EAST TEXAS (KSLA) – During Texas’ legislation sessions this year, members of the Senate and House are considering the legalization of gambling.

In Nov. 2024, Joint Resolution 16 was introduced to the Senate by Senator Carol Alvarado, which would allow for legalized gambling in the state of Texas.

The proposal would allow for seven casino resort locations to be scatted across some of the state’s largest metro areas and the legalization of sports betting.

As of right now, legal gambling is only accessible to Texans by driving to Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Costs of Chance: Evaluating the Economic and Social Implications of Casino Gambling Expansion in Texas written by Derek M. Cohen, Ph.D, explores the possible impacts to Texas from through research and the study of Ohio’s legalization of gambling.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-partisan research institute that aims to equip lawmakers with the information necessary to make informed decisions.

“The expansion of casino gambling in the U.S. has a mixed history. It is associated with an increase in local and state revenue but also correlates with a spike in social problems like gambling addiction and crime. As lawmakers grapple with this question, this research helps provide the relevant information for making such a decision,” says a statement from the publication.

Key points highlighted in the Costs of Chance:

• Casino gambling has been expanding in the United States since the mid-20th century.
• Casino gambling offers a new source of revenue to state and local governments.
• However, casino gambling is associated with increased crime and personal dysfunction.

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