATED TOPICS: Regulation
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