CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As election day draws near, Governor Greg Abbott appears to be opening the door for the expansion of gambling in Texas.
It's something he used to be against.
Abbott's Democratic opponent, Beto O'Rourke, has been in favor of doing something to open gambling in our state, so no matter which one prevails in this election, those in the gaming industry could be the real winners.
Texas has some of the strictest laws in the nation against gambling and at one time, Abbott said he "wholeheartedly" supported those laws.
Still there are some exemptions, which is why we have a state lottery.
Those who are in favor of more gambling options here point out that Texas loses billions of dollars each year when our own residents make the short trip to other states where casinos are legal.
3NEWS spoke with with Texas Political Analyst Jason Whitely who said he has spoken with some Las Vegas-based casinos who are already targeting the state.
“One thing I asked them is, ‘What’s this going to look like? In Vegas, there’s a strip. What would it look like in Texas? What kind of investment are you imagining?’ He said, ‘We’re thinking about maybe creating little bubbles across the state in different parts of Texas and just having gaming in those bubbles.’”
So, while this type of gambling may not be allowed down the street at your favorite convenience store, it could at least keep folks from driving to places like Oklahoma and Louisiana.
A spokesperson for Abbott said he is at least open to listening to casino proposals.
Keep in mind that at this point, the Texas Constitution still forbids expanding gambling.
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